Here’s the thing if you’re one of the most remarkably durable pro athletes of all-time: when you finally do get badly hurt during your 20th season, you have no idea how your body will respond when you return.
That was the case for Alex Ovechkin Saturday at Scotiabank Arena when he took to the ice for the first time since fracturing his left fibula in a Nov. 18 game. The freak injury occurred in Game 1,444 of his career. He’d miss the next 16 on Washington’s schedule. He’d previously never missed more than six games at a time in his career due to an injury, and he’d never sustained anything remotely as severe as the fibula fracture.
Of course, Ovechkin being Ovechkin, he made it back less than six weeks later, faster than most mortal human beings would. But when he suited up Saturday for his Capitals’ 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, he didn’t seamlessly resume his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record.
“Obviously practice is one thing. And I [didn’t] have the [opportunity] for lots of practice with the team…But in the game, it happens so quick, so you have to be ready for that,” Ovechkin said. “And obviously I try to feel with the puck mentally, physically. Since the first shift ended, I’m feeling like, ‘OK, now I can play.’ “
Of course, on paper he actually did seamlessly resume the record chase. Late in the third period, with Washington up two goals and the Leafs’ net empty, Ovechkin found himself completely alone in their zone, the puck on his stick, waltzing to one of the biggest freebie goals of his career. That gave him 869 and brought him to within 25 of Gretzky’s record of 894. But it didn’t tell the real story of Ovechkin’s night. He was visible in a couple net-front battles – and a blown backcheck on Toronto’s second goal. He played 14:58, well below his season average of 17:36. He managed just two shots before the empty netter. The Capitals received just one power-play opportunity, so we didn’t get an extended look at him in his office at the half boards. The Caps generated 38.46 percent of the shot attempts and 41.93 percent of the expected goals with him on the ice at 5-on-5. So it’s safe to say he wasn’t quite Alexander the GR8, which was understandable. But his presence undoubtedly gave his team an emotional lift.
“We’re excited when he’s walking out to the ice – people are climbing on top of each other to get videos of him,” said right winger Tom Wilson. “He’s taking the hockey world on a crazy ride right now, and it’s rockstar stuff. He’s the man, and we love him in here.”
It remains to be seen how long it will take Ovechkin – who is 39, let’s not forget – to recapture the incredible momentum he built before the injury. He’d ignited for 15 goals in his first 18 games of 2024-25, including seven in the five games leading up to his absence. His pace at the time of the injury was an absurd 68 goals over 82 games, which would’ve had him walking to the record well before the season was up. Now, with 46 games remaining in Washington’s campaign, he’ll need 26 to get goal No. 895 this season, which will require a 46-goal pace for the remainder of the year.
Possible? Absolutely. Ovechkin is the greatest goal-scorer ever to walk the earth. The rules of aging don’t apply to him. But it’s difficult to predict how quickly he’ll recover his sea legs. At worst, he’ll do so in time to set the record next season. But whether he finds twine 26 more times between now and late April will depend on how he responds to a test he’s never faced before. The next hurdle will come Sunday morning when he wakes up, checks himself for aches and pains and must prepare for the second leg of a back to back.
Whenever goal 895 happens, this season or next, the NHL and Gretzky have big plans to celebrate the moment. It’s up to Ovechkin and his healed leg to determine when that will be.
