Due to the large number of injuries: Ovechkin will not help the Russian national team at the ice hockey world championship

The Washington Capitals lost 1-3 in the fifth Stanley Cup playoff game to the Boston Bruins and ended their fight for the National Hockey League (NHL) championship. The victory in the first meeting of the opening round was the only one for one of the main favorites of the tournament, which was followed by a series of four defeats in a row.

The capital team looked less collected against the background of the rival, and even long-term leader Alexander Ovechkin was unable to help it, although it was he who became one of the most productive players of Washington in the current playoffs. In total, he managed to score two goals and give two assists. The Russian chalked up four points, and was also remembered for several spectacular power moves. However, all this did not help Peter Lavioletta's wards, and they were eliminated for the sixth time in a 16-year career as a striker at the club in the first round of the Stanley Cup.

The end of the fight for the main trophy of the NHL could mean that Ovechkin will soon join the Russian national team, which is currently fighting on the ice of Riga for the gold of the world championship.

She has to play at least five more matches without taking into account the potential for reaching the playoff stage, therefore, given the absence of big stars in the lineup, the arrival of the captain of “Washington” could be a good help.

However, the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (FHR) reported that Ovechkin will not be able to help the team at the World Championship "due to the large amount of injuries sustained in the regular season and NHL playoffs."

As an NHL player, Ovechkin was called up to the national team 11 times - more often than other Russian representatives of the league.

At the same time, since 2004, he was forced to refuse to participate in the World Championship only three times.

In 2009, the striker had to miss the tournament due to his performance in the Stanley Cup playoffs, where the Capitals reached the semifinals, remembered for his striking confrontation with Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.

In 2017, a lower body injury prevented him from joining the national team.

And in the next season, Ovechkin helped his team win the Stanley Cup.

However, this time one should not complain about his absence, even if such a decision was made by the hockey player himself, who has repeatedly stated that he is ready to help the team at the first call.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NHL season was constantly interrupted and ended only in September, and the teams had very little time to rest and prepare for the next regular season, which started in January 2021.

It was not easy for the captain of "Washington" personally.

At the start of the season, he was forced to miss four games due to a security protocol violation.

And in the spring, health problems began to haunt him.

At the end of April, Ovechkin suffered a hip injury and, for the first time since 2015, was unable to qualify for an NHL match due to injury.

The long-awaited return took place only at the beginning of May.

But it turned out to be extremely blurry: Ovechkin spent only 39 seconds on the ice, and then went into the locker room.

After that, he again took time to recover, which led to a kind of anti-record: for the first time in his career, the forward missed 11 matches and could not overcome the bar of 30 goals in the regular season.

At the same time, the Russian still expects to go down in history, ahead of the best NHL scorer Wayne Gretzky. Before the record, he lacks 165 goals. Given the age, with each season the chances of rewriting it become less and less, which means that on a vacation that began earlier, you should take care of your health and use the time to fully recover from injuries.

Another argument in favor of the fact that it is inappropriate for Ovechkin to come to the camp of the Russian national team is the strict security protocol in force at the World Cup. In accordance with it, a hockey player who arrived in Riga after May 16 must undergo a three-day quarantine, during which he is tested for coronavirus three times. After that, he will be able to start training, but is still not eligible to participate in matches. He will receive it on the seventh day and only if six tests show a negative result. That is why, at best, the Washington player will be able to help the team only in the last meetings of the group stage.

In addition, the Russian national team will still not be left without reinforcements from the NHL.

Ovechkin's teammates Dmitry Orlov and Ilya Samsonov have already received an invitation from the coaching staff, and at the moment the FHR is coordinating the details of their flight to Latvia.

As for the attacking line, the St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko also agreed to come.

According to the 1988 Olympic champion Valery Kamensky, Ovechkin should not be blamed for skipping the World Cup, since during his career he has repeatedly proved his commitment to the national team.

“This is his desire. Ovechkin always came to the World Cup with pleasure and played for the national team. As an adult player, he knows exactly his physical condition and whether he can help the national team. Does he need to end his career in the national team? This is not the way to think. Alexander is a hockey player who loves his country. If he has the strength and desire, then only he can decide about his performances for the national team, "- quotes Kamenky" Sport-Express ".