Ovechkin, Backstrom reunite on ice before Capitals practice

As Alex Ovechkin continues to build towards his return from injury, on Wednesday he decided to practice with an old friend.

The Washington Capitals forward shared the ice with Nicklas Backstrom before the team’s practice, reuniting one of the more efficient duos in the League … at least for one morning.

“I don’t know if [Ovechkin] put in a request,” said Capitals coach Spencer Carbery. “I think ‘Backy’ was in the building today and he said he needed some help with getting some passes, so what better person to deliver in that moment?”

Just like old times, Backstrom laced up the skates and passed to Ovechkin, who was putting one-timers in the back of the net. Ovechkin had on his light blue non-contact jersey. The two posed for photos after the workout.

In 17 seasons playing together, Backstrom has assisted on 279 of Ovechkin’s 868 regular season goals. Backstrom himself is in the process of returning from injury, currently on long-term injured reserve. He has not played since October 2023 when he took a leave of absence due to his resurfaced hip injury.

Ovechkin is recovering from a broken fibula he suffered on Nov. 18.

NHL.com Senior Writer Tom Gulitti contributed to this report