Malkin, Ovechkin, Kovalchuk and Kovalev walk into a bar

 By Shelly Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jan. 24, 2009:

MONTREAL -- The Russian ice might have thawed a bit.

Penguins center Evgeni Malkin and Washington winger Alex Ovechkin talked briefly yesterday before the Eastern Conference All-Stars met with the media. During the interview session, the two agreed to pose together for a few photos, in which they were smiling.

"It's good. It's not a problem," said Malkin, who, for several games when their teams met, was the target of many thunderous Ovechkin hits or attempted hits.

Ovechkin said the same thing.

"We just shake hands," he said, adding that he would be fine with the idea of Eastern Conference coach Claude Julien playing him and Malkin on the same line in the game tomorrow.

Malkin agreed.

"It's great. Maybe he pass [to] me, I score, or I pass [to] him, he score," Malkin said. "He's a great player."

There were reports of an offseason confrontation involving a couple punches -- though not necessarily thrown at each other -- but Malkin and Ovechkin previously were friends. They were teammates during the 2006 Olympics.

Atlanta All-Star Ilya Kovalchuk denied any problem.

"Hockey is a physical sport, and they just play the game the right way," he said.

"When they're just in regular life, they're good buddies. We are all from Russia, so it's all good."

Malkin said he, Ovechkin, Kovalchuk and Montreal All-Star Alex Kovalev, another Russian, were considering a night out together this weekend.

From Jamie Fitzpatrick, About.com, Jan. 5, 2005 "Ovechkin and Malkin Together":

Alexander Ovechkin #8 is consoled by teammate Evgeni Malkin #17 after Russia was defeated by Canada in the gold medal game 6-1 at the World Junior Hockey Championships on January 4, 2005 at the Ralph Englestad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. (Photo by Lyle Stafford/Getty Images)

Interview to Sport-Express, July 18, 2008:

Q.: What was the most unpleasant hit that you ever received?
Ovechkin: At the world's junior championship I received a blow from behind. Didn't see an opponent. I got a tear in my shoulder joint. Because of that I missed two months in the season when Dynamo became the champion.

There wouldn't be anything more painful than that story with my shoulder. The sufferings were inhumane, despite the fact that there was no surgery. It was necessary to keep the shoulder in stationary position. The hand was hung. Could not lie, could not sit.

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