Alex Ovechkin is best known for his legendary scoring talent, but his seemingly superhuman durability has also been a hallmark of his career. Now age 39, Ovechkin has remained remarkably healthy through his time in the NHL, missing just 51 games to injury in 20 seasons.
The most extended absence of Ovechkin’s career came this past year, when he missed close to six weeks with a fractured fibula. Though Ovechkin was up and walking just days after the injury, he recently revealed that his journey toward a quick return would have been daunting without the support he received from his family and his own stubborn insistence on getting back to on-ice action.
“What inspires me is that I have a family, children, friends who are passionate about what I do, and I love what I do,” he said on Sunday, per TASS and translated via Google Translate. “If I didn’t love it, I would have quit a long time ago, and would be enjoying life. When I got seriously injured, my wife and children helped me a lot, especially my wife.
“I was determined to come back; in a different situation, it would have been hard for me to come back.”
Ovechkin missed a total of 16 games while recovering, returning on December 28 after the NHL’s holiday break. Even at the time, he noted it was difficult to sit out for so long.
“Obviously, it was hard month,” he said then. “Workout, watch the games, and you always want to help all your teammates and your team to win. Yeah, was hard time.”
From that low point, however, the rest of Ovechkin’s season was one to remember: he scored 29 times in 47 post-injury games, ending the season with the third-most goals in the league (44). Those goals were enough to cement his place in hockey history on April 6, when he passed Wayne Gretzky for the NHL all-time goals record.
Ovechkin’s ability to stay healthy and continue his career has been a significant factor in his success. Among active players, Ovechkin ranks second in total games played (1,491), just six games behind Brent Burns’ top spot (1,497). He’s set to be the third-oldest player in the league when he hits the ice this fall and one of just 69 players in NHL history to continue into his 40s.
With the record in the rearview, Ovechkin now has one year remaining on his contract. He’s confirmed that he’ll be back in DC this fall but has kept noncommittal when asked about his plans beyond that, a pattern that held Sunday.
“Future career? I’ll be 40 in September,” he said. “I’m thinking in stages, living in the present.”