Capitals' Alex Ovechkin's Hot Start Fueled by Rigorous Offseason

The Washington Capitals got a hot start from Alex Ovechkin thanks to an offseason focused on training and conditioning.

Nov 17, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Before suffering a fractured fibula, the Washington Capitals were being led by their captain, 39-year-old Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin’s 15 goals in 18 games helped lead the Capitals to the top of the Metropolitan Division.

Even without Ovechkin in the lineup, the Capitals are still winning games with a 17-6-1 record on the year and second in the Metro. When he was on the ice, Ovechkin was scoring goals almost at will like he was in his prime again.

While hunting down Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record, he made sure to be in great shape to fight off age and decline as much as possible. According to a source with Responsible Gambler, Ovechkin had a rigorous summer to keep himself in top condition.

“Alex spent his summer vacation in Turkey with friends. When he returned to training, he weighed 117 kilograms (258 pounds),” the source told rg.org. “Ovechkin has a unique metabolism, and in two or three months, he not only got himself into shape but also lost even more weight.”

Ovechkin went to great lengths to get his weight down and to keep his conditioning high. He consulted with experts and, and kept up with extra training with his strength coach.

The source told RG that Ovechkin got down to 225 pounds, but the NHL Media Site has him listed at 238, which is about what he’s weighed for most of his career.

In 2019, Ovechkin jokingly said he weighed about 260 pounds, which would have made him one of the heaviest players in the NHL at the time.

Regardless, fluctuating from 258 to 238 in the matter of months is huge for Ovechkin and goes to show how hard he’s working to not only stay healthy, but stay at the top of his game for as long as possible.

When he returns to the ice, all eyes will be on Ovechkin as he continues to chase down Gretzky and his 894 career goals.

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