ARLINGTON, VA — The Washington Capitals are still without the services of Alex Ovechkin as they prepare to head north to their minor-league barn. Since leaving his first skate of training camp early, Ovechkin has not practiced with his teammates and is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Ovechkin continued his recovery process on Wednesday, hitting the ice before Group A’s skate in a no-contact jersey, but head coach Spencer Carbery confirmed he would not be ready for Thursday’s preseason game in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
“No, he will not (travel),” Carbery said.
Both Ovechkin and Carbery have expressed little concern about his injury, though he has now missed almost a full week of training camp. Ovechkin first returned to the ice ahead of practice on Tuesday before getting more work in alongside the also-injured Alexander Suzdalev on Wednesday.
Even while injured, Ovechkin has remained jovial as ever, interrupting Carbery’s press conference on Wednesday to joke about his status. Carbery was midway through answering questions on Ovechkin when the man himself walked in with a grin.
Carbery: I think (Ovechkin) did more today than he did yesterday, so another — speak of the devil!
Tarik El-Bashir: We were just asking about you.
Carbery: It’s always the first question of the day.
Ovechkin: All good! Tomorrow, Hershey!
This wouldn’t mark the first time Ovechkin’s joked about playing at Giant Center in recent memory. When asked at the team’s breakdown day in May if he was planning to retire, he quipped that he’d actually be making his AHL debut.
“I just packed my stuff. I’m going to Hershey,” he said then. “They have playoffs, so I’ll see you there.”
Ovechkin did play a preseason game at Giant Center early in his career, facing the Pittsburgh Penguins ahead of his rookie year in September 2005. Two decades later, his teammates will head back up to Hershey, home of the team’s AHL affiliate Hershey Bears, without him.
The Capitals will play the Philadelphia Flyers in Hershey on Thursday for their second game of the preseason, with puck drop set for 7 pm.
