Ovechkin to skip All-Star weekend

Alex Ovechkin will skip the All-Star Weekend in San Jose to get some extra rest and serve an automatic onegame suspension.

The Washington Capitals announced Ovechkin’s decision Wednesday. The team says the NHL’s leading goal-scorer wants to take advantage of the adjoining bye week to prepare for the second half of the season.

“My body needs a rest,” Ovechkin said after practice on Wednesday. The 33-year-old has played in all 33 games this season and leads the Capitals with 45 points.

Washington’s final game before the All-Star break is Jan. 23 at Toronto. The All-Star game is Jan. 26, and the Capitals don’t play again until Feb. 1 against Calgary.

Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed Ovechkin must miss either the game before or after the All-Star break. The NHL recently instituted an automatic one-game suspension for players who chose not to participate in All-Star Weekend, except in cases of injury.

Fans voted Ovechkin, the reigning playoff MVP, as the captain of the Metropolitan Division All-Star team. It’s not clear who would take over the spot, though the NHL’s hockey operations department chooses the remaining All-Stars.

Full All-Star rosters were released Wednesday night.

College football

BROWN DECLARES FOR DRAFT >> Oklahoma receiver Marquise Brown will skip his senior season and declare himself eligible for the NFL Draft.

Brown made the announcement Wednesday on social media.

Brown, whose cousin is Pittsburgh Steelers star Antonio Brown, is nicknamed “Hollywood” for his flashy play and the name of his hometown, Hollywood, Florida. In two seasons, he caught 132 passes for 2,413 yards and 17 touchdowns. He leaves sixth in school history in career yards receiving. This season, he joined Ryan Broyles as the only Oklahoma receivers to gain more than 1,000 yards receiving in a season more than once.

He’s only listed at 5-foot-10 and 168 pounds, but after a breakout sophomore season, he got stronger in the offseason and improved his route running. This season, he caught 75 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 scores and was named a first-team AP All-American. The yardage total was fourth in school history for a single season.

MLB

CUBS HIRE LORETTA >> The Chicago Cubs have hired former All-Star infielder Mark Loretta as their bench coach and pitcher Bob Tewksbury as mental skills coordinator.

Loretta replaces Brandon Hyde, who left to manage the Baltimore Orioles, after spending the past nine seasons in San Diego’s front office. Loretta batted .295 over 15 seasons with Milwaukee, Houston, San Diego, Boston and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was an All-Star with the Padres in 2004 and Red Sox in 2006.

Tewksbury played for six teams over 13 years from 1986-98, including parts of two seasons with the Cubs. He was an AllStar with St. Louis in 1992.

Tewksbury earned a Master’s of Education in Sport Psychology and Counseling from Boston University in 2004. He has spent 15 years working in mental skills, the past two with San Francisco.