Mikhail Ovechkin, the father of Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, died Wednesday, according to a post made by the Washington forward. He was 71.
“Today I lost my father,” Ovechkin said in an Instagram post. “I thank everyone for the support, but please be understanding and do not disturb my family in this difficult time for us. Thank you.”
The Capitals also released a statement remembering Mikhail, calling him a “true gentleman” and his frequent presence at the franchise’s games and practices.
“With a smile on his face, he [Mikhail] loved interacting with our fans and expressing his gratitude for their support of his son, of whom he was incredibly proud of,” the statement read. “Our organization’s thoughts are with the Ovechkin family at this difficult time.”
The tragic news comes after Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan announced Tuesday that his star winger would be away from the team for the “foreseeable future” for personal reasons. The statement revealed that the NHL’s second-leading all-time goal scorer would miss at least the remainder of Washington’s games this week, and potentially longer, due to “a family matter and the health of a loved one.”
Ovechkin could be sidelined into late February or beyond. His absence puts a temporary halt on his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record. He’s scored 32 goals this season and 812 for his career, sitting second on the all-time list after he surpassed Gordie Howe’s 801 career goals earlier this season. Ovechkin now sits 82 goals behind Gretzky’s legendary mark.
