Last week, the hockey world was saddened by the news of Mikhail Ovechkin, the father of Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, passing away at the age of 72.
Despite the devastating loss, Ovechkin is set to return to Washington on Tuesday, after spending some time with his family in Russia to mourn. Reports indicate that he will rejoin the team sometime this week.
Losing a parent is an incredibly difficult experience, and we can only imagine the emotional toll it has taken on Ovechkin and his family. However, we have no doubt that this tragic event will only fuel Ovechkin's desire to achieve his goal of becoming the highest-scoring player in league history.