Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin has reportedly told his team that he would prefer not to be selected for All-Star Game activities.
The National League on Thursday announced the first 32 players – one per team – who will take part in the Feb. 1-3 event at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Forward Tom Wilson was selected to represent the Caps.
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The next day, journalist Tarik El-Bashir, who covers the activities of the American capital club for the NHL Network, claimed that Ovechkin told his organization that he wanted to use a break to prepare for the second half of the season.
It's not the first time the star player has decided to skip the All-Star Game. In 2020, he was suspended for one game after declining the invitation. He was also replaced by Wilson for the 2022 edition of the event. Last year the famous number 8 attended the celebrations accompanied by his son Sergei.
On their social networks, the Capitals asked their fans to vote for Dylan Strome, Anthony Mantha and John Carlson. Remember that 12 more players will take part in the All-Star Game after a fan vote on the Internet. The club therefore deliberately refrained from mentioning its Russian outsider.
It must also be said that Ovechkin faces a more difficult 2023-2024 season. The one who is trying to break Wayne Gretzky's scoring record has hit the target eight times and delivered 16 assists for 24 points in 36 games.