Photo: @Capitals

Captain Alex Ovechkin left the Washington Capitals’ final preseason game with an apparent knee injury midway through the first period after hitting Philadelphia Flyers’ right-wing Travis Konecny, falling down after, and shaking off his left knee. The team announced at first intermission that he will not return to Friday’s game.

You can view the play below:

Alex Ovechkin hobbled off the ice after hitting Travis Konecny. pic.twitter.com/4M3nFl2IoL

— Ryan Gilbert (@RGilbertSOP) October 8, 2021

The Capitals announced at the end of the first period that the 36-year-old would not return  to the game tonight. He recorded three shifts in 2:19 of ice time in the game before exiting the game around the 11 minute mark.

#Caps captain Alex Ovechkin (lower body) will not return to tonight’s preseason game.

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) October 8, 2021

Ovechkin will be reevaluated over the weekend.

Ovechkin is to be re-evaluated today. Capitals have a scheduled day off. Return to practice tomorrow morning. Probably won't know more until then. https://t.co/K5PVNX2nnm

— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) October 9, 2021

The Capitals will open the regular-season against the New York Rangers on Wednesday and will likely already be without center Nicklas Backstrom, who has yet to skate since the team’s first-round series exit in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs due to a hip injury.

By Harrison Brown