The 38-year-old appears to be trying cupping therapy.
Over the last two games, two large, red circles have taken center stage on the back of Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin's neck.
It's not confirmed, but they do appear to be marks from cupping therapy.
What is cupping therapy? It's a popular type of alternative medicine that several athletes have turned to to address aches, pains and other issues. While it's not scientifically proven to work, several patients have claimed to have seen results.
The process of cupping involves placing cups on the back and lighting flammable liquid inside. The oxygen is then burned away, creating the vacuum that sutions the cup to the body. This draws blood to the surface of the skin, leading to bright, red spots that last three to four days.
Beyond addressing muscular issues and providing pain relief, the traditional Chinese medicine is also used to rebalance the equilibrium and flow of energy around the body.
Ovechkin is not the first Capitals player to try it, though, as goaltender Charlie Lindgren underwent cupping therapy while working with a chiropractor over the offseason.
While it's a painful procedure, Lindgren said he became an instant believer in its methods.
"It does actually hurt, yeah," Lindgren told The Hockey News. "It doesn't hurt really bad, but it definitely is like an uncomfortable feeling. There's so much pressure in that area, and you'll see your muscles, like your skin is darker, it's red for days, there's so much blood in that area.
"It's something that you can feel. I'll go in and I'll feel tight in a certain spot and then, a couple days later, I'll feel a lot better. I just benefit from it. I don't know if it's a placebo or not, but at the end of the day, I'm feeling better."
Ovechkin dealt with upper and lower-body injuries over the course of last season, though it's unclear if those ailments directly impacted his back. He has also had a slow start in the goal-scoring department, so it's unclear if cupping had any relation to trying to snap out of it.
Over the last two games, Ovechkin has two goals and an assist and leads his team with 11 points in 13 games to open the season. The 38-year-old has four goals total on the season and needs 69 more goals to break Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record.