Interview with Eric Fehr and Nicklas Backstrom
By Jim Bender, Winnipeg Sun, Aug. 14, 2010:
Every week, a Sun staffer gets to know a local sports personality a little better and Jim Bender caught up to Winkler’s Eric Fehr, who recently re-signed with the NHL’s Washington Capitals and was in town to participate in the Believe in the Goal Foundation events.
What’s it like for a country boy to play in Washington?Read more...
It’s a totally a different change of pace for sure. I know, when I go home each summer, it’s a much slower pace. When we go to Washington, it’s a lot of hustle, a lot of moving around and a lot more traffic, for sure.
What’s it like to play with a guy like Alexander Ovechkin?
It’s great. It’s someone you can watch in practice and you can learn from. He’s a real skilled player but he also works hard, so he’s definitely a guy you want to look up to. He’s pretty good. He seems to score on every shot he takes (in practice). It’s pretty crazy but I’m trying to work on my shot the way he’s been doing and try to catch up to speed … What you see in games, you see in practice. He goes hard and shoots pucks from everywhere and finds a way to score.
Ovechkin has been known as a free spirit, what’s he like off the ice?
He’s a great guy. He’s real energetic and a real positive guy and a good guy to have around the dressing room … He loves to put shaving cream in towels and waits for guys to come out of the shower.
Aftonbladet, "We must learn how to play playoff hockey":
Nicklas Backstrom had a very impressive season last year with Washington and made 101 points in the regular season. But the season ended with double disappointment, elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs and the national team loss in the Olympics.
Photo: MATS WENNERHOLM
KARLSKRONA. Nicklas Backstrom went through two real knocks this season. But the summer has been a hit. When Nicklas Backstrom came home to Gävle the newly-built 520 sq. m dream house was waiting for him in a ten-minute drive outside the town.Read more...
But the best pal Alexander Ovechkin has not visited him this summer despite a standing invitation.
"We have called each other a few times and we will meet again soon when the training camp starts. He didn't want to leave Moscow this summer," said Niklas.
H/t to AB.
Link to the latest post
Donate to The One Fund - Boston 2013
Posts
12 comments:
Glad to see that Nick cut his hair a little, looks much better. Maybe this year he can try and grow some facial hair ;-)
Damnit Alex, go visit the boy and see his new house! Bring him a nice housewarming gift like "Dogs Playing Poker" or a plant.
@JKC
LOL!
Great housewarming ideas.
And who can resist visiting Nicky? Alex is mean. :(
TJ, thanks for posting the stories I found. I feel special to be mentioned:)
Nicky needs to smile for the camera. He is practicing his Mean Lars look.
@JKC I agree that Ovie needs to visit Backstrom. If he can fly to Siberia and go on a yacht trip with Semin, he can stop in and see Nicky's new house in Sweden. I wonder if Ovie has also invited Nicky to Moscow? Ovie could take him to the clubs and the soccer games and to the dacha to meet Ghera and the sheep and introduce him to Valeria's hot model friends. Meanwhile, Semin would be back in Siberia crying over Ovie getting a new BFF. Maybe that is the real reason he doesn't go visit Nicky.
Having been to Gavle several times, I can understand why Ovi hasn't come by to visit. It's a scary place ;-)
But seriously, Ovi should bring Nicky a nice Russian girl, that would be some house warming gift.
I would love to see Nicky dancing in the clubs; Swedish boys sometimes lack that oh so important rhythm thing.
Thank you AB for the stories and thank you TJ for posting them.
Nicky looks great, boyishly handsome but should smile more as AB says.
@JKC: ROFL at your housewarming gift suggestions! Whatever Ovie brings, I agree he should go visit Nicky soon or, as AB suggests, invite him to visit Moscow and make the rounds of the night spots.
"We must learn how to play playoff hockey." Let's hope the Caps learn this lesson, and the sooner the better. Is it just me, or has this off-season seemed much longer than years past?
Hockey O hockey, where art thou?
I miss my boy Nicky, but I agree with the other posters, Ovi should go visit Nicky. It almost sounds like he's begging Ovi to visit.
@JKC, LOL. I love your housewarming ideas
I really can't wait for hockey to start again. I miss all the guys.
I second Anonymous, I miss the boys, and reading these interviews just makes it worse. Hurry up October!!
For those who haven't found it already, the complete translated interview with Backstrom is posted on Japers' Rink: http://www.japersrink.com/2010/8/15/1623940/we-need-to-learn-how-to-play
And there's also a great interview w/ Varly, also translated on Japers': http://www.japersrink.com/2010/8/15/1624866/all-eyes-on-semyon-varlamov
The previous posters' comments about missing hockey are right on the money. Maybe that's why this off-season seems to be moving at such a snail's pace to me.
I found an interesting item on the Jumping the Glass site. There will be a season long in-depth competition between the Caps' two Alexes, which the blog host Kevin Bryant calls Sasha vs. Sasha. The first segment on August 11 looks at who scored their goals against better defensemen. It's a very interesting statistical analysis.
http://jumpingtheglass.blogspot.com/2010/08/sasha-vs-sasha.html
One more thing: I forgot to mention I LOL at Nicky's The Don tee shirt. Perhaps it's an homage to The Godfather movie.
Maybe Nicky is still giddy from signing the 10-year contract extension when the Caps made him an offer he can't refuse.
It's funny nobody specifically mentioned the Eric Fehr portion of the post. No love for Canadian boys? Just kidding, though his interview was still interesting. PS: Somebody choses to live in Winnipeg? Weird, I thought that was a myth- like Bigfoot or true, fair democracy... maybe there's hope after all!
Anyway, I think I would LOVE to see Nicky clubbing. I'm sure he does, I'd just love to see it. :) Especially Russian clubbing with Ovie!
I'll go visit him if Ovie wont... though it'd probably be the quietest visit ever, full of awkward, blush-filled stares...but I'm sure it'd be a blast and we'd become friends! lol That's how I roll... he seems to as well.
Haircut looks good, though I haven't really disliked his hair much, apart from a few bad hair days:
http://tinyurl.com/2e4dad2
Also, apparently this is from this summer:
http://tinyurl.com/26e9xa9
I'd like my Swede well done, please! Perhaps he's blushing? =0) lol
Ovi's Zoo
Interview with Mikhail Ovechkin
http://www.sportsdaily.ru/articles/zoopark-aleksandra-ovechkina-38475
Interview with Varlamov
http://hockey.sport-express.ru/reviews/7354/
Post a Comment