Alex Ovechkin makes his feelings clear on Russia's absence in 4 Nations Face-Off

Alex Ovechkin is not a part of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament that's taken over the hockey world. Russians are not participating in the tournament and their status for the upcoming Olympics remains in question.

Russia could've formed a dynamic roster, with the likes of Ovechkin, Nikita Kucherov, Evgeni Malkin, Kirill Kaprizov and Artemi Panarin up front, and the option of Igor Shesterkin or Andrei Vasilevsky in goal.

Longtime NHL rival and fellow Russian Evgeni Malkin said in an interview with Match TV that the 4 Nations Face-Off had his interest. The television channel relayed that information to Ovechkin and asked whether he would be paying any attention to the tournament.

"I think I won't include the Four Nations tournament," Ovechkin said on Friday. "What's the point of watching something where the Russian team doesn't participate?"

Ovechkin has not had much success at the international level playing for Team Russia. He was held to just six points (three goals and three assists) in nine combined games during the 2010 and 2014 Olympics. He also only managed three points (one goal and two assists) in four games at the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.

Alex Ovechkin is 16 goals away from breaking history

Alex Ovechkin is getting closer to etching his name atop the record books.

He is up to 879 career goals, just 15 behind the 894 of Wayne Gretzky, the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer. Ovechkin has been scoring goals at a torrid pace this season, closing the gap on Gretzky quicker than many could've imagined.

Ovechkin needs 16 goals in the 27 games remaining on the Washington Capitals schedule to surpass Gretzky this regular season. He will need to score at a 0.593 goals-per-game pace to reach the summit.

While this feels like a tall task, Ovechkin has scored at a 0.67 goals-per-game clip this season with 26 goals and 17 assists, good for 43 points in only 39 games played. If there's anything hockey fans have learned over his career, it's to not doubt his greatness.

Ovechkin and the Capitals will return from the break on Saturday for a matchup with Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. The puck drops at 3 p.m. EST at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.