The Washington Capitals are 48 days away from their 50th anniversary season, and while players are hard at work training and perfecting their skating skills, some dark news has come out about Martin Feherbary.
The defenseman is one of the players selected to represent Slovakia at the Olympic qualifiers in Bratislava, but he told NHL.com's Nick Kotsnicka during the NHL Europe Players Media Tour in Prague that he's dealing with a minor injury from preseason and may not be able to play.
This could potentially cost Slovakia a chance to qualify for the Winter Olympics in 2026. Per Tom Gullitti of NHL.com, Fehervari said:
“I would like to take part (in the qualifiers). I still have some health issues but we'll see how it goes. So far, things seem to be going well.”
– Martin Fehevari
The Olympic qualifiers are scheduled to take place in the defenseman's hometown from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1. Marty was plagued by lower-body injuries and other issues on a week-to-week basis last season, limiting him to 66 games and posting a plus-minus rating of -7.
However, the injury does not appear to be serious enough to force him to miss training camp, and Fehervari can still make an impact if he's healthy. Training camp itself doesn't begin until mid-September, but informal skates have been taking place.
Fehervari added:
“Nothing big. I'm training, but it's pre-season and after talking with the Caps, I think it's best not to play if I'm not 100 percent, so we'll see how it goes.”
-Fehervari
Martin Fehervari is the only Caps player selected to compete in the Olympic Qualifying Series in Milan-Cortina, with many hoping to represent their countries at the 2026 Olympics.
That includes guys like John Carlson, Nic Dowd and TJ Oshie, if they're healthy. That includes the Great Eight that everyone knows. That includes Jakub Vrana, who is trying to break into the Caps lineup right now. Either way, playing in the Olympics is a badge of honor.
Fehervari understands that. The whole league understands that, too, because players and fans have wanted NHL players to go to the Olympics for a long time. It's hard to believe now, with 2014 being our last time. But that's where we are, and we're ready for a change.
