Ovechkin's interview transcript from Ottawa

 By CITIZEN_JAMES, Ottawa Citizen, Jan. 20, 2009:

After going out in the morning skate in Ottawa with nothing but skates, red long underwear and a red T-shirt on, Alex Ovechkin chatted with the press about the Obama inauguration, why Washington was a bad hockey town before he got there and why he likes being booed.

He’s a rough transcript:

Do you kind of wish you were in Washington for all that’s going on today?
What’s going on today?

The inauguration of Obama?
I don’t care about politics here…I care what’s going on in politics in Russia.

Ottawa is really struggling…what do you expect here tonight?
Well it’s going to be a hard game for sure because it’s a chance to go up…it’s going to be a hard game, they still have great players over there and it’s going to be not easy.

You’re back on top in scoring in the National Hockey League in terms of goals you had a couple yesterday, anything different that you’re doing lately? I know you had a slow start to the season and everybody had you under the microscope.
Well it’s…you know, slow start, like 10 games I didn’t make points, but probably go back to Russia and (inaudible) now I feel pretty good (inaudible).

Do you have any moves planned for the all-star game?
I’m going to try my old move, I did practice it and I have one more move, but…

Did you work on it a lot?
No I didn’t work a lot, but I just do what I have to do there.

Why do you enjoy playing games in Canada?
Everybody wants to talk to me, everybody wants to see me so it’s pretty cool.

What’s so fun about playing hockey?
Umm, it’s…first of all, you guys (to media). Like, kind of put some action to the fans, the winning games, the goal scores, the atmosphere. Everything’s good.

How do you feel when you score a goal?
I feel like I want more.

Wayne Gretzky said the same thing.
It’s too bad I’m not Gretzky.

There are a lot of superstars who don’t like the fans or the crowd, but you enjoy it.
Oh yeah, I like when fans boo me or they love me, just try to push me forward. I like different kinds of situations.

It makes you better?
Of course, especially when we play someone like Buffalo, fans just like hate me most in the league and try to boo me and it’s kind of a pretty cool situation.

Do you always practice without a uniform?
No I just try my skates, I have new stick, so just try new stick.

Do you and Malkin have to get along for Russia to win gold at the Olympics?
I don’t look forward right now, so far.

Alex, what’s the biggest difference playing hockey in Washington now than when you started?
Well like when we started it was, it was like, bad hockey town, you know? Nobody loved hockey, nobody recognized us, nobody wants to see our games and last year we makes a good run and everybody wants to see us and everybody wants to look at what’s going on with the Caps, who is this guy…people start watching hockey and probably we have lots of sellouts this year and I talked with our guy he and said all these tickets to the home games is sold out, so you know time is changing and I’m happy I was (playing) after the lockout and…I’m happy to be a part of it.

What about the coach?
He’s a very funny guy. He loves his job, he loves what he’s doing, he’s the same crazy like we are, and it’s pretty cool.