Alex Ovechkin Steps Away from Capitals After Death of Father

Mikhail Ovechkin, the father of Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin, has died, the franchise announced Wednesday.

The news comes after the Capitals announced Tuesday that Ovechkin would be stepping away from the team "to attend to a family matter and the health of a loved one."

At the time, Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters he was expecting to be without the captain for the "foreseeable future." It's unclear when he might return.

Capitals forward T.J. Oshie also told reporters Ovechkin addressed the team before he left Tuesday morning.

"He came and talked to the boys," Oshie said. "Definitely it's nice to get to see him and give him a hug and let him know that we're here for him in person rather than over text."

Nicklas Backstrom, his longtime center, added: "We're here supporting him. We're on his side and hope everything goes well."

Ovechkin has been a significant part of Washington's success since being selected first overall in the 2004 NHL draft. The nine-time winner of the Rocket Richard Award as the league's leading goal scorer has tallied 32 goals and 22 assists for 54 points in 54 games this season for the Capitals, who occupy the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 28-21-6 record.

The 37-year-old Russian's absence comes at an unfortunate time for the Capitals, who are 7-8-1 in 2023 and begin a tough stretch of games with matchups against the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers coming up.

With Ovechkin out of the lineup, the Capitals are going to have to find a way to maintain a playoff berth. Players like Oshie, Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dylan Strome are going to have to carry the offense.

The NHL's March 3 trade deadline is also coming up, which means the Caps could look to make some additions before then to help weather the storm. However, it's unclear if the franchise has any intention of making acquisitions this winter.