Alex Alexeyev reveals full extent of damage to teeth after taking high stick during playoffs

Alex Alexeyev finished the 2024-25 season with an accidental souvenir from the Capitals’ playoff run. A high stick to the face from Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans knocked out several of Alexeyev’s teeth in Game 1 of the first round, forcing him to wear a bubble for the remainder of the postseason.

In a recent interview with RG’s Daria Tuboltseva, Alexeyev revealed the full extent of the dental damage and how his first trip to the dentist went.

“I was pumped, playing well, and in the third period — boom, my teeth get knocked out,” Alexeyev said. “No penalty, because the refs said it was ‘part of the follow-through.’ And that’s it – minus six teeth. Three uppers completely gone, roots and all. The other three lowers got chipped; one broke inside.”

Alexeyev received two of his teeth back after a member of the Capitals Ice Crew found them on the ice during the overtime intermission and delivered them to the team’s medical staff. The 25-year-old defender missed the final 2:38 of regulation and returned to the bench for overtime, although he did not take a shift in the extra frame.

Alex Ovechkin ultimately scored just 1:26 into OT to deliver the Capitals a 1-0 series lead, but Alexeyev couldn’t enjoy the victory. Instead, he spent the next several hours in a dentist’s chair.

“I went to the locker room, got two or three shots, and went back out,” Alexeyev told Tuboltseva. “Thankfully, we scored right away — Ovi got it. After the game, I went straight to the dentist and sat there until 3 am. Surgery, stitches — they even tried pulling one upper tooth out of the gum with pliers — no luck.”

Two days later, Alexeyev was able to return for Game 2, a major boon for a Capitals defense already missing Martin Fehervary for the remainder of the year. He would go on to play in all 10 of the team’s playoff games, averaging 10:24 of ice time.

Alexeyev eventually got temporary replacements for his teeth, though he says he would prefer to continue his career without them.

“Later, they made me two plates that clip onto the neighboring teeth,” Alexeyev said. “For the lowers, they just filed them and put on crowns. The plates are temporary — no point in permanent ones. If they get knocked out again, it could fracture the skull because the pins go into the jawbone. If it were up to me, I’d wear them all the time, but you’ve got to smile for the cameras. At least on the ice, I can take them out.”

After the Capitals declined to tender him a qualifying offer earlier this summer, Alexeyev signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He expects to get much more ice time with the rebuilding Penguins under first-year head coach Dan Muse.

Alexeyev will have to wait quite a while for his first opportunity to return to DC with the Penguins, as Pittsburgh does not visit Washington until April 12 in the final week of the regular season.