Former Stanley Cup Champion Praises Capitals' Alex Ovechkin

Alex Ovechkin put himself on historic pace before leaving the Washington Capitals lineup, but is still getting praise from fellow countrymen.

Nov 18, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) skates with the puck against against the Utah Hockey Club during the first period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

When Alex Ovechkin left the Washington Capitals lineup with a broken fibula, he was well on his way to breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record. While it’s still expected the Capitals captain will surpass one of the NHL’s “unbreakable records,” he may need a little extra time get back up to speed.

According to Russian hockey legend Alex Kovalev, the Capitals shouldn’t see any sort of slowing of pace from Ovechkin. Kovalev spoke with Responsible Gambler and talked about some of the top Russian players in the NHL right now. Of course, Ovechkin came up and his race for the all-time goals record.

Kovalev told RG that Ovechkin’s chase for Gretzky’s 894 goals is “inspiring” and something that will resonate with future generations of hockey players.

“It's a huge achievement in life,” Kovalev said. “Kids will look at it. They will understand what you went through and what you did for hockey. It opens many doors.”

Kovalev holds to his belief that winning championships and chasing the Stanley Cup is more important than any personal achievement, and Ovechkin shouldn’t lose sight of that.

“Hockey is a team sport, and the emotions from such a victory are incomparable to anything.”

As a member of the New York Rangers, Kovalev was a huge piece to their 1994 Stanley Cup championship. He put up 21 points (9G-12A) in 23 games in his first-ever trip to the NHL playoffs.

Kovalev doesn’t believe Ovechkin will run into any problems in his rehab process and shouldn’t take long to gett back to his record-breaking pace. Beyond Ovechkin’s physical fitness, the Capitals are playing at the top of their game and are one of the top teams in the NHL.

“A big plus for him is that the Capitals are playing well now,” Kovalev said. “The main thing is that he doesn't force his return. There shouldn't be any problems.”

Ovechkin has started skating on his own and working his way towards a return. In the meantime, the Capitals are a top team in the league with a 20-6-2 record and 42 standings points. Only the Winnipeg Jets have more points in the entire NHL.

The Capitals are in a good place as a team, and Ovechkin is only going to make them better. He’ll be back on Gretzky’s heels in now time.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

• Report: Teams Showing Trade Interest in Sabres Forward
• Lightning, Oilers, and Penguins Explode Offensively
• Hurricanes Forward Undergoes Surgery
• Former Penguins Stanley Cup Champion Announces Retirement
• Maple Leafs Make Goalie Move Following Injury