Alex Ovechkin was reportedly hospitalized with a right knee injury on Sunday after taking a hip check in a game between Russia and Germany in the IIHF World Championships in Minsk, Belarus.
The extent of Ovechkin’s injury was not immediately known. The Capitals released a statement saying their medical staff “working with Ovechkin and Team Russia to gather additional information at this time.”
Ovechkin was carrying the puck out of the defensive zone when he was upended at the blue line by German forward Marcus Kink, who clipped him in the right knee with a hip check. Ovechkin crumbled to the ice and needed assistance to the bench, where he hopped on his left foot toward the trainer’s room.
“Ovi has been taken off [to the hospital],” Russian coach Oleg Znarok said after the game, via Slava Malamud of sportexpress.ru. “No further comment. Dirty or not, I don’t care. Won’t make me feel better.”
According to a report by Malamud, Ovechkin was taken away from the arena by ambulance but was later seen walking without crutches at the team hotel. A Team Russia doctor told Malamud Ovechkin was “better than expected,” and the winger later tweeted a photo of himself giving a thumbs-up sign.
Pat Cortina, the coach of the German national team, told reporters, “It’s an unfortunate incident. It’s not what my team is about. Hopefully, he is alright,” according to Malamud.
Kink did not speak to reporters seeking comment after the game.
Ovechkin, 28, led the NHL with 51 goals this season and was tied Nicklas Backstrom with a team-high 79 points.
Ovechkin has missed just 16 games due to injury during his eight-year career with the Capitals and has never had a serious knee injury since joining the Caps in 2005. He suffered a broken foot during the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs but was completely healed at the start of training camp in September.
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