The Washington Capitals returned to action in style Sunday, crushing the Boston Bruins 5-2 in their preseason opener. But while the team looked sharp across the board, one notable absence stood out: captain Alex Ovechkin was nowhere to be found.
Ovechkin is currently recovering from a lower-body injury sustained on the first day of training camp. But while he hasn’t returned to the lineup yet, another member of the Ovechkin family has been making headlines on the ice.
Alex Ovechkin’s Son Delivers Jaw-Dropping Goal
Despite Ovechkin sitting out Sunday’s game, Capitals fans had plenty to get excited about as his older son, Sergei, took the ice at a youth game. The match at MedStar Capitals Iceplex drew the superstar dad as a proud spectator.
Also in attendance was Ovechkin’s Capitals teammate Aliaksei Protas, who brought along his younger brother Ilya, a current Hershey Bears player. The brothers watched with excitement as young Sergei found his scoring touch, burying a quick strike past the goaltender.
The clip, originally shared by Ovechkin’s wife, Nastya Ovechkina, captured the three Capitals players erupting in celebration the moment Sergei found the back of the net. Adding to the heartwarming scene, the young scorer was sporting his father’s iconic yellow laces on his skates.
But instead of his father’s famous ‘Great 8,’ Sergei sported number 18 on his jersey, a choice that didn’t go unnoticed by the hockey community watching the next generation of the Ovechkin family take the ice.
Though sidelined by injury, Ovechkin couldn’t stay away from his teammates’ practice, making his presence known by banging on the glass from the sidelines. Despite the injury setback, Capitals fans are eagerly awaiting his return to action.
With the 40-year-old having missed four straight practice sessions, some supporters worry that age might be slowing his recovery. However, both ‘Ovi’ and head coach Spencer Carbery remain confident there’s nothing to be concerned about.”
Ahead of Sunday’s preseason game against the Bruins, Carberry assured fans that the decision to keep Ovechkin on the bench for this one was simply precautionary. “Nothing significant. I would call it day-to-day and just more so the beginning of the camp,” he said.
However, while some might be worried about Ovechkin’s output at his age, his performance just this past season proved that age is not a factor for him. The Capitals’ captain notched his 14th season with 40+ goals as he ended up tied for the third-most goals in the league at 44 with Tage Thompson of the Sabres.
With age clearly not slowing him down, fans will be eager to see Ovechkin return for the Capitals’ next preseason matchup on September 23 against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Giant Center.