Report: MRI on Ovechkin's knee negative, will remain in Minsk but may be done at WHC

Washington Capitals forward and Russia captain Alexander Ovechkin will remain in Minsk, Belarus for the duration of the World Hockey Championships - and will do so even if he's unable to return in the tournament. The NHL's leading scorer was briefly hospitalized after sustaining an ugly knee injury when he was hit by Germany captain Marcus Kink on Sunday.

On Monday, Ovechkin's knee was still swollen, although an MRI on his knee was "negative for a tear," according to a report from sport-express.ru reporter Slava Malamud. That report was later confirmed by Vladislav Tretiak, the president of the Russian Hockey Federation, who told Malamud the "diagnosis didn't reveal a serious ligament damage, the worst is avoided."

The Russian national team is apparently considering a "special knee brace" for the high-scoring winger, although it appears more likely that he'll simply miss the balance of the tournament.

The Russian side have proved a juggernaut at the 2014 World Hockey Championship, winning all six of their games during the round-robin stage and outscoring opponents 29-6. While the loss of Ovechkin will surely hurt, Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin practiced with the team on Monday and seems likely to make his tournament debut Tuesday against Belarus.