Alex Ovechkin Set to Match Career-High 203 Consecutive Games

(Caps Outsider)

Despite the news of Alex Ovechkin opting out of this year’s All-Star game, which by rule will require him to miss a regular season game either before or after, he’s on the verge of a personal record. On Thursday against St. Louis, the 33-year-old is set to play his 203rd consecutive game, which will match the streak he originally set more than a decade ago. While 203 is a far cry from Doug Jarvis’s NHL record of 964, or even Karl Alzner’s Caps record, Ovechkin’s streak is still impressive considering his age, the minutes he plays, his physical nature, and the fact that this streak doesn’t include the playoffs.

In fact, the last game he missed was a meaningless Game 82 of the 2015-16 season, where the Caps sat their regulars. Had he played that game, he’d have 236 consecutive games now, which doesn’t even include 49 playoffs games during that stretch.

He originally played 203 consecutive games from 2006-2008, a streak which ended because of the illness of his grandfather in Russia in early 2008. Had he not missed those games, he finally sat with an injury in March of 2008, after getting a bruised heel from a slapshot in practice – by assistant coach Dean Evason.

Ovechkin has missed only 29 games in his career – 17 to injury – 6 of which were due to a scrap with Columbus Blue Jacket thug Jason Chimera in 2009. He missed 7 games over the course of 3 suspensions for on-ice incidents. He missed one game for skipping the All-Star game (which he did because he was nursing an injury).

Interesting info about the games he missed:

• 17 games to injury (6 of which were due to a scrap with Columbus’s Jason Chimera in 2009)
• 7 games for on-ice disciplinary reasons (3 suspensions total)
• 2 games for family reasons
• 1 game for skipping All-Star game – soon to be another
• 1 game for oversleeping – punished by the team
• 1 game because the regulars sat for a meaningless Game 82

The Caps are 13-14-2 in those games.

Here are those games:

2005-06 – Missed 1 game

1. 1/31 @ NYI. L 3-5. Injury – mild groin muscle issue

2008-09 – Missed 3 games

1. 10/28 vs NSH W 4-3 (SO) Personal reasons – ailing grandfather in Russia
2. 11/1  @ BUF L 0-5 Personal reasons – ailing grandfather in Russia
3. 3/5 vs TOR L 1-2 Injury – bruised heel on foot – struck in practice by a slap shot from of assistant coach Dean Evason

2009-10 – Missed 10 games

1. 11/4 @ NJ L 2-3 Injury after shoving match with Jason Chimera of the Blue Jackets
2. 11/6 @ FLA W 4-1 Injury
3. 11/7 vs FLA W 7-4 Injury
4. 11/11 vs NYI W 5-4 (SO) Injury
5. 11/13 vs MIN W 3-1 Injury
6. 11/14 @ NJ L 2-5 Injury
7. 12/3 vs FLA W 6-2 Suspended 2 games for hit on Tim Gleason
8. 12/5 @ PHI W 8-2 Suspended 2 games for hit on Tim Gleason
9. 3/16 @ FLA W 7-3 Suspended 2 games for hit on Brian Campbell
10. 3/18 @ CAR L 3-4 (OT) Suspended 2 games for hit on Brian Campbell

2010-11 – Missed 3 games

1. 3/22 @ PHI W 5-4 (SO) Injury – an undisclosed, nagging one
2. 3/25 @ OTT L 0-2 Injury – an undisclosed, nagging one
3. 3/26 @ MTL W 2-0 Injury – an undisclosed, nagging one

2011-12 – Missed 4 games

1. 1/24 vs BOS W 5-3 Suspended for hit on Zbynek Michalek
2. 1/31 @ TB L 3-4 (OT) Suspended for hit on Zbynek Michalek
3. 2/1 @ FLA L 2-4 Suspended for hit on Zbynek Michalek
4. 2/22 @ OTT L 2-5 Injury – lower body

2013-14 – Missed 4 games

1. 11/1 @ PHI W 7-0 Injury – shoulder
2. 11/2 vs FLA W 3-2 (SO) Injury – shoulder
3. 1/21 vs OTT L 0-2 Injury – lower body
4. 1/24 @ NJ L 1-2 Injury – lower body

2014-15 – Missed 1 game

1. 3/5 vs MIN L 1-2 Injury – lower body

2015-16 – Missed 3 games

1. 10/13 vs SJ L 0-5 Team suspension for oversleeping for a practice
2. 2/2 vs FLA L 2-5 Suspended for skipping the All-Star game
3. Sun 4/10 vs ANA L 0-2 Caps sat regulars in Game 82

2018-19

Will miss one due to a suspension either Jan. 23 or Feb. 1.