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Ovechkin Front And Center, Hagelin Takes Ice For Capitals Team Photo

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Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin

ARLINGTON, V.A. — After suffering an upper-body injury on Sunday, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was on the ice and front and center for the annual team photo at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Monday.

The Great 8 appeared to be in good spirits while in full uniform. He skated onto the ice and was in the front row and center in the team photo. He stayed on the ice afterward to take a photo with teammates Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson and then caught up with owner Ted Leonsis.

The Capitals listed Ovechkin as day-to-day on Monday.

In the third period of Sunday’s 4-3 shootout loss to Toronto, Ovechkin went in on a breakaway and tripped over Erik Kallgren’s stick while trying to go forehand to backhand. He then went awkwardly into the boards and stayed down in visible pain. The trainer came out, but Ovechkin was able to get up and skate off under his own power. He did not return to the game.

“I’ve never met anyone tougher than that guy. We all hope he’s fine. I just talked to him and I think he’ll be all right. It’s always scary seeing Big 8 go down and lay on the ice. He’s a tough guy. But if there was anyone I’d imagine wouldn’t miss any more time than he needs to, it’d be 8,” Oshie said on Sunday.

READ MORE ON WHN: Kallgren Shares Take On What Happened On Play That Injured Ovechkin

Washington has hree regular-season games left before the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs start in May. Ovechkin is Washington’s leading scorer with 50 goals and 90 points through 77 games this season. He also made history on Wednesday with his ninth 50-goal season, tied with Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky for the most 50-goal seasons by a player in NHL history.

The Capitals are scheduled to honor Ovechkin with a pregame ceremony on Tuesday against the New York Islanders to celebrate the 36-year-old taking over as the NHL’s third all-time leading goal-scorer. He passed Jaromir Jagr with his 767th career tally back on March 15 at home against New York. In the bigger picture with regard to the NHL’s all-time goals list, he is 20 goals away from 800, 22 from passing Gordie Howe and 115 from breaking Gretzky’s record.

Meanwhile, Washington saw another positive sign, as Carl Hagelin hit the ice and took part in the team photo. No. 62 was all smiles and also took a couple of laps after the photo while catching up with teammates.

Hagelin is currently on the long-term injured reserve following a “serious” eye injury and subsequent surgery back in March. There is no timetable for his return, though reports indicate he won’t be back for the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign or playoffs.

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