Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin will be ready to play in the team’s season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.
“Of course, maybe it’s going to be hard the first couple of games because I didn’t play in pre-season games and my training the last week was not what I expected and how I expected it,” Ovechkin said Wednesday, per NHL.com. “But overall, I feel fine.”
Ovechkin was unable to play in any of the team’s pre-season contests, but has been a full participant in practice since last Thursday.
“It is what it is,” Ovechkin said. “I’d rather feel healthy during the year than get some more injuries in the pre-season.”
Ovechkin is entering his age-41 season, and 22nd in the NHL since the Capitals drafted him first overall in the 2004 NHL Draft. He returned to Washington this season on a one-year contract worth $4.25 million after contemplating retirement in the off-season.
The winger scored 32 goals and finished with 64 points in playing in all 82 games a season ago - after he missed the first four games of last year’s pre-season with a similar issue.
“Today was a good pace practice and we’ll take it,” Ovechkin said of Wednesday’s session. “I think we’re all excited the first game is going to be against the Stanley Cup champs, so it’s going to be a good battle for us.”
The Capitals won two of three games against the Hurricanes, who finished the top team in the Eastern Conference and defeated the Vegas Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup, last season.
“If you ask any questions to anybody, the start is very important for us mentally-wise and we’re not going to have an easy schedule at the beginning,” Ovechkin said. “We’re going to play back-to-back against Carolina and then Tampa, so it’s going to be a good challenge.”
Washington fell just short of the postseason a year ago after finishing 43-30-9. Their 95 points were three shy of the eighth-seeded Philadelphia Flyers in a competitive Eastern Conference.
Ovechkin’s 929 goals in 1,573 career games are the most in NHL history - he surpassed Wayne Gretzky’s mark of 894 late in the 2024-25 campaign.
