Tonight Olympic city is Ovechkin city
By HOSEA CHEUNG, QMI AGENCY, Dec. 18, 2009:
VANCOUVER -- Alex Ovechkin's entrance into GM Place yesterday said it all.
Wearing a Cookie Monster T-shirt and sporting a bad case of uncombed hair, the Russian star walked down the confines of the Garage pretending to laugh loudly into his phone while trying to avoid the cameras.
If there ever was a hockey TMZ moment, this was it.
Yet it's no surprise that Ovechkin, who looked less presentable than a stick boy, would be the centre of attention.
Playing in Vancouver for only the second time in his NHL career -- a huge mistake by the league -- and in Edmonton tomorrow, he once again needs to embrace that superstar role, this time for the West Coast fans.
"Sometimes it's kind of boring because it's the same question," said Ovechkin yesterday when asked if he gets sick of the spotlight. "Like I can put on the list and just give it to you guys."
So far into his career, the Washington Capitals forward has done everything right in terms of remaining a hot commodity.
He was sixth in NHL scoring prior to last night, and that's after missing eight games due to an injury and a suspension.
He can usually be found on highlight reels, either scoring a sensational goal or throwing a thundering check.
And then, of course, there's his eccentric and always-animated persona on and off the ice.
That's why there's a certain level of hype surrounding tonight's AO appearance.
But while fans in Western Canada rarely get to see this Russian star live, there will be plenty of Ovechkin in Vancouver come February.
He will be leading Team Russia, an obvious favourite to challenge the Canadians for the Olympic gold, and there's no doubt he's looking forward to it.
"Of course you get excited," he said. "You see Olympic logos everywhere and you just start realize this is Olympic city."
Actually No. 8, tonight it's Ovechkin city.
By Matthew Sekeres, Globe and Mail, Dec. 18, 2009:
...roughly 1,000 people formed a circuitous queue 30 minutes before Ovechkin’s late-afternoon arrival. Autograph and picture seekers were forced to buy one of five items – the cheapest costing $89 – yet the line snaked around several displays, and ended outside the boutique, somewhere between clocks and cosmetics.
“Why not?” Ovechkin replied earlier in the day when asked why he would agree to two hours of sign and smile. “It’s good stuff for me. People are going to recognize me and shake my hand. It’s easy.”
And that encapsulates this attention-loving Russian. He is willing to share his joyful journey with fans, regardless of their nationality, in the name of building his sport.
He is also on a crusade to convince the NHL, the National Hockey League Players’ Association, and the International Ice Hockey Federation to come to an agreement and allow NHL professionals to play in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Ovechkin believes it’s what the fans and players want, and when he touched down in the Olympic city this week – for just his second game in Vancouver – Alex the Olympian was going to spread the good word.
“I’m going to continue to say what I have to say, especially when it’s [about] the Olympics in my country,” he said. “It’s the same for Canada. If someone says to a Canadian player, ‘You know what, you can’t go play the Olympic Games in your country,’ what do you think their reaction is going to be? The same.”
Yesterday, when the rock star arrived at The Bay, he was greeted by chants of “Ovie” and some teenagers climbed onto their friends’ shoulders to snap photographs.
The 24-year-old came dressed for the part. He wore an Hudson’s Bay Co. sweater over his Russian national team jersey, which he swapped with a minor hockey player from North Vancouver. Underneath, he wore a shirt with the Vancouver Olympic Games Organizing Committee logo, with the hat to match.
Earlier in the day, Ovechkin said it was “unfair” that Canada, and not Russia, would stage an Olympics with NHL players. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and team owners have expressed concern over shutting their season down for two weeks to participate in the Games – particularly when they take place on European time – but Ovechkin believes the Olympics are deeper than dollars and cents, and has threatened to go AWOL from the Capitals in 2014.
“Because you represent your country, and you represent your home, your parents, and your family,” he said about his connection to the Olympic movement and his refusal to stay silent on the matter. “Nobody can say to me, ‘Don’t say this or don’t say that.’ It’s a free world and I can say whatever I want.”
He arrived at GM Place wearing a Cookie Monster T-shirt, and Washington’s practice ahead of tonight’s game against the Vancouver Canucks was such a must-see event that even Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault, who normally remains in his office, watched from the stands. Henrik Sedin, the second-leading scorer in the NHL heading into last night’s games, said Ovechkin is “by far” the best player in the league, and that it was a shame he wasn’t in Vancouver more frequently.
Sedin called him uniquely skilled, while Canucks defenceman Sami Salo said he was envious of Ovechkin’s non-stop energy. Goaltender Roberto Luongo said he was “proud” to have kept Ovechkin off the score sheet in seven of their first eight NHL encounters.
“He loves the game and he has fun playing it,” goaltender Roberto Luongo added. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
By Sunny Dhillon, THE CANADIAN PRESS, Dec. 18, 2009:
This week's game has generated just as much buzz as the one three years ago and Ovechkin says he's looking forward to playing Vancouver - Luongo in particular.
"It's going to be a pretty hard battle for me and my team but it's going to be pretty fun," Ovechkin said.
Countered Luongo, "He's the top player in the league, maybe top two players in the league. He can generate offence on his own and he's very dangerous. That being said, personally I enjoy the challenge of playing him."
Washington Capitals Alexander Ovechkin Reebok Navy Language Barrier Shirt (Large)
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment