Alex Ovechkin isn’t going to the World Championship this year.
The Russian Ice Hockey Federation confirmed it today with the following statement:
“Forward Alexander Ovechkin cannot join the team at the World Championship because of a lower-body injury. Russia’s coaches contacted three Washington players, with all of them agreeing to travel to the tournament. However, during a conversation with coaches, Alexander Ovechkin stated that he is ready to join the team immediately as he always does, but doesn’t want to let the team down because he finished the NHL playoffs on pain-numbing injections.”
Two of Ovechkin’s teammates, defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, will join Russia in Germany.
Ovechkin, who has yet to get past the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Capitals, has represented Russia 12 times at the Worlds.