Alex Ovechkin will not play in next month's All-Star Game, he told reporters on Friday.
"I have to listen to my body," he said. "It’s a hard decision obviously, being the captain and missing the All-Star Game, but have to do best for me and for my team.”
Ovechkin, 34, had been named captain of the Metropolitan Division team after a fan vote. At the time he was named captain, he was noncommittal about playing in the game.
"It’s lots of games to play," he said at the time. "I’m going to do the best for my health and for the playoffs, and I have to be healthy for the most important games moving forward.”
Skipping the All-Star Game after being named to the roster carries a one-game suspension, either the last game before or first game after the break. The Capitals' last game before the All-Star break is Jan. 18 on the road against the Islanders, and their first game after the break is Jan. 27 in Montreal.
Ovechkin also chose to skip the 2019 All-Star game, and missed the 2016 All-Star Game due to a lower-body injury. He first skipped the 2012 All-Star Game, saying he was "not deserving" of attending because the game fell during a three-game suspension he was serving for an illegal hit on Zbynek Michalek in a game against the Penguins.
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