"This isn't natural": Ex-NHLer expresses shock as 'freak' Alex Ovechkin makes early comeback after fracturing leg

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin suffered a fractured leg midway through November, halting his dominant campaign that had him within striking distance of Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal-scoring record of 894 goals.

But surprisingly, Ovechkin is already back on the ice, doing some light skating at the team training facility.

The fact that he can do this not even a month after suffering a fractured leg is nothing short of astounding, and it didn't go unnoticed by former NHL player and Capitals TV analyst Alan May.

May expressed his astonishment that Alex Ovechkin was back skating so soon and appeared to be a true freak of nature.

"I was thinking, it sounds like a fracture, and then they actually came out, which was shocking, and said which injury it was," May said. "So he's actually on the timeline of four weeks. I would say it's going to be four weeks and a few days before he gets back in the timeline. He is a freak. He is a freak of nature."

"He's different than the rest of us," he said. "I don't know what it is about him, but if you've ever seen him in the room, he's got legs like you've never seen before."

There's no official timeline for Ovechkin's eventual return to game action for the Capitals. But the mere fact that he's already back on the ice and skating is a positive sign!

Alex Ovechkin has Wayne Gretzky's support as he pursues the all-time scoring record

Wayne Gretzky - nicknamed 'The Great One' - fully supports Alex 'The Great Eight' Ovechkin to break his all-time goal record of 894.

"Oh yeah, of course," Gretzky said of Ovechkin reaching and breaking his record. "It's just a matter of time, whether it's late this year, early next year, whenever. I mean, he's a great player. He's a great goal scorer."

Meanwhile, Ovechkin expressed his gratitude to Gretzky for the endorsement.

"If that kind of person is rooting for me, it's pretty cool stuff," Alex Ovechkin said. "He's the best player out there and he's a great human. He supports me and it's a pretty cool thing."

Before he went down with injury, he had scored 15 goals in 18 games and was on pace to enjoy another vintage Ovechkin-like offensive finish.

Unfortunately, Alex Ovechkin's injury put his pursuit of history on hold.