Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin will not participate in the All-Star Game due to a lower-body injury, the team confirmed in a statement Wednesday night.
The news was first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
“We made this difficult decision after taking into consideration what we felt was best for Alex and our organization,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said in a team statement. “Alex has been an incredible ambassador for our team and the league, but we believe it is better if he uses this time to heal and ideally be completely healthy for the duration of the season.”
Ovechkin was voted by the fans to be the all-star captain for the Metropolitan Division. It remains unclear who will replace him in the event.
“I want to thank fans for voting me,” Ovechkin told reporters after the game. “But right now we’re focused to get ready for the rest of the year and be healthy in the playoffs.”
As a result of missing the game, the Washington Capitals forward will also be suspended for one game following the all-star break. His status is day-to-day.
“We had to make a conscious decision on that,” head coach Barry Trotz said after the game. “You’ve seen other teams make that decision. Detroit has done it a few times. The ultimate goal is for us to go deeper than last year so sometimes you have to make those decisions.
“Hopefully he’s can get back to 100 per cent and (get) going.”
Ovechkin has 28 goals and 14 assists in 46 games with Washington this season.
