So, on the first day of training camp, September 18, Alex Ovechkin had a bit of a rough start. Just minutes into the first on-ice session, he ended up with a lower-body injury and had to leave practice early. The Capitals and coach Spencer Carbery have been saying that the 40-year-old winger is day-to-day and that there’s no long-term worry. They’ve pointed out that he has plenty of time to bounce back before the season opener on October 8.

However, fans were really worried on social media because any big injury could mean the end of his whole season, or even his career, especially since he’s getting close to retirement. The coach was pretty straightforward, saying, “[There’s] still plenty of runway in training camp with a decent amount of time for him to get back and get a bunch of practices under his belt and potentially get into some preseason games.”

His recovery has been a step-by-step process, beginning with skating on his own, then rejoining teammates in a light blue, non-contact jersey, where he initially left the ice before drills and line rushes began. The most significant update came from reporter Katie Adler, who shared a positive report on Ovi, stating, “Alex Ovechkin is once again on the ice in a regular jersey as a full participant in practice.”

This milestone was the first time Alex Ovechkin hit the ice without a no-contact jersey since the very first day of camp. Well, any progress is still progress, right? The social media video showed Ovi gliding around the ice, giving some light work a shot while he had the chance. So, here’s where the coach’s confidence really shone through.

When the hockey star was dealing with that lower body injury, Carbery mentioned, “Sort of what I have in my head is hoping to be able to get him into one road, one home exhibition game to give him two. Is it the be all end all for him to play two exhibition games? No, but that would be, I think, ideal world is he gets two games and he’s ready to go for the start of the year.” Now that the captain is good to go for contact, it looks like that plan is right on track. With that said, how crucial was Ovi to the Capitals’ success last year?

Alex Ovechkin’s contribution to his team

During the 2024-25 season, Alex Ovechkin really stepped up for the Washington Capitals. He wasn’t just a key player; he was the heartbeat of the team, showcasing an incredible performance that blended personal milestones with strong leadership for the squad. One of his biggest achievements was definitely breaking the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring record, a journey that fans like to call “The Gr8 Chase.” He wrapped up the season with 44 goals, landing him third in the league, and he tied Gordie Howe for the most goals scored by a player aged 39 or older.

It’s pretty amazing to think that he pulled off such an incredible feat, especially considering he missed 16 games due to a broken leg right in the middle of the season. Even with that big injury, he still managed to score 0.68 goals per game, which was the second-highest in the league for skaters. When you look past the numbers, you really see how invaluable Ovechkin is as a leader.

Teammate Aliaksei Protas pointed this out, mentioning that even when he was injured, “He was always there, during the game he could even give advice somewhere, come in before the game. He was always there.” With the 2025-26 season on the horizon, there’s plenty of opportunity for Ovi and his team to do what they did last season and maybe even come back even stronger.