Is Alex Ovechkin playing tonight against the Detroit Red Wings? | February 21st, 2023 | 2022-23 NHL Season

Alex Ovechkin last played for the Washington Capitals in their loss against the San Jose Sharks on Sunday, February 12th.

He left soon after to be with his family after his father passed away and has since missed three games for the Capitals. He is expected to return this week, but will miss the game against the Detroit Red Wings tonight.

According to Roman Stubbs of The Washington Post, Alex Ovechkin texted his teammates about the news of his father’s death and departed for Russia to be with his family Wednesday morning.

According to a translation of an Instagram post, Ovechkin wrote:

“Today I lost my father, I thank everyone for their support, but I ask you to be understanding and not disturb my family at such a difficult time for us! Thank you.”

Alex Ovechkin is still listed as a non-roster player and there is no set date as to when he will be back on the ice for the Capitals. The team has respected his wishes to be with his family at this time of mourning.

According to fans_365 on twitter, Alex Ovechkin is flying back to Washington from Moscow today and will probably join the team in their next match against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.

Will the Washington Capitals fail to make the playoffs due to Alex Ovechkin's absence?

Alex Ovechkin, 37, has a team-high 32 goals for the Washington Capitals. Without him, the Capitals struggle a lot with their offense as no player in their lineup is on pace to score more than 20 goals in the 2022-23 NHL season.

Ovechkin is one of the most durable players in NHL history. He has missed just 49 regular season games in his 18 seasons and his absence has come at a very crucial time for Washington, who are barely hanging on to an Eastern Conference wild-card berth, with a 28-24-6 record in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division.

The Capitals have lost all three of their games without Alex Ovechkin, with their most recent loss coming in the Stadium Series Game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The player is the latest addition to a long list of players who the Capitals have been missing over the past few weeks. Defenseman John Carlson has been out since December 23 when he was hit on the head with a puck.

Center Nic Dowd has been out for 12 games after sustaining a lower-body injury. He is close to returning, but will probably not play in tonight's game. Forwards Carl Hagelin and Connor Brown are also out for the season.

The Capitals will want their captain to return at the earliest and aid them in making their last push into the playoffs to contend for the Stanley Cup.