Ovechkin Owes it to Hockey to be Himself

Okay, so I grew up in the D.C. area and have been a Capitals fan since Day 1. I’m stating that bias up front.

But, as someone who also has played and coached hockey since I was five years old, I want to state this fact, which I don’t even consider open for argument: If you had to choose one player in the world to start a professional hockey franchise with, it would be Ovechkin. I say that with all due respect to Crosby, Malkin, Chara, Tavares and the rest. There is no one who plays with the combination of speed, skill, desire and physicality that he brings to the ice. In fact, he may stand alone in NHL annals when it comes to possessing that complete package (That is open for debate!).

In recent days Ovechkin has alternately been painted by many fans and media personnel as a bad guy, a dirty player, reckless and/or careless. I’m going to fall back on the Tiger Woods argument here: Do you know any 24-year-olds who are a bit reckless and careless? Who think that maybe they are invincible? Who drive their cars too fast or don’t wear their seat belts or have a few too many beers before driving? How did you behave at age 24? How do you behave now?

I have the good fortune of seeing Ovechkin on an almost daily basis and observing how hard he practices, how he is appreciated by his teammates, how much he cares about being the best, how he gives his best effort every single night, how excited he gets when other players score and how much he hates to lose. I also get the insider’s point of view at times since one of my former bosses, a former intern of mine and a friend whose son I coach in baseball and hockey all work for the Caps.

While I know that many of you in Philly, Pittsburgh, New York, Buffalo and now Carolina won’t agree with me, Ovechkin is not a dirty player and he’s certainly not a bad guy. He happens to play the game at a speed that, to be frank, is not normal by even NHL standards. He’s all-out, all the time, and at 225-plus lbs., when you are moving that fast, your ability to stop or turn on a dime and to swerve at the last second to avoid a potentially damaging hit is extremely difficult.

All year long we’ve heard about how Tom Brady is being over-protected and receiving the royal treatment. Football fans have openly wondered how a large, athletic person moving at full speed and ready to engage another player can stop his momentum on the spot and not follow through on a hit. Ovechkin, while not 250 or 350 lbs., is still quite a load. And he’s on skates. On top of that – and I’m just guessing here – I think he’s moving a little faster than Albert Haynesworth. Does anyone really think that Ovechkin would want to subject his knee to the type of impact and trauma it was exposed to in his most recent hit on Carolina’s Tim Gleason? C’mon man!

And for those who are claiming that this is his third incident since last season’s playoffs, let’s be real. I happen to be a Sergei Gonchar fan from his days with the Caps, but he has been known to run from contact and turn the puck over when pressured. Penguins fans should remember first-hand how he gave their team the puck and a playoff series win against Washington with an overtime turnover years ago. Gonchar caused that injury by trying to basically run and hide from Ovechkin, who apparently tortured him in Russia during the lockout year. Similarly, Gleason saw the freight train coming and made a quick, athletic move at the last second. Don’t get me wrong, I would have done the same (not as athletically, of course), so it’s not Gleason’s fault. But I’m just not convinced that Ovechkin, at that moment, could have done much to avoid the contact. And as for his recent boarding major, there are three to five hits a game that go uncalled and are worse than that one.

Don’t get me wrong, the officials had no choice but to penalize Ovechkin for the Gleason hit, and by rule, the league really had no choice but to suspend him. I’m not debating that, but he’s simply not a dirty player. He doesn’t use his stick to restrain people or carve guys up. He doesn’t fight. He’s never jumped a defenseless, unsuspecting opponent or sucker-punched a player engaged with another opponent like Sydney Crosby has. And I definitely don’t consider Crosby a dirty player.

Hockey is a contact sport. Fans and sports reporters everywhere complain on a regular basis about professional athletes. They get paid too much and don’t care. They don’t work hard every night. They don’t talk to the media. They have no personality. They don’t promote the game. They don’t love to play.

Wake up everyone! We have found a guy who does all of that on a daily basis. Ovechkin gives 100 percent all the time, loves to play, celebrates for his teammates as much or more than for himself, wants to win badly, strives to the be best in the game, pokes fun at himself in commercials and in the media and promotes the sport.

He drove a Zamboni down Sixth Avenue in Manhattan and cruised D.C. on a Segway with several teammates for the love of God. Maybe he’s a 24-year-old who thinks he’s invincible. If that’s his greatest flaw, then perhaps we are all guilty – or have been – at some level. No matter how you slice it, his style of play and personality are good for the game and good for professional sports. We need more Alex Ovechkins, not fewer.

Caps Ready to Take Over the Nation's Capital?

The Washington Capitals have an unprecedented opportunity this season. They can literally take over the town – and that mission begins tonight when the puck drops to begin the 2009-10 NHL season as the Caps take on the Bruins in Beantown.

Many doubted that D.C. ever could be a true hockey town, but three men have the franchise perched on the verge of making what once seemed impossible a reality - Alex Ovechkin, unarguably the best player in the world; owner Ted Leonsis; and coach Bruce Boudreau.

Ovechkin, the two-time reigning Hart Trophy recipient and back-to-back players' choice as the league's MVP, has captured the imagination of Washington sports fans like no other athlete since ... well, like no other athlete during my 39 years. Previous teams have captured our hearts – and so have some charismatic athletes – for short periods of time, but no one has elevated a franchise or a sport to the forefront in this locale like the Russian Machine.

Ted Leonsis, plain and simple, is the best professional franchise owner in the D.C.-Baltimore area. He's made hockey affordable for the loyal fans that followed the team during the lean years and is not gouging those same diehards now. He's provided the best in-game experience around. He's embraced the cutting edge of technology and maintained open and (mostly) honest communication with the fan base. And, finally, he's let the hockey experts in the organization do their jobs, which took quite a bit of patience during the down times. The end result is the league's most exciting team along with a true home-ice advantage and an atmosphere that ranks among the best in the NHL. It's certainly a far cry from the 12,000 empty seats we used to see on a Tuesday night in February.

Bruce Boudreau simply has been the most successful coach in professional hockey the past 1-1/2 seasons, compiling an eye-popping 87-41-15 record and winning two Southeast Division championships. Remember, he inherited a team that was in last place in the conference around Thanksgiving 2007, instituting a free-wheeling style that capitalized (pun intended) on the team's speed and skill, and led them all the way to the division crown. He managed this after countless years toiling in relative obscurity as a player and coach at the minor league level.

His formula for success is as plain as the image he projects: Get after the players behind closed doors and challenge them to give their best every time on the ice, be straightforward and let the players know where they stand, show compassion and empathy for those like him who are on the fringe as NHL players and never take shots at anyone publicly. That style breeds loyalty, camaraderie from the top down and the type of chemistry needed to win a championship. Guys may come and go between Washington and Hershey, but instead of sulking, they return to the AHL with a purpose and the unyielding desire to do whatever it takes to get back to Washington and be a part of what Boudreau is building. That is a tribute to the coach, especially in this day and age of temperamental coddled professional athletes.

Oh, and one other piece of the puzzle that is important to recognize is general manger George McPhee, better known as GMGM in Twitter- and blog-speak. He has been often maligned, sometimes beloved and frequently second-guessed by the public and the media. But, at the end of the day, he's the rare sports executive who has successfully taken a veteran, reasonably successful team apart, stripped it down and overseen a complete rebuilding to the point that the team is on the brink of exceeding anything it has accomplished during its 35 years of existence. Love him or hate him, there's something to be said for what McPhee has accomplished.

So, where does that leave us as the Capitals prepare to embark on what potentially could be a historic season for them - one in which they quite possibly could rise to greater heights than ever before? Not only are the Caps a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, some have dared to label them a favorite.

The Penguins are still a great team, but we'll see how they handle Lord Stanley's hangover. The Red Wings lost more talent than ever during the off-season. Boston's success is predicated on the performance of a journeyman goaltender who was the best netminder in the league last year. But can Tim Thomas put together two seasons in a row of that caliber? Chicago seems to be the next Western Conference power, but still may be where the Caps were a year ago; a little bit of seasoning will make them really tough. San Jose? They just can't seem to get it done in April. Others have reloaded, but the Caps enter year three of what seems to be a natural progression toward greatness.

At least one national sports publication has picked the Caps to win the Cup, which as we all know can be a blessing or a curse. Nonetheless, it is a sign of respect. There are two things that I know: I've never seen the Caps win the Stanley Cup, and I've never seen the Caps picked to win the Stanley Cup - by ANYONE. They must be doing something right.

It's an exciting time to be a Caps fan. Those who are already aboard the express should consider themselves lucky. With the way the Redskins, Wizards, Orioles and Nationals are performing these days, Washington is one step away from being a hockey town - for a long time. I believe Ovie has another 11 or so years left on that contract, right? If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, it may be a long time before you can head to Chinatown to Rock the Red. To me, as a long-time Caps supporter who has been involved in youth and amateur hockey in this area for nearly 35 years, that's the coolest part.

Enjoy tonight. Enjoy the season. Remember that only one team ends the year on a truly positive note. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Revel in the fact that people areound North America pay a lot of money to go see YOUR team play. D.C., you have arrived as a hockey town. Let's hope the ride is a long and fruitful one.