Photo credit: Sportsnet

Alex Ovechkin has been a star in the NHL for the past two decades, but as he ages, it appears as though his commitment to the Capitals may not be what it once was.

Since 2004, the Washington Capitals have become synonymous with captain Alexander Ovechkin, as he has brought them tremendous individual success and a Stanley Cup. Now however, the story around the team has been Ovechkin’s race to chase down Wayne Gretzky’s goal scoring record, as he may just be one or two seasons away from NHL history.

On one hand, it would be fantastic for the organization to have the player with the most goals in NHL history, but on the other, his commitment to leading this team as a winning squad has now been questioned. That comes further into question following these shocking comments;

“I hate prep. I hate it. I just don’t like training. Before the season, that’s the hardest part. Can you imagine, after vacation, you arrive, you’re tan, everything’s fine, happy, and your coach calls you and says, ‘Well Sasha, tomorrow we start training.’ And it starts, you go to training, then rest, then another training. I hate it, I can’t stand it.”

While this may not effect his play on the ice, as he could be in tremendous shape without having to do all of the training that he once did, but if he struggles in 2024 after comments like this, it certainly won’t be a good look for the organization.