The Capitals captain spoke on Kuznetsov in an interview with Sport-Express.
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is close with Evgeny Kuznetsov, and he is supporting his teammate as he receives treatment from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
Alex Ovechkin shared in an interview with Sport-Express that he has been in contact with Kuznetsov following his decision to enter the program, which will hold him out of the lineup indefinitely.
"We're texting," he said, per a DeepL translation. "Everything will be fine."
Ovechkin said that he and the team were not aware that Kuznetsov was considering entering the program. However, he and his teammates are there to support Kuznetsov and hope that he gets the help he needs.
"We didn't talk to him about it," Ovechkin said, per a DeepL translation. "God willing, he'll be fine. Kuzya is my good friend. We're family friends. You never want something to happen to your friend that would require (having to enter the program)."
Kuznetsov remains away from the team indefinitely as he receives treatment, and Ovechkin said he does not have any additional insight into when Kuznetsov may return.
The NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program was created in 1996 when the league and the players' association came together to provide a resource for players to reach out for help. This program assists players and their families in dealing with mental health, substance abuse and other issues.
"I will say it's been tough for everybody who played with him. He's a great teammate, great guy to have around," teammate Aliaksei Protas added. "He was one of the guys who was helping me the most and helped me the most. For sure it's tough. We're wishing him to recover quick and get back."