Defiant Durability

Longtime Capitals President of Hockey Operations Dick Patrick can still remember both his excitement and trepidation on January 13, 2008.
Alex Ovechkin was 22 and on his way to winning both the scoring title and the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP during the 2007-08 season. Midway through the campaign, Patrick and the Capitals management team signed their gap-toothed face of the franchise to a 13-year, $124 million extension. It was the largest contract in NHL history.

"He's so big and strong, but what if he gets hurt?" Patrick recalls thinking. "It's hard to contemplate someone playing that style of game for so long without missing lots of games because of injuries."
Now in his 13th NHL season and more than a decade removed from signing his lucrative contract, Ovechkin has not only solidified himself as one the NHL's greatest goal scorers, but he has quietly emerged as one of the game's most durable players.
Of the 29 games Ovechkin has missed in his first 13 seasons in the NHL, only 17 were because of injury. Ovechkin ranks in the 99th percentile for games played since his rookie season and he has played more minutes than any forward since his maiden campaign in 2005-06. He's also never missed more than six games consecutively.

"He's a freak of nature," says the 6'4", 218-pound Tom Wilson. "He's a big man. He outweighs me probably by about 20 pounds and he can move. That's a scary recipe for success when you can skate and you're that strong. It seems like he hits a new milestone every game."
For all the scoring records Ovechkin has met, his near-perfect attendance allowed him to break Calle Johansson's franchise mark for most games played last month (984). Ovechkin could also become the first player in Capitals history to play 1,000 games as early as April 1 in Pittsburgh.
But along with the mileage on Ovechkin's hockey odometer, there has also been much demanded of his 6'3", 235-pound frame.
"He doesn't play a quiet game," says head coach Barry Trotz. "It's not just a skillful game. He's obviously got lots of skill, but when he's hunting and he's going after you, he's pounding you."
Ovechkin ranks fourth in the NHL in hits in the last 13 seasons.

"He plays the game hard," says defenseman Matt Niskanen. "He's not a guy that just floats into open space, hoping for stuff to develop. Over the course of his career, he's run into a lot of bodies and he's been involved. Everybody knows about his passion and his abilities but he's also very tough."
Adds Braden Holtby: "His body is not built like many other people. I think naturally, it's just kind of a phenomenon how he was built as a human. I think that's contributed to being able to play a lot of games consistently. He's also learned how to manage it the last while. He's not playing as reckless as he was when he was younger."
At the start of Ovechkin's career, many wondered about the superstar's durability. As an NHL newbie, Ovechkin took on all comers. He was often targeted by opposing players, but he embraced collisions like a seasoned ambulance-chasing lawyer.

"Not only did he steamroll everyone he faced," says former Capitals captain Jeff Halpern, "but anyone that tried to hit him would get knocked down. Real strong, sturdy guys would try to run him, and he'd just knock them down."
Beginning with the first shift of Ovechkin's career when he delivered a thunderous hit on Columbus defenseman Radoslav Suchy that dislodged the stanchion between two pieces of plexiglass, it was apparent that Ovechkin had a knack for physicality in addition to his goal-scoring prowess.

"He was always going 100 miles per hour," recalls former teammate Brian Willsie. "And during that first game, it was like, 'Oh, wow.' He's finishing every check, putting guys through the wall, and you're asking, 'Can he really keep this up all year? Can he score goals at this rate? Can he hit guys at this rate?' And he did. He had no trouble keeping up at that pace."
Even though Ovechkin has "learned to pick his spots," according to longtime adversary-turned-teammate Brooks Orpik, he has maintained that pace and intensity for much of his career.
And given the flash and pizazz with which Ovechkin has played for much of his career, it is perhaps easy to overlook a very blue-collar aspect of his game. He shows up. Through broken noses, bruised knees and sore backs No.8 punches the timecard.
"I'm pretty sure everybody has bruises and injuries, but as soon as you step on the ice, you don't worry about them," Ovechkin says.
"I think if you can skate, if you can do something out there, as soon as you step on the ice, if it doesn't bother you, you feel pretty good. The trainers have done a great job in treating me well, so if I'm on the ice, I don't think about this injury or if anything bothers me."

Ovechkin's durability has allowed him to enjoy one of the best seasons of his career at age 32. Through March 11, he was tied for the NHL lead with 40 goals, including a League-high 28 tallies at even-strength. He was also on pace for his first 90-point season since 2009-10.
Simply put, 32-year-olds approaching 1,000 career games aren't supposed to do the things Ovechkin has done this season.
Consider that some of the game's greatest players, Hall-of-Famers Bobby Orr, Mike Bossy and Pavel Bure were all forced to retire before turning 32 because of chronic injuries.
Wayne Gretzky played a career-low 45 games in his age-32 season after undergoing back surgery. Eric Lindros played a career-low 33 games in his age-32 season before retiring one year later due to ongoing concussion issues.

Ovechkin, meanwhile, has spent much of his age-32 season as the NHL's leading goal scorer. No player aged 32 or older had led the league in goal scoring since Phil Esposito, then 33, in 1974-75. Ovechkin could also join Gordie Howe (1962-63) as the only players with 1,000 career games to lead the league in goal scoring.
"I still love the game," he says. "I still have passion. I think my teammates are playing good hockey and I'm just capitalizing on my chances.
"I feel pretty good, I'm in good shape. I know myself pretty well right now and I just want to play as long as this team wants to go- into the playoffs and go for the Stanley Cup."