Alexander Ovechkin And Jonathan Toews Forced To Sit Out For Skipping All-Star Game

Two of the National Hockey League’s biggest stars have elected not to play in the All-Star Game, this Sunday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.  Washington Capitals’ left winger Alexander Ovechkin (pictured) and Chicago Blackhawks’ center Jonathan Toews will be forced to miss the next game for their respective teams. NHL rules state that any player who doesn’t play in the All-Star Game despite being elected will face a one-game suspension.

Ovechkin, who is tied for second in league with 28 goals will sit out because of a lower back injury. Shortly after the announcement, Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said, “We made this difficult decision after taking into consideration what we felt was best for Alex and our organization.”

He continued, “Alex has been an incredible ambassador for our team and the League but we believe it is better if he uses this time to heal and ideally be completely healthy for the duration of the season.”  The Capitals are thinking long-term here as they sit atop the entire league with 74 points and lead the league with 158 goals scored while only allowing 104, the fewest allowed by any team.

Toews currently has 35 points on the year and has been battling an illness that kept him out the third period of the Blackhawks’ 5-0 loss at Carolina on Tuesday. Blackhawks trainer Michael Terry said, “At this time, rest over the break is most important for him to properly recover and be fully healthy heading into the rest of the regular season.”

Both Washington and Chicago have their next game on Tuesday, Feb. 2, the Capitals host the Florida Panthers, while the Blackhawks will travel to Colorado to face off against the Avalanche.