The Capitals captain attended the festivities last year.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will not be representing his team at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto, and it's apparently for the sake of rest and recovery.

Per Monumental Sports Network's Tarik El-Bashir, Ovechkin let the Capitals know that he preferred to forgo the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend in order to prepare for the second half of the season.

Ovechkin attended the 2023 NHL All-Star Game with his son, Sergei, also taking part in the festivities. He has been selected 13 times but skipped on a few occasions in the past to take advantage of the break and get some rest.

The Russian leads the Capitals in scoring this season with 24 points in 36 games, though goals haven't been easy to come by as he has just eight so far this season. He needs just 65 more to break Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record.

With Washington still very much in the playoff race and needing to make a big push in the final half to secure a spot in a tight Eastern Conference, taking time to prepare for the long haul is understandable. That's especially true for Ovechkin, who turned 38 a few days before training camp.

Tom Wilson earned his second NHL All-Star nomination in three seasons on Thursday, and the team is also encouraging fans to vote for Dylan Strome, Anthony Mantha and John Carlson for one of the final 12 spots available for the festivities.

The 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend will take place at Scotiabank Arena from Feb. 1-3. Wilson's family will be in attendance as it takes place in his hometown of Toronto.