Concerning report emerges about Alexander Ovechkin's health

Washington Capitals left winger Alex Ovechkin. David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Concerning report emerges about Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin's health

By Ted Goldberg | Last updated Sep 18, 2025 5:23 PM ET

The Washington Capitals began their first day of training camp with an injury scare, as star left winger Alexander Ovechkin left practice early with a lower-body injury.

Alex Ovechkin left the first training camp practice to be evaluated for a lower body injury, per the #Caps.
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) September 18, 2025

Alexander Ovechkin addresses the media

It wasn't immediately clear if the injury affected the same leg that Ovechkin broke last year, when a fractured fibula cost the Capitals captain 16 games. The injury was not severe enough to restrict Ovechkin from speaking to reporters following Thursday's practice.

Per NHL.com's Tom Gulitti, Ovechkin sounded "unconcerned" about his lower-body injury, but he added that the Capitals captain might not skate on Friday when training camp resumes.

Ovechkin sounded unconcerned about his lower-body injury that caused him to leave practice today, but didn't know if he'll practice tomorrow.
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) September 18, 2025

Gulitti added that Washington head coach Spencer Carbery called the decision "precautionary" to take Ovechkin off the ice.

Caps coach Spencer Carbery said it was just precautionary for Ovechkin and he’s day to day https://t.co/ktlXJSVEz5
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) September 18, 2025

Ovechkin, who turned 40 on Wednesday, enters the 2025 season as the NHL's all-time leading goal-scorer with 897 tallies. When asked if he is approaching this season as if it would be his last, Ovechkin said he didn't know.

Ovechkin said he and the team are excited to enter the season with a clean slate and no more talk of the goal chase.

On if he's approaching this season as his last:

"I don't know. Do you know?"

Said they'll see what's going to happen.
— Sammi Silber (@sammisilber) September 18, 2025

Ovechkin is also the NHL's all-time leader in regular-season power-play goals (326), game-winning goals (136) and shots on net (6,864). Depending on the severity of this injury, Capitals fans may have to wait to watch Ovechkin continue padding those totals and try to lead the Caps to their second Stanley Cup.

Ted Goldberg

Ted Goldberg is a sports writer based in New Jersey who previously worked as a journalist for Spectrum News and PBS. He joined Yardbarker in September 2025, primarily writing about the NFL, MLB, and NBA. He graduated from Syracuse with a degree in Broadcast Journalism a very long time ago

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