Ovechkin skating in Washington as he prepares for potential historic season
Photo credit: Reuters
Alex Ovechkin is back skating in Washington ahead of what could turn out to be a historic season. Ovechkin will begin the season with 853 goals, which is 42 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time scoring record.
Ovechkin spent his offseason overseas, vacationing in Turkey and spending time in his home country of Russia, where he got some work in both on and off the ice. And with weeks to go before training camp, his colleagues are saying that he's in good shape and ready for 2024-25.
KHL forward Alexei Kruchinin, who worked with Ovechkin over the summer, told AllProSport that the 6-foot-3, 238-pound winger put a lot of effort into his regimen to prepare for what will be his 20th NHL season.
"We would go to the gym and he would go to the gym and do his own program with the coach," Kruchinin said, per a DeepL translation. "He did circuit training with us. We had volleyball at 5 p.m. every day; he didn't miss it."
While Ovechkin also took the time to enjoy the break from hockey, Kruchinin said he remained dedicated to staying on top of his training.
"It wasn't like he was just sitting around drinking," Kruchinin said. "We all train and rest the same."
Ovechkin returns to the Capitals with high expectations for the final two years of his contract. He sits 42 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record, and he also hopes that Washington, who overhauled roughly a third of its roster this summer, can compete for another Stanley Cup.
| POLL | ||
8 SEPTEMBRE | 18 ANSWERS Ovechkin skating in Washington as he prepares for potential historic season Will Ovechkin score 42 goals this season and break the all-time scoring record? | ||
| YES | 4 | 22.2 % |
| NO | 14 | 77.8 % |
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