Alex Ovechkin is among four Washington Capitals players placed on the NHL’s COVID protocol-related absences list, according to Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. Evgeny Kutznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, and goalie Ilya Samsonov also join Ovechkin on the list.
Their designation stems from the four gathering in a hotel room at some point during the Capitals’ four-game road trip. Washington played two games each at Buffalo and Pittsburgh in the opening week of the NHL season. This doesn’t mean any of the players tested positive for the coronavirus, however, the league deemed it necessary to place them in the coronavirus protocols.
The Capitals are still set to conduct practice Thursday, but its unclear of the players’ availability for Friday’s game at the Capital One Arena against Buffalo, according to Pell.
Additionally, the Capitals were fined $100,000 by the league due to the players’ involvement social interactions while not wearing masks.
“I regret my choice to spend time together with my teammates in our hotel room and away from the locker room areas,” Ovechkin said in a statement. “I will learn from this experience.”
The Capitals also released a statement saying their training staff has worked “extremely hard” to create a safe environment for the players and staff.
“We are disappointed by our players’ choice to interact in their hotel room and outside of the team approved areas,” the team’s statement read. “We accept the NHL’s decision and once again will reiterate the COVID-19 Protocols in place to make sure the players are in full compliance moving forward.”
The Capitals are 2-0-2 on the season. Friday’s game against the Sabres is slated to be their home opener.
