No one wanted to see Alexander Ovechkin get hurt.
But, such is the National Hockey League.
The last time Utah Hockey Club played the Washington Capitals — on Nov. 18 at the Delta Center — Ovechkin left the game in the third period with an injury and did not return.
The Capitals’ captain — who is now 16 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s scoring record of 894 — collided with Jack McBain in Utah’s offensive zone while both players were going for the puck. The forwards’ left legs hit into each other and Ovechkin was ultimately ruled out with a fractured left fibula.
Because of Ovechkin’s prestige in the league, McBain received a lot of backlash from fans on social media. Comment sections are public, and people took their liberties to express how they felt about the collision.
“Obviously you try not to look at it, but you’re on your phone a lot and stuff is popping up and you see a lot of stuff,” McBain said. “I had a lot of buddies reaching out and stuff. It’s not great, but you kind of just remember what happened and there was no bad intention.”
McBain has said repeatedly that the collision was unintentional.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club center Jack McBain (22) and Utah Hockey Club defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (98), in NHL action between the Utah Hockey Club and the San Jose Sharks, at the Delta Center, on Friday, Jan 10, 2025.
“That was an unfortunate play. Obviously, there was no ill intention behind it. It’s a physical game and things happen. Unfortunately, it was kind of the wrong time, wrong place,” McBain said this week. “It was too bad, but I reached out over there. Obviously, you don’t want to see anybody get hurt, especially him with the history he’s chasing.”
The incident happened 5:30 into the third period, and Tom Wilson fought McBain about 10 minutes later in defense of Ovechkin.
“Even if there was no bad intention behind it, something happened and obviously that’s one of their top players. If it happened on this side, we probably would want the same thing,” McBain said. “I totally understand where [Wilson] was coming from on it. I think it was important to allow him to stick up for his teammate. I think it’s just part of the game.”
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club center Logan Cooley (92) skates alongside Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) during an NHL hockey game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024.
Liam O’Brien — who has gotten in five fights for Utah this season and takes pride in his enforcer role — said McBain did a “great job” handling the circumstantial bout. O’Brien was a healthy scratch for Utah on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes but will reenter the lineup on Sunday in Washington, DC.
He is prepared to drop the gloves if needed.
“If anyone watches that video they clearly see that Jack had no intent to injure Alex. I understand Ovi was probably pissed he got hurt, I get that,” O’Brien said. “I don’t think there should be any carryover. I understand what Wilson was trying to do there — it’s Ovi and stuff. But there was no intent at all to injure. So if there’s any carryover, they want to bring that, then s---, I’ll be ready.”
O’Brien actually started his NHL career with the Capitals after they signed him as an undrafted free agent in October 2014. The forward spent six years in the organization, mostly with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears.
San Jose Sharks right wing Givani Smith (54) fights against Utah Hockey Club center Liam O'Brien, left, during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, Oct 28, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
“I learned so much in that organization,” O’Brien said. “I was really lucky with the coaching staff that I had throughout my time there. The skills coaches and everybody — they helped evolve my game and develop me.”
Sunday at Capital One Arena will be the first time Utah and Washington face off since the injury happened.
Ovechkin scored 15 goals — including two against the Club back in November — before being sidelined. The 39-year-old returned from his fractured fibula on Dec. 28 after missing 16 games and has scored 11 times since then. With 28 games left in the regular season for the Capitals, Ovechkin is inching closer and closer to being the NHL’s all-time leading goal-scorer.
Utah Hockey Club's Jack McBain (22) returns to the bench after scoring during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Head coach André Tourigny stood by his player and likened the situation to when Aleksander Barkov collided with Dylan Guenther in the Jan. 8 game against the Florida Panthers at the Delta Center. It, similarly, put Guenther out of the lineup for just under a month with a lower-body injury.
“It’s a collision. I don’t know how they see it. I don’t know how they will build that,” Tourigny said. “Barkov got into a collision with Guenther. I don’t think he meant to do it, he wasn’t even looking in the direction. Same thing for McBain. That’s how I see it.”
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Hockey Club center Barrett Hayton (27) squares off with Washington Capitals left wing Pierre-Luc Dubois (80) during an NHL hockey game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024.
McBain and Utah are not focused on the past or blowing up any tension with the Capitals on Sunday. It’s the Club’s final game before the 4 Nations Face-Off break. The team has one thing on its mind.
“We’re trying to get on a little bit of a run here,” McBain said. “Just try to win a hockey game.”
