Ovechkin named NHL first star of the week

From TSN.CA, Dec. 31, 2007

NEW YORK - Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin was named the NHL's first star of the week Monday after recording seven points in three games

As of today Ovechkin is on pace for 63 goals according to TSN.CA.

Update from NHL.com: Jan 2, 2008, 9:17 AM EST

As good as Alex Ovechkin has been in his first two NHL seasons, he’s taking his play to a whole new level the third time around.

Ovechkin had 52 goals as a rookie and 46 in his second season, but is well on his way to blowing past both those marks. His four-goal night in Washington’s 8-6 victory in Ottawa Saturday was the biggest of his career, and he’s rung up nine points in the Caps’ first four games after Christmas, a big reason that Washington has gone 3-0-1 coming out of the holiday break.

The only thing that slowed Ovechkin at all last week was a cut in his thigh that kept him out of the third period Thursday against Pittsburgh. He needed stitches, but went out and had a career night against the Senators in Ottawa, then added two assists against the Senators at home Tuesday.

At the pace he’s on, Ovechkin would surpass 60 goals for the season and break the 100-point mark for the second time. And here’s the scariest thought for opposing goaltenders: He’s still just 22, so he’s going to get better.

Is this an example of a long-term problem with hockey in the Washington market?

An excellent article by Corey Masisak about Ovechkin's fifth place in All-Star voting. One thing is clear, Ovechkin cannot sell tickets in Washington, he does it in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Detroit, Pittsburgh, anywhere away from Washington. It's getting noticed (see Great open spaces in Washington).

And if Ovechkin, who has twice as many video clips on YouTube than Crosby, can't, who can?

What it tells Ted as a businessman? I can only tell that Ovechkin is still not signed and wild rumors are spreading all over the internet about Ovechkin's possibility of ending up in a better hockey place than Washington. As Victor Fedorov said, there's always something behind every leak to the media.

From Washignton Times by Corey Masisak (Dec. 30, 2007):

I am sure Alex is getting plenty of support in other markets. All over this country and in Canada especially, plenty of nine-year old kids and dads alike probably started their ballots with Crosby and Ovechkin and then added a hometown forward in Eastern Conference markets and another guy in Western Conference ones. I don't think it is out of line to suggest that Ovechkin's lack of support is at least in part because of the interest level in this town. The Caps are last in the league in attendance, at least according to the number that goes in the box score every night. Yes, they have been the worst team in the league for much of the season, but the Caps are still in the middle of the pack in road attendance, which is almost entirely because of Ovechkin and other hockey fans' desire to see him in person.

Others tell me all the time when the attendance problem comes up that people will show up at the Phone Booth when the team wins. I've only lived in this area since 2000, but I had no trouble getting playoff tickets when I was taking the metro in college from College Park when the Caps were still a consistent playoff contender. So I apologize if I am skeptical that just climbing to eighth or even fourth or fifth place in the conference standings will mean Verizon Center will suddenly be packed.

Again, maybe this all-star thing is really nothing at all, but it something a player agent would notice. Ovechkin does not have one of those right now, but he is probably going to have another one eventually. An agent's top two priorities are keeping the client happy and making said client as much money as possible. All-star voting is a sample of player popularity, which agents are happy to point out to potential representatives of companies for their clients to endorse products.

I don't think this a marketing issue in this city, either. The Caps do a really good job of getting their players out to public appearances and on local and national mediums. NHLPA execs Paul Kelly and Eric Lindros, who are adamant most teams need to market better, were very complimentary of the job the Caps are doing to market their players.

Alex has said on many occasions that he is happy in Washington. He also does not have an agent trying to steer him to a bigger (or at least a better) hockey market. But the other day Ovechkin was sitting with members of the media while his teammates were participating in the morning skate at Mellon Arena. He asked about the attendance that night, and Paul Steigerwald, the Penguins' television play-by-play guy, told him the building would be full, and the team had sold out 30-something games in a row. Ovechkin's response was not something to be taken as a unilateral strike against Washington, but he did not seem to think such a feat was possible at the Phone Booth. I pointed out to him that before he and Crosby came along, the Igloo was half empty almost every night.

So maybe none of this anything to do with anything, but I do not think I am making any absurd judgments or assertions. And who knows, maybe the voters will make a late rally for Ovechkin, but the voting does end on Wednesday. And Ovechkin will continue to be one of, if not the most exciting players in the league to watch, regardless of how many people vote for him or show up at Verizon Center.

Update: Everybody is dreaming to get Ovechkin :-)
From timesonline.com "Crosby needs assist" Dec. 31, 2007:

Here’s something that would be fun to do: Washington mega-scorer Alexander Ovechkin, 22, is a restricted free agent at the end of the season. Offer Ovechkin what Crosby makes, then wait for the Capitals to match the offer. They would, but it would make for a marvelous week of dreaming.

If this wildest dream became a reality, (don't forget Malkin and Alex are best friends) that would be the last nail to the Caps fans coffin.

Update: Jack Todd strikes again...
Spector's Note: Todd's leaving the Gazette to write fiction novels and it looks like he's getting a head start. OK, I know, cheap shot but I couldn't resist. Bottom line with Ovechkin is that unless he demands a trade the Capitals will re-sign him, and that includes matching any offer sheet he signs.

From Montreal Gazette, Dec. 31, 2007 by Jack Todd

Alexander the Great, redux: Washington fans were up in arms because, while writing from home with a bad cold, your MMQB missed the fact Alexander Semin had signed a multi-year contract before this season.

That will teach me to trust that wretched medium, the Internet - but it changes nothing. Alexander Ovechkin is still a great player stuck in a moribund franchise. He still loves Montreal and he could still, with the right offer, sign here as a restricted free agent.

The Canadiens would get the superstar skater they have coveted since Guy Lafleur's departure and Ovechkin would play in front of 21,273 at every home game, instead of a half-empty building where half the fans are there because they thought they were buying NBA tickets.

The bottom line is that Washington doesn't deserve Ovechkin and Montreal can have him - for a price.

Ovechkin acts as his own agent: the good, the bad, the ugly

According to Capitals Insider (Dec. 30):

"Ovechkin's mom does not represent him. I'm told he's been handling the negotiations himself, with the guidance of a lawyer."

The Good

Mike Gartner, the 32-year-old Ranger right wing who is an active member of the National Hockey League Players' Association bargaining unit, is fed up with agents' fees.

He has decided to represent himself in ongoing contract talks with General Manager Neil Smith, which is not something the people from ProServ, or Advantage, or a thousand other professional sports agencies across the land will be eager to hear.

"The business has gone too far," Gartner said. "I don't think the agents are involved enough to take 5 percent, which over a five-year contract span can be as much as $250,000." No Hard Feelings.

Gartner has therefore broken from Gus Badali, an agent he said has "nothing but good feelings about," to start wheeling and dealing on his own.

Correct me if I am wrong, but in Ovechkin's case for the 45 million 5 year contract the agent's fee would be 2.25 million.

The Bad

People always come out and say that having a Sports Agent is an unnecessary extra cost. Players should be able to negotiate their own contracts and handle all of their off-field issues themselves, right?

Wrong. Doug Brown, a defensive lineman in the CFL gives 2 reasons why he has an agent :

1) So that he and the general manager of his team do not enter a personal arena where playing on the team becomes uncomfortable.

2) He admits that he is “not trained in the language, rules or wording of legal documents.”

Latest case in point: Daunte Culpepper. Whether you think the situation is right or wrong, Daunte has been unable to practice with his current Miami Dolphins teammates (he is still under contract) so far in mini-camp. Culpepper says that he does not want to be traded and that he will not show up to play for any team that gains the rights to him through a trade (an agent may persuade him to not make such comments to the media). That’s right, Daunte Culpepper acts as his own agent.

This is a case where it would be wise to have a third-party come in to handle disputes between player and team. Just look back to Doug Brown’s statements laid out in the beginning of this post. The situation has now become uncomfortable and Daunte is does not have the best legal background to backup his threats.

The Ugly

This sort of first-hand bargaining is clearly not for everyone. But Gartner is a well-educated consumer -- as well as the second-highest active goal-scorer in the league, behind Wayne Gretzky -- and Smith does not expect to extract any bargains.

"Face to face, it's usually a difficult situation, because of the sensitivity of the player," Smith said. "You're critiquing a player directly to him."

"I think with Mike, though, he's an older guy, not egotistical and when I say things he won't get mad," Smith added. "And at least I'll know he's getting his version of the talks straight from me, and not from somebody else."

This means GMGM have to tell Ovechkin that because he is from Europe he can't speak good Canadian and much worse than Crosby in this department. :-)

And finally an interview reminder with Alexander Ovechkin who was asked about Sidney Crosby's contract (July 10, 2007).

"What can I say? Good for Crosby! It is easier for any player to come out and play when he knows that his future is secure. I think Pittsburgh wasted no time offering Crosby the deal because of what Edmonton did trying to sign a restricted free agent. Any Canadian team (and not only Canadian) could have offered great terms to Crosby in the future. And who knows if the Penguins could have matched it. But now Sindey is staying in Pittsburgh, and will stay there beyond 2013, in my opinion."

When asked about his contract, Ovechkin said:

"I will negotiate with the Capitals myself. To be precise, I will wait for their offer. If I like it, I will sign the contract. If I don't, then I will get myself an agent (I don't have one right now) to represent me in talks with the Capitals."

References:

• NYT, Dec. 16. 1991: Gartner to Go One-on-One When It Comes to Business


• 
  Sports Agents Blog


• Player who acts as own agent has fool for client
  


• OFB: Comments by Ovechkin on Crosby's contract.
  

Caps' offer 'insults' Alex the Great

Ottawa Sun, Dec. 30. By Bruce Garrioch:

The Washington Capitals aren't willing to pay the price to keep Alexander Ovechkin. At least not yet.

Sources say Caps GM George McPhee "insulted" Ovechkin by offering a five-year, $37.5-million (all terms US) deal. Ovechkin thumbed his nose at the offer.

It's believed Ovechkin, who fired agent Don Meehan and is representing himself, wants $9-$10 million a season. If the Caps won't ante up, Ovechkin will likely get his money in the form of a Group II free-agent offer next summer.

Sources say the Caps have held several meetings with Ovechkin to get him to sign on. He's willing to stay in Washington, but wants McPhee to make moves to improve the club.

This season, Ovechkin can make as much as $3.8 million with bonuses.

7.5 mil a year? If it is true, it is an insult. I told ya, the owner's business strategy is not to pay top $$ to any player. Whatever... There are bunch of GM's who will be willing to give more...

Spector's Note: Regardless of whatever the Caps might've offered Ovechkin don't expect him to still be unsigned by July 1st. He wants to stay in Washington, the Capitals want to keep him, and there's still seven months until July 1st to get him re-signed and prevent a rival club from tendering him an offer sheet.

"Regardless of whatever the Caps might've offered?" I don't think so. You don't start negotiations with insult.

Ahhgh!

What a show!

I would like to personally thank Ottawa Senators for giving Ovie a break, for the first time this year he was not bottled up, he was not shadowed and covered like other teams normally do to him and boy, oh boy, he exploded!

On the next game on New Year's Eve he will have not one, but two guys shadowing him, I can guarantee you.

Now let's read the headlines...
Washington Post, Dec. 29: Ovechkin's 4 Goals Lift Capitals to Upset

"A win is a win, is a win is a win," Boudreau said. He also praised Ovechkin's performance, saying: "I haven't seen him that on. He wanted ice. You just knew something was in the air."

Ovechkin's playing status was not determined until game time. Thirteen Capitals forwards, in fact, took the warmup just in case.

But he decided he would play. And did he ever.

Ovechkin put five shots on net in 21 minutes 21 seconds of ice time.

"I can't remember when I scored four goals in a game," he said. "It's a great feeling."

Nylander added: "He's an amazing player. He works hard. He has a tremendous passion for scoring goals. He shoots from anywhere. He plays like this every game."

CBSSports, Dec. 29: Ovechkin explodes for career-best four goals in big win for Capitals

"What impresses me most is that he actually played tonight," Capitals goalie Olaf Kolzig said. "If you guys would have seen the gash on his leg and I know a lot of guys were, not begging him but leaning towards, 'Hey, you think you can play tonight?' He had a lot of courage and he put on a heck of a show."

"Oh yeah, it was bothering me," Ovechkin said. "It was a little bit of pain but it's OK, I feel pretty good tonight. My parents were here, they arrived from Moscow and I was excited. It was a great time."

Notes: Ovechkin has three career hat tricks. His last was in a 3-2 win in Atlanta on Dec. 15, 2006.

Globe & Mail, Dec. 29: Ovechkin's four goals lead Caps past Senators

"It was a great night for me and we won the game," said Ovechkin, who seemed a little in awe of the overflow crowd of 20,296 at Scotiabank Place. "It was a fun game for everybody and the atmosphere was unbelievable. It was packed."

Coach Bruce Boudreau marvelled at Ovechkin's performance.

"When he's going like that and making moves on great defenceman and the puck seemed to stay with him all night, I mean, it's been a young time in my tenure here, but the guy sort of amazes me," Boudreau said.

Ovechkin was cut inside the upper thigh, the Penguins Doctor was tardy

From Capitals Insider: Boudreau said there was a delay in getting the doctor down to the locker room to stitch up Ovechkin.

Ovechkin came in and put a hit on Letang right after Letang cleared the puck up the ice. After the hit, Letang pivots to his left and as he fell, his left leg came up and his skate made contact with the inside upper thigh of Ovechkin. The Pittsburgh broadcast had the video isolated after the game.

Washington's Comcast SportsNet reported he had a cut on his leg and the doctor could not arrive in the locker room in time to get AO back on the ice.

Posted by: Crosby did not cut Ovechkin | December 28, 2007 01:47 PM

To my knowledge the artery that goes inside the upper thigh is the femoral artery. It is a continuation of the external iliac artery, which comes from the abdominal aorta.

From Miami Herald:

A gunshot to the femoral artery -- like the one suffered Monday by football star Sean Taylor -- can quickly spiral out of control, with a person losing 20 percent of his blood in a matter of minutes, doctors say.

The femoral artery runs from the abdomen to the knee, carrying blood to the lower extremities.

''In a matter of minutes you could lose up to two liters of blood,'' added Dr. Fahim Habib, a trauma surgeon at Jackson Memorial. ``In several minutes, you could bleed to death.''

From Detroit Free Press:

Stopping blood loss gushing from a bullet hole in that region can be extremely challenging if the wound is close to the groin. It would be hard to put a tourniquet around it, said Dr. Gannon Dudlar, an emergency medicine specialist at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago.

An injury of this type “essentially means you can lose all the blood in your whole body within five minutes,” said Dr. Mary Pat McKay, director of George Washington University’s Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

Rapid blood loss can prevent oxygen from reaching the brain and vital organs, leading to death.

---

I think Washington Capitals management needs to do something about this incident. File a formal complaint, ask for investigation... "Now Doctor came in, stinking of gin..." Why was he late anyway?

I am not even talking about Ovechkin missing OT because he was not stitched in in time, it's about life & death situation...


Update from Capitals Insider::

Okay, here's the latest on Ovechkin: He suffered a superficial cut on his inner thigh after Kris Letang's skate came up and sliced him as he laid a hit on the Pittsburgh defenseman early in the third period last night.

Oveckin is walking around without a limp, and said he's not in pain. But he's also not practicing today and doesn't know for sure whether he will play tomorrow. He said he plans to take the morning skate, then make a decision on whether to play or not.

"Probably I play," Ovechkin said. "After the morning skate tomorrow, we'll see."

Okay, Ovechkin had superficial cut on his inner thigh . Now look and count the word "superficial" in Anatomy of the Human Body definition for femoral artery in femoral triangle:

In the femoral triangle (Fig. 549) the artery is superficial. In front of it are the skin and superficial fascia, the superficial subinguinal lymph glands, the superficial iliac circumflex vein, the superficial layer of the fascia lata and the anterior part of the femoral sheath.

Update from Washington Post:

Ovechkin went almost immediately to the visitors' locker room at Mellon Arena for medical treatment after suffering the cut. But he said he had to wait for the Penguins' medical staff to finish tending to a Pittsburgh player, and therefore ended up missing the rest of the game.

Coach Bruce Boudreau was not pleased by the delay.

"You make your assumptions on that," Boudreau said. "I don't know why. I'm just told that it took upwards of a half-hour."

Ovechkin added, "If he comes earlier, maybe I play. I don't know. It's over now."

That is unacceptable. Imagine instead Sid The Kid was cut. Of course he had to wait just like Ovechkin for 30 minutes if the Penguins' medical staff had to finish tending to a Capitals player...

That's right, you have to light the pipe to make this happen. :-)

Ovechkin trade? What boyscouts say...

If you ever heard about Victor Fedorov, you know he is a Russian Larry Brooks. Still he is Sergei Fedorov's father, a hockey coach and knows a bit what is normally going on in hockey behind the scenes.

From Sport-Express:

Victor Fedorov: "I live in the States for more than a dozen years and learned a lot about North American press. I can assert that the publication in Montréal press have some forces behind it. Believe me, every leak to the media is a certain signal, an alert."

Alright, we heard that. And then I go to my favorite Capitals blog (Dec. 22) and read that there's an ample possibility of Ovechkin's trade:

"The ‘Net is filled (overly so) with innuendo-specius speculation-baseless rink rumors, and I’m not pecking away at the keyboard this holiday weekend to contribute to that. Rather, I’m here to suggest that, should the Caps and Ovechkin arrive at an impasse in new deal discussions, excruciatingly painful though it may be, a deal with the Kings could make sense.

Caps’ fans do have to consider this possibility."

What I read from this? When the owner wanted to send someone to Moscow to cover World Championship, he picked up the phone and called the dudes from "On Frozen Blog". Now connect this and persisting rumors and Fedorov's quote, and here we go. If Leonsis have decided to trade Ovechkin, he needs to prepare Caps fans. "How in the world he had traded arguably the best hockey player in the World?" That would be a shock! You need to prepare the public, the fans. Where to start? First in blogosphere and then maybe ask the beat writers (watch Tarik and Corey Masisak).

And number one argument for me why Ovechkin could be traded? Ted Leonsis repeatedly said in a press that paying top money for any player however good he is makes no business sense. He is still paying for Jarg. Yes, we know "he is a fan too", but he is a businessman first.

So Caps fans, just like the boy scouts say, Be Prepared.


And at the end another quote from Fedorov...

Q. Can Montreal afford Ovechkin?

Victor Fedorov: And what for? Well, if Canadians would send all their best players to the Capital of the United States, they will be the Washington number two! That is, they'll get Ovechkin and a very weak surrounding cast. I think that the trade to Canada is not good for Ovechkin too. There he'll get such a pressure that you won't get in a quiet Washington even in a nightmarish dreams.

Exactly. It will be hard to trade Ovechkin in the sense of receiving a good return. Any team, L.A. Kings or Canadiens, should consider a possibility of becoming a Washington # 2. Other teams can just wait till they can make an offer. So neither side wants the trade, but if it slowly crawls to a contract impasse, a good indicator to it would be the media turning against Ovechkin.

Update: The references to Ovechkin's trade rumors not quoted in this blog:

• DC Sports Report, Dec. 21st


• The Hockey News, Dec. 17th


• Eklund: Ovechkin to the Kings, Dec. 21st


• Eric McErlain: Ovechkin isn't going anywhere
  , Dec. 21st

Update Dec 26: From Washignton Post:

It's believed the Capitals are trying to persuade Ovechkin to take slightly less money, so that the team can sign its other free agents and perhaps add another veteran. If the sides do not come to terms, team officials have given every indication that the Capitals will match any offer from a rival club.

"I've only known him for 30 days," Boudreau said of Ovechkin. "But he looks to me like a guy who wants to be as good a defensive player as there is, as good an offensive player as there is, as good a passer as there is, as good a teammate as there is. He's going to be as good as he wants to be."

Well, Tarik doesn't say much where Ovechkin's negotiations are headed, but it's not a negative post yet. Rather, "the team will match"...

Hockey Night In Canada presents Bruce Boudreau

Merry Christmas to Bruce Boudreau and to Washington Capitals!



To watch the feature on Bruce Boudreau, click on Hockey Night In Canada presents Bruce Boudreau (by Elliot Friedman), select "CBC'S Hockey Night In Canada" on the left, and then "Dec 22: Inside Hockey" (see above)

Some quotes from the video:

Bruce Boudreau: "My 9 years old son texts me from Hershey what should I tell Ovechkin to do..."

Bruce's wife Crystal Boudreau:
"You are in a business where you are hired to be fired, promoted means move, demoted means move, that's just part of a business..."


Elliot Friedman: The Best Christmas?
Bruce Boudreau: This one...

Here and there:

Corey Masisak:"666 Career points for the Islanders' Miroslav Satan after he scored a goal in the second period."

From the blog of Sasha Ovechkin: Alex Ovechkin's last name means "little lamb". His nickname while he played for Dynamo and the National team -- "Sheep".

I'd say, a wolf in a sheep's costume. :-)


Pavel Datsyuk: “When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to drink a lot on Christmas and be drunk.” (Being Russian Orthodox, Datsyuk celebrates Christmas on Jan. 7.)

From The Hot Stove, Dec.22: "Open Russian Hockey League will have a salary cap of 22 million dollars, it means they are not going for the guys like Ovechkin."

Whew :-)

Ovechkin wearing the CH

From Montreal Gazette, Dec. 21

Ovechkin joining Habs rare rumour that has legs

If you were watching the Canadiens' 5-2 win over Washington last night, chances are your attention was about evenly divided between the Habs and the kid wearing No. 8 for the Capitals: the incomparable Alexander Ovechkin.

And chances are, more than a few of you closed your eyes and dreamed the dream: Ovechkin wearing the CH.

True, Ovechkin showed only flashes of the form that makes him the most exciting player in the game - but there are dreams and there are dreams. All over the hockey world, there's a rumour a minute and most of them last about that long. This is one dream that might have legs.

Ovechkin will be a restricted free agent after this season. This year, he's earning a mere $1.3 million and the Capitals thought they could sign him for something similar to Sidney Crosby's contract, which works out to $8.7 million a year for five years. But Ovechkin fired Don Meehan and turned his affairs over to a lawyer, with everything guided by his mother, Tatiana. Tatiana is apparently thinking something more in the $9-million to $10-million range.

Ovechkin and Russian teammate Alexander Semin will be restricted free agents and Washington will be hard put to satisfy both, and for the NHL to have a player like Ovechkin in a market like Washington is a crime. Night after night, Ovechkin plays to thousands of empty seats and in D.C., he always will. In Montreal, a so-so team without a marquee star in Ovechkin's league can draw 21,273 for exhibitions.

Does Ovechkin like Montreal? Very much. He has never hesitated to say so. His best hockey buddy is Canadiens defenceman Andrei Markov; last time the Habs were in Washington, reporters wanting to talk with Ovechkin had to wait half an hour while Ovechkin and Markov chatted on the ice.

But chitchat and sellouts are not going to bring Ovechkin to Montreal. A contract will - a big contract. If the Islanders can throw 15 years at Rick DiPietro and the Flyers are willing to give Mike Richards a dozen, why not a 15-year deal for Ovechkin? Is there a player in the league, apart from Crosby, as likely to make such a deal pay?

The Canadiens already know they may have to commit for at least a decade to keep Carey Price in the fold because Gary Bettman failed to foresee the potential impact of the decision to 1) offer restricted free agency early in a player's career and 2) to sign a basic agreement without a cap on the length of contracts.

Is it worth it? Put it this way: If Lecavalier is the reincarnation of Jean Béliveau, then Ovechkin is the Rocket. No one in the league plays the game with such fire, such joyous abandon. Ovechkin is the real thing, the bona fide, superstar sniper the Canadiens have not had in nearly a quarter-century, since Guy Lafleur hung 'em up.

All it will take is, oh, $120 million over 15 years and a slew of first-round picks. Or the Canadiens can go another route: If the Capitals are reasonably certain they're bound to lose Ovechkin, the Habs might be able to swing a multi-player deal, offering Washington any player on the roster not named Carey Price. The Canadiens get Ovechkin, while the Caps get a balanced lineup capable of winning hockey games.

Ovechkin is worth it in this market because his OOTS factor is off the charts. That's "Out Of Their Seats," folks. Never mind the point totals: In terms of sheer excitement, no one in the NHL is Ovechkin's equal. George Gillett Jr. has enough international vision to know what Ovechkin would do in terms of marketing the CH brand around the globe.

There are at least one thing that is true here: Ovechkin's favorite city in North America to visit is Montreal.

And then we know and we heard it many times from the owner; he doesn't want to deal with any huge contracts after Jagr.

Spector's Note: "I forewarned that the longer Ovechkin went without being re-sign by the Capitals the more rumours would swirl over his either getting traded or signed away by a rival club. What no one takes into account with these wild speculations is the intentions of Ovechkin and the Capitals. While both sides have been coy about the status of negotiations, neither have suggested, hinted, mused or whispered about the possibility of Ovechkin playing elsewhere next season. So like the Lecavalier rumours, Habs fans, don't get your hopes up about Ovechkin becoming a Canadien."

Alex flying a stealth fighter

Ok, folks, it's all in DC Sports Bog, so read the whole story there...

Here's an excerpt:

Ovechkin was easily the loudest Segway rider. He rode the thing backward until it started making grinding noises; "when it makes that noise it's telling you it's not happy," one of the guides told him. He loudly shouted out "anybody wanna ride with us????" to a crowd waiting at a bus stop. He said "Whooooo hooooo" and variations thereof maybe 50 or 60 times. He rocked back and forth incessantly when we stopped to regroup. He yelped "Let's Go Caps" at random businessmen. He attempted to ride without the use of his hands, wrapping his legs around the steering column.


"He's reckless, look at him," Green said. "I think he's gotten in about three accidents so far."

"He loves to be like that," Backstrom said. " He drives fast. He does everything fast. He skates fast, too."

"I'm crazy," Ovechkin said. "I'm sick."

I asked why he was riding a Segway around D.C.

"Have fun," he said. "Why do I have to stay home? No. It's good. Watch beautiful city, watch girls...."

"Have you seen any girls?" Backstrom asked.

"No," Ovechkin replied. "Girls, where are you? I can't find you."

For those who don't know how Segways operate, read Wikipedia article...

I had no idea, turns out Segways are inherently unstable and they are controlled by software just like highly stealth aircraft (the F-117 and B-2) that are aerodynamically unstable in all three axes and require constant flight corrections from the fly-by-wire system to maintain controlled flight.

That's pretty much explains why Ovechkin couldn't crash it. :-)



The photo courtesy of you know who :-)


Segway guys: Backstrom, Ovechkin, Green and Bradley.
You hear it here first: it's the foundation of the team who will some day will bring Stanley Cup to Washington.

Update:
Caps On Segways Video

Ovechkin in Hockeytown

Detroit hockey fans are having a treat tonight -- Ovechkin is in town. Someone at the mlive hockey forum was asking if Ovechkin would play

"he took a high stick last night and i dont think returned to the game...anyone know his status for tomorrow?"

He was told that Ovechkin was ok. Another fan said

"Hopefully he plays. The kids is an amazing talent and a treat to watch even if he is going against us."

From mlive.com, Dec. 17

He's scored more goals than any player in the league over the last three seasons (121), one more than Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk and Ottawa's Dany Heatley. He's the NHL's leader in power-play goals (10) and shots on goal (190) and is tied with Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg for second in the league in goals (23), behind Kovalchuk (26).

Red Wings goaltender Dominik Hasek, during his lone season in Ottawa, faced Ovechkin a few times in 2005-06.

"He has, if not the best, then one of the best shots in the NHL.

From Detroit News, Dec. 17

Pavel Datsyuk calls Alexander Ovechkin the new generation of Russian player.

When most fans think of Russian players, there's a vision of Igor Larionov or Sergei Fedorov, someone of that ilk, with fluid skating and a creative flair. They're skillful, with a great vision of the ice.

Ovechkin, who makes his first appearance at Joe Louis Arena tonight, blows that image to pieces.

"He's strong, big, goes to the net and loves to shoot," said Datsyuk, who has played with the Capitals star on a Russian Elite League team during the lockout, along with several national tournament teams.

"He's a little different (from previous Russian players). He's new generation. He loves to shoot, he loves to score. Every time out there (on the ice), he has fun."

And don't for a minute think Ovechkin doesn't have that creative flair or dynamic skating ability, either. He has all the old-school Russian attributes with a new-wave edge.

"An exciting player," Datsyuk said.

The fact Ovechkin likes to dish out hits, and relishes taking them, comes partly from his father. Early in his playing career Ovechkin said his father made sure to say scoring wasn't enough for any player.

"I like playing the physical game," Ovechkin said. "When I was younger, my father said you have to give hits. I enjoying playing that way. When a player hits me, I just smile (and go on)."

As much as the fans dislike the current schedule, what with opposite-conference teams visiting once every three years, players such as Ovechkin don't care much for it either.

Granted, when Ovechkin thinks of Detroit, his first instinct turns to rapper Eminem, but the hockey is special, too.

"I like playing in Detroit, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton because they're good teams and good cities to play in," Ovechkin said. "I know this is Hockeytown."

Ovechkin was looking forward to facing Datsyuk, as well as elite defensemen such as Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski.

"Whenever you play against players like that, or great teams, it's a challenge you want," Ovechkin said.

From Detroit Free Press, Dec. 17

"He's extremely fast, extremely strong," Rafalski said. "He hits harder than most people expect. He'll go in there and hit in the corners. ...

Colin White was always, 'Man, that guy hit hard.'

He has a lot of different tools -- he shoots the puck extremely well. You've got to watch for him. He's an explosive player."

Ovechkin, who debuted with the Capitals at the start of the 2005-06 season after they selected him with the first overall pick in the 2004 draft, is big, fast and creative. He leads his club with 23 goals, 10 power-play goals, 38 points, 190 shots, a plus-five rating and 87 hits.

"He's always a threat. Even if it's a one-on-two, you've got to be careful, because he's not going to dump it in, he's going to make some quick plays," said Wings goaltender Chris Osgood. "He's a tough guy. He plays hard. He'll go through checks to get scoring opportunities. His shot is unbelievable."

Wings goalie Dominik Hasek was with the Ottawa Senators when Ovechkin struck fear into opponents as a rookie.

"I would say he's very special player," Hasek said. "He's a typical goal-scorer. He has, if not the best, one of the best shots in the NHL, for sure. Him and (Sidney) Crosby are the best young players right now in the NHL, for sure."

It will primarily be up to Rafalski and Nicklas Lidstrom to try to contain Ovechkin.

"He's good at anticipating plays and jumping ahead," Lidstrom said. "He's real strong, too, a big boy and strong on his feet. He finishes his checks. He's very tough to defend with his speed, and he's got a good shot, too. He's so quick, and he's not afraid to cut in and go to the net, either."

Update Dec. 18

From Detroit News, Dec. 18

Ovechkin didn't disappoint in his first Joe Louis Arena appearance with a goal and five shots on goal in 26:08 of ice time.

"He loves hockey and that's a fantastic thing," Babcock said. "It's always great when superstars love the game because to me, that's contagious -- the enthusiasm -- and people like to watch people who love (playing) hockey. It reminds me of Pavel (Datsyuk) in that way. There's a stigma, a little bit that Russian guys don't (love the game). Yet, both of them have a riot playing the game."

From Macomb Daily

Alexander the Great

Dominik Hasek and Chris Chelios could be considered the old guard in the NHL. Alex Ovechkin is one of the fresh faces.

"(Ovechkin), Sidney Crosby and (Evgeni) Malkin are the future of the NHL," Hasek said. "The way (Ovechkin) scores goals, he's such an exciting player. You see him on the highlights."

Ovechkin beat Hasek on a wrist shot in the first period.

"The league is about the stars," Hasek said. "That's what people pay the money to go see. Big stars score the goals and big goalies make the saves. The stars are great for the NHL.

"This reminds me of when I came to the NHL, people talking about me being a future star," Hasek added. "Now the people talk about these guys. It's all part of life, one star is ending a career while another is just starting."

From Detroit Free Press

While superstar Alexander Ovechkin garnered much of the attention during Monday's 4-3 shoot-out victory over Washington at Joe Louis Arena, a handful of Red Wings were just as intrigued to see Capitals rookie Nicklas Backstrom.

Backstrom is a compatriot of the Wings' seven Swedes, several of whom have played with him on the national team and have kept an eye on his career in the NHL.

Backstrom played on a line with Ovechkin (who had a goal) and Matt Pettinger on Monday, logging 23:10 minutes of ice time and finishing with a minus-one rating. Henrik Zetterberg was on the ice for much of the night against Backstrom and Ovechkin.

"They have a real good future, both of them," Zetterberg said after the game. "They're playing really good and are really mature for their ages. They're going to be big stars in this league for a long time."

In Sweden, Backstrom, 20, is considered the second coming of Zetterberg and Peter Forsberg. Zetterberg played with Backstrom at the 2006 world championships and also knows him because their hometowns are within a half-hour of each other.

"We've spent some time in the summers together," Zetterberg said. "And we've got the same agent, so I know him pretty good. He's a really skilled, all-around player, really takes pride in working both ends. Last year in Sweden, he really became a big star there. I think, maybe, he is still a little weak, but he is still young, so when he will get some muscles on him, he will be a real good player.

"He has to become more selfish. Right now, he is a big passer, and if he plays with Ovechkin, that's maybe good. But he's got to think a little bit more selfish, I think, and go more straight to the net. But it's still his first season, and he'll get better as the year goes on."

One, two, three - good night!

Donald Brashear (red corner) - Clown Orr (blue corner). TKO by Brashear.



And now Brashear responds... One, two, three - good night!

Caps 5, Ranjas 4 (OT)

From slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com

The team announced the attendance at 12,553, which is laughable. There were entire empty sections. The team handed out bright red mullet wigs to fans in honor of ’80s night and I am guessing they have plenty left in backstage cartons.

This is sad (the attendance, not the wigs) because Washington has one of the jewels of the N.H.L. in forward Alex Ovechkin, who is worth the price of admission alone. He scores. He skates like crazy. He lays checks on people like Rangers enforcer Colton Orr. He has 22 goals this season and is mesmerizing any time he is on the ice.