Capitals' Alex Ovechkin Out 4-6 Weeks with Fractured Leg Injury amid Gretzky Chase

Alex Ovechkin's quest to surpass Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record will be put on hold for at least another month.

The Washington Capitals announced Thursday that further consultation with team doctors revealed that the Russian—who was already on injured reserve—had a fracture to his left fibula and would miss at least the next 4-6 weeks.

Ovechkin suffered the injury on Monday night during a collision with the Utah Hockey Club's Jack McBain.

"Everyone's bummed out," winger Tom Wilson told reporters. "We were sitting there saying: 'This is weird. Like, it's unbelievable that he's actually hurt.' It's one of those things where like, 'He's going to miss games'? I've been around a long time, and it's new to me."

Ovechkin, 39, is currently just 26 goals shy of Gretzky's NHL-record of 894 career tallies. It appeared he might top the mark this season after he scored 15 goals in his first 18 games, a blistering pace.

One major factor in his pursuit of the goals record—a record once deemed unlikely to be broken, given Gordie Howe is the only other player in NHL history to reach 800 goals (801) alongside Gretzky and Ovechkin—has been his durability.

Before this injury, the 13-time All-Star had only missed 59 games total in his first 19 seasons, and only 35 of those due to injury, while maintaining an aggressive, fearless approach.

"He doesn't go out there and just coast around," Wilson noted. "He's played 20 years every shift running over guys and skating. He's a power forward, the best goal-scorer ever maybe, and he's a power forward that plays the game really hard."

One record Ovechkin won't be touching, though, is Gretzky's incredible assists record, which stands at 1,963, over 700 assists clear of Ron Francis in second place (1,249). But that was never Ovechkin's game.

Assuming Ovechkin returns at some point in late December or early January, he will have around 45 games to top Gretzky's goals record this season. Given his torrid scoring pace to start the season, it's certainly a possibility.