Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin stepping away to attend to family matter

Washington Capitals senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced Tuesday that captain Alex Ovechkin will miss tonight’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes and will be held out of the lineup for personal reasons while he attends a family matter and the health of a loved one. It is unclear how long he will be out of the lineup. No further details were provided. This will be Ovechkin’s second absence this season following a missed game against the Vegas Golden Knights last month for a lower body-related injury.

Ovechkin, 37, has tallied a team-leading 32 goals and 22 assists for 54 points in 54 games this season. He sits tied for eighth among NHL goal leaders this year alongside Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point and Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele. The prolific sniper surpassed Gordie Howe on the NHL All-Time goals leader list earlier this year and continues to chase down Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals. Ovechkin has 812 goals and 1,464 points in 1,328 career NHL regular season games. 

The Capitals currently pose a record of 28-21-6 and sit atop of the Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals are set to face the Hurricanes tonight, and the Florida Panthers Thursday, it’s presumed that Ovechkin will be out for both games. 

In a corresponding move, MacLellan announced that the Capitals have recalled forward Joe Snivley from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Hershey Bears. Snively has eight points (five goals, three assists) in 13 games this season. His NHL totals include eight points (four goals, four assists) in 18 games.