Entries with the tag: alexander+ovechkin

AO- The Marketing Machine

by Paul on 05/01/08 at 07:53 AM
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from Rick Westhead of the Toronto Star,

On the heels of an MVP-calibre season in which he scored 65 goals, added 47 assists and led the Washington Capitals into an unlikely playoff berth, the 22-year-old’s marketing representatives are close to announcing Ovechkin’s first major sponsorship contracts.

In the works are deals with Ferrari and U.S. mobile phone company Verizon, says Konstantin Selinevich, who spearheads Ovechkin’s off-ice business relationships. Selinevich says talks continue with others, including Coca-Cola. Just last month, the Wasserman Media Group, a powerful sports marketing agency in Los Angeles, was hired to buttress efforts to land endorsements for Ovechkin.

While the star already has sponsor agreements with Reebok’s CCM brand, trading-card company Upper Deck and Hype, an energy drink, none has put much marketing muscle behind him. (Selinevich says that will change this summer when Reebok rolls out an Ovechkin clothing line.)

read on

Ovechkin Shows Up Again

by Paul on 04/22/08 at 11:46 AM
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from Mike Wise of the Washington Post,

But here the kid was in Game 6, needing to score—needing to put a volume of shots on goal because nothing else seemed to be working. He came through brilliantly. His ungodly 13-year, $124 million contract doesn’t kick in until next year, but Ovechkin was poised for criticism this postseason if he couldn’t find the net again.

In a blink he morphed into something none of his teammates had seen for days—from Alex the Awestruck to Ovie the Incomparable, all his talent and power shown in full. And now it’s one game for everything in this first-round classic.

more (reg. req.)

Ovechkin Wants To Win

by Paul on 04/16/08 at 05:42 PM
Comments (4)

from Dan Gelston of the AP via USA TODAY,

Is he frustrated by his lack of production? Nope

Is the Flyers physical play affecting him? Nah.

Would a possible line change help? Hope so.

About the only thing Ovechkin would admit after Wednesday’s practice is that he’s had enough of the losing. Philadelphia owns a 2-1 series lead over the Capitals and Washington, which entered the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the league, has lost consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 23-24 entering Thursday night’s Game 4.

“I’m frustrated we’re losing,” Ovechkin said. “It’s not about scoring, it’s about winning.”

read on

Following Ovechkin In Russia

by Paul on 04/15/08 at 12:54 PM
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from Risto Pakarinen at NHL.com,

The Russians aren’t used to hearing good news coming out of Washington, D.C.

Back in the days of the Iron Curtain, the two countries were the world’s two polar opposites, each skeptical about the intentions of the other.

But that’s ancient history. After all, back then there were only a handful of European players in the NHL, and no Russians at all.

Today, the League is flooded with European-born players and Russians are among the biggest stars in the NHL. That shift is reflected in today’s Moscow.

continued

Mapping Ovechkin vs Crosby

by Alanah on 04/11/08 at 04:22 PM
Comments (6)

ESPN had a poll up earlier today, asking the question: “Who are you going to watch Friday night?”

Results are below, including a map pinpointing the origin of the results.  Find out if your part of the country is more hyped for Crosby or AO.

Continue Reading »

Crosby Or Ovechkin

by Paul on 04/11/08 at 01:45 PM
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from Bill Clement at NBC Sports,

Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. The two best players in the NHL and in a real treat for hockey fans they’re both part of this year’s playoffs. Their careers are in their infancy and will forever be the subject of comparison and debate. The test of time may or may not definitely answer which one was greater.

As for the present, it’s fun asking which would be the choice if one were starting a team from scratch?

If in reality such a decision had to made, it would be the greatest can’t-lose proposition in the history of hockey. The possibility of being wrong would not exist.

continued

Results Matter

by Paul on 04/11/08 at 08:28 AM
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from Mark Spector of the National Post,

Exactly one year ago this morning, the hottest kid in the National Hockey League bounced out of bed in a nation’s capital, hustled good and early down to the rink, and readied for a night he’d looked forward to for all of his hockey life.

And on that night—April 11th, 2007—Sidney Crosby notched his first career playoff goal. It was a meaningless, last-minute strike in a 6-3 loss at Ottawa, but those inside Scotiabank Place knew right then and there they had witnessed something to tell the grand kids about.

This morning, the hottest kid in the NHL will wake up just outside a nation’s capital, step over the fan mail that people have taken to dropping randomly on his doorstep, and begin this long awaited day. Tonight is the night that Alexander Ovechkin has anticipated since he pulled a Washington Capitals sweater over his mane of hockey hair as the first pick in the 2004 draft.

continued

You can watch a report on Ovechkin from Russia Today…

Afternoon Line

by Paul on 04/02/08 at 12:38 PM
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from Japers’ Rink,

Add another vote to the “Ovechkin for MVP” campaign, this from rival Evgeni Malkin:

“I still have chances to become the MVP this season, however I am sure that Alexander Ovechkin is the best player in NHL this season and he will win this award.”

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Puck Magnet

by Paul on 04/02/08 at 08:11 AM
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from Slap Shot at the NY Times,

How overarchingly great has Ovechkin been this year? Beyond getting more goals than anyone else, he takes more shots than anyone else, fires more shots wide than anyone else — in short, he’s simply got the puck on his stick more than anyone else. Consider this list of the only players with 400 or more combined shots and missed shots:

Player, team Shots Missed Total
Ovechkin, Wsh ..436 ..196 632

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Why AO For Hart

by Paul on 03/31/08 at 10:14 AM
Comments (2)

from Alan Ryder of the Globe and Mail,

Ovechkin has already won the Richard trophy and seems likely to win the Art Ross as well. Let me make the case for Ovechkin’s name on the Hart.

First of all, he has not simply won the Richard trophy. He has smoked the competition with a season for the ages.

Maurice (The Rocket) Richard set the bar with 50 goals in 50 games in the 1944-45 season. The number of 50-goal seasons has recently been raised to 182 by Ilya Kovalchuk and may grow by another should Jarome Iginla notch one more goal in Calgary’s final three games. To properly compare these results across over 60 years of the changing face of hockey it is necessary to adjust for (at least) two things.

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Ovechkin Needed in ‘08 Playoffs

by Paul on 03/27/08 at 09:47 AM
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from Kevin Dupont at NBC Sports,

The ‘08 playoffs without A.O. would not be O.K.

Just as big-time scoring has dried up around the league, so has the sport’s big-time entertainment factor. Ovechkin not only knows how to score (and there is an intelligence to getting those four ounces of rubber in that 24-square-foot net), but he knows how to entertain, too. His trademark, stamped on nearly every goal, is that running leap he takes into the glass that rings the boards, which sometimes leaves fans in the lower loges thinking that he is about to leave one of those Wile E. Coyote silhouettes carved in the glass as he makes his way through the stands and toward the pizza stand.

Showboating? Perhaps. But so what. If anyone has a right to crow a little, or a lot, it’s Ovechkin, who obviously delights in doing what he is supposed to do. He likes to score. He really likes to score.

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Caps Have A Chance To Move On

by Paul on 03/24/08 at 07:01 PM
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from Pierre LeBrun of the CP via Yahoo,

One would think being the first 60-goal scorer in the NHL in 12 years would bring a little more excitement out of Alex Ovechkin, but the Washington Capitals superstar says he’s too preoccupied with his team’s playoff chase right now.

“The last two years at this time we were thinking about vacation and what we going to do in the summer,” Ovechkin said Monday on an NHL conference call. “We weren’t thinking about the playoffs. Right now, we have a great chance to move forward.

“My personal stats are my personal stats but right now I’m just thinking about the team.”

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Ovechkin Hits 60

by Paul on 03/21/08 at 10:11 PM
Comments (2)

Alexander Ovechkin scored his 60th goal of the season at the 11:30 mark of the 3rd period tonight.

It looks as if KK member blueleafss is the unofficial winner of the Ovechkin jersey.  He predicted AO would score his 60th goal at the 13:53 mark in the 3rd period.

I will re-check all the entries and post the official winner on Monday.

added 10:43pm, Watch Ovechkin’s 60th goal…

Continue Reading »

Talking Hart

by Paul on 03/19/08 at 09:08 PM
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from Darren Dreger of TSN,

No Russian born player has ever won the Art Ross Trophy. Washington’s Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh’s Evgeny Malkin are poised to change that with the pair continuing to battle for the league lead in points.

However, the buzz around the NHL as the regular season winds down targets another major award; the Hart Memorial Trophy.

continued

Forget 50, How About 60!

by Paul on 03/10/08 at 06:16 PM
Comments (150)

[Updated March 10th -- Originally posted March 4th. Deadline for contest entries is tomorrow. Details below.]

_______________________
Can Alexander Ovechkin get to 60 goals this season?  You tell me!

Pick the game, period and time that AO will reach 60 goals this season.  If you are the closest (in case of tie, a random drawing will be held between the winning entries) with your prediction, you win a replica Rbk Washington Capitals Alexander Ovechkin Premier jersey.

Also, anyone entering will be entered into a random drawing for an autographed, limited edition DVD from Alex’s Calder Trophy season, courtesy of the Washington Capitals.

To help you out, here is the Caps schedule for the season.  I need the date of the game, what period he will get #60 and the time of the goal, NOT the time left in the period.

Closest to the correct time (over or under) will win the jersey.  If Ovechkin does not get to 60 goals, a random drawing will be held for the jersey.

You must be a KK member to win (join, it’s free!) and good luck.  Also, all entries must submitted in the comment section of this post (no emails) and must be timestamped by noon EDT on March 11, 2008. 

Afternoon Line

by Paul on 03/05/08 at 03:40 PM
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via Sabres Edge,

Asked how the Sabres would defend Ovechkin, coach Lindy Ruff couldn’t resist cracking off a couple one-liners and getting another shot in at the whiners in Philadelphia griping about Derek Roy’s goal last night.

“We’re going to put three guys on [Ovechkin],” Ruff said. “Then we’re going to watch [Alexander] Semin and then we’re going to watch [Mike] Green on defense. So obviously we’re going to have too many men on the ice again.”

OvechKam

by Paul on 03/05/08 at 03:32 PM
Comments (1)

Bethesda, MD (March 5, 2008) – Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, the leader in local sports television, will unveil its latest innovation, the “OvechKam,” when the Capitals host the Calgary Flames on Wednesday, March 12.

This unique broadcast, which will be available on CSN+ and replayed on Comcast On Demand, will feature a dedicated view that follows Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin throughout the entire game, providing viewers with an unprecedented look at the most prolific player in the NHL

Continue Reading »

Ovechkin Reaches 50 Again

by Paul on 03/03/08 at 07:24 PM
Comments (4)

AO celebrates his 50th goal after scoring early in the first period against Boston.  AO scores again, even before I can post this…

added 7:39pm, How about three for Alex, with more than 5 minutes to go in the first.  Caps up 5-0.

video added 3/4/08…

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Can Ovechkin Be Gretzky

by Paul on 02/22/08 at 03:44 PM
Comments (4)

from ESPN,

Editor’s note: In our “Friday Face off,” ESPN.com NHL writer Scott Burnside (based in Atlanta) and Toronto Star columnist and frequent ESPN.com contributor Damien Cox (based in Toronto) duke it out over any given hockey topic. Let the games begin!

This week’s topic: Is Alexander Ovechkin poised to be the new Gretzky, the player all the others will be chasing for years to come when it comes to goals?…

Scott: We often hear people bemoan the lack of a dynastic team, a team that captures the imagination of the hockey world. Do you think a single player can have that effect? We all know Crosby has proved himself to be special early on, but his high ankle sprain is going to cost him back-to-back MVP awards and league scoring titles. But if Ovechkin got to 60 or 65, do you think that would be some sort of catalyst to great excitement that transcends the normal?

Damien: Nope. Not while he’s in Washington. I know that won’t make the millions of Capitals fans across the world happy, or owner Ted Leonsis, or GM George McPhee, but the fact is, having Ovechkin not only in D.C. but in the Southeast Division just isn’t going to afford him the profile he deserves. At least not in the near future.

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The Mother Of AO

by Paul on 02/19/08 at 12:07 PM
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from Michael Farber of Sports Illustrated,

“I wouldn’t call her uncompromising because she did, in fact, compromise,” McPhee says of Tatiana. “But Alex’s mother is very strong, very protective. And she knows what she wants.” What she and Alexander wanted was a no-trade clause, something McPhee had granted only once in his 10 years as G.M. In the end the two sides agreed that beginning in the seventh year of the contract, Alexander annually will submit a list of 10 teams to which he will not accept a trade.

read on

All Ovechkin

by Paul on 02/07/08 at 11:59 AM
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from David Amber at ESPN,

The NHL’s most explosive scorer has Capitals fans thinking playoff hockey.

In this week’s Facing Off, Alexander Ovechkin tells us why The Great One’s single-season record of 92 goals may be tough to break, how he compares to Sidney Crosby and what it’s like to be the NHL’s first $100 million man....

Q: Who is the best player in the league right now?

A: There are so many good players, that’s hard to say. [Pause] I think maybe the best player is Roberto Luongo. He is really tough to beat.

Q: Really? Luongo? What about you?

A: I’m a good player, too [laughs].

Q:The single-season NHL record is 92 goals. Is 93 possible?

A: It’s hard because times have changed. The goalies have changed, and if you see how goalies played in the 1970s and 1980s, it was pretty funny actually [laughs].

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Ovechkin In Columbus

by Paul on 02/05/08 at 04:22 PM
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Alexander Ovechkin talks with Puck-rakers,

Q: What are your memories of Sergei Fedorov?

“He was one of our idols growing up. The Russian Five, the Detroit Red Wings win the Cup. He was one of the best players in the league and one of the best players in Russia.”

Q: When you think of the Columbus Blue Jackets, what comes to mind?

A: “Zherdev, (Rick) Nash and Fedorov.”

more…

Ovechkin Takes Over

by Paul on 02/02/08 at 08:08 AM
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from Scott Morrison at Sun Media,

In the wake of Sidney Crosby’s ankle injury, a theory exists that Ovechkin is very much driven to making the NHL his league.

“While I don’t believe Alex would ever think in terms of the NHL being ‘his’ league, he does believe that it is his responsibility to be the best,” McPhee said.

“That was driven into him at a young age. He is comfortable performing in this light, seems to revel in the constant challenge it brings and may, indeed, see an opening this year to be regarded in this light.”

Whatever the motivation, it is working and if the Capitals stay close in the playoff hunt, and especially if they get there and he is at or near the top of the scoring leaders, it will be hard to bypass him for MVP honours.

more

Ovechkin Scores Four

by Paul on 01/31/08 at 10:04 PM
Comments (1)

from the AP via NHL.com,

Alex Ovechkin scored his fourth goal of the night with 1:26 left in overtime to give the Washington Capitals a 5-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night.

Ovechkin finished with four goals and one assist for five points, but the last one was the biggest. He took a crossing pass from Jeff Schultz and beat Montreal goalie Cristobal Huet from in front for the overtime goal.

The All-Star scored Washington’s first, third, fourth and fifth goals. He also assisted on Viktor Kozlov’s goal. Kozlov finished with a goal and two assists.

AO now has 43 goals this season.

video added 2/1/08

added 9:24am on 2/1/08, via Capitals Insider,

“Today was special day,” Ovechkin said after the team doctor went to work on his nose, which he broke for the fifth time. “I broke my nose, I have stitches, I score four goals. Everything go to my face.”

The Future Of The Capitals

by Paul on 01/29/08 at 04:46 PM
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from the CP,

When the Washington Capitals come to town, a crowd forms quickly around 22-year-old scoring star Alexander Ovechkin.

Not far away, left in relative peace, sits Nicklas Backstrom, the 20-year-old rookie who picks up many of the assists on Ovechkin’s often spectacular goals.

As a duo, they promise to bring misery to NHL goaltenders for many years to come. But for now, Ovechkin is happy to absorb the pressure of expectation and endless media interviews.

“Backie’s a great guy,” Ovechkin said Tuesday as the Capitals prepared to the play the first of back-to-back games against the Montreal Canadiens. “He’s a little shy with you guys, but not us.”

continued

AO Vs. Geno

by Paul on 01/22/08 at 06:21 AM
Comments (4)

from The Good, The Bad, And The Duthie,

From the opening face-off, it looked like a couple of guys trying to show-off to win the same girl (Natalia maybe?) They were ridiculously dangerous on almost every shift. They went after each other, with Ovechkin trying to flatten Malkin in the Danger Zone (ask Dean McAmmond where that is), and then almost scrapping moments later. It was Anything You Can Do…translated in Russian.

more

Watch the attempted hit by Ovechkin on Malkin…

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You Should Have Waited Ted

by Paul on 01/20/08 at 09:32 AM
Comments (5)

from Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province,

...Hell, Leonsis would have been better as far as his fellow owners were concerned to wait for a team to make an offer to Ovechkin, then match it.

He could then claim he was dragged kicking and screaming into doing such a thing, all the while proclaiming he is delighted to have Alex in the fold. To volunteer this kind of money seems bizarre. And with Ovechkin getting this much money and this much of the cap space, how the hell do you build a team around him?

And if you don’t build a team, how do you bring in fans and stop being a perpetual drain on the other the owners? In short, why are the rich teams putting up with this?

more

Modified Movement Clause

by Paul on 01/12/08 at 11:48 AM
Comments (4)

from Darren Dreger of TSN,

According to the terms of the agreement, Ovechkin has what is described as a “modified no trade clause.”

Prior to July 1, 2014 the Capitals have the luxury and sole discretion of trading Ovechkin to any team in the league.

However, the language in the contract goes on to read that during the month of June 2014, Ovechkin can provide Washington with a list of up to 10 NHL teams to which he does not want to be traded to during each of the seasons after July 1, 2014, commencing with the 2014-2015 season.

more, and yes, my sources are telling me Ovechkin may still be moved this season.... There, we got it out of the way and if any hockey fans reads it again, don’t believe it.

Ovechkin Should Be Playing Elsewhere

by Paul on 01/12/08 at 07:06 AM
Comments (14)

from Rick Westhead of the Toronto Star,

The fact is, the NHL would have been far better off had Ovechkin been allowed to bolt Washington as a restricted free agent this summer to join an NHL team in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, or New York – cities where Ovechkin’s talents would have been better used to help raise the NHL’s profile.

“Flagship franchises are the key to any retailer – sports or otherwise. Apple Store and Nike World were created on 5th Avenue in New York,” said Tony Chapman, a Toronto sports marketer. “The NHL needs to populate their flagship franchises with their top players.”

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Fans Love AO

by Paul on 01/11/08 at 03:22 PM
Comments (0)

from Scott Burnside at ESPN,

“We know him through really bad times. We’ve been through fire together,” Leonsis said. “I couldn’t think of a better face for our franchise.

“Our fans love Alexander Ovechkin. Our fans didn’t love Jaromir Jagr.”

Whether the fact that Ovechkin is a home-grown talent, or the fact he signed on for a 13-year tour of duty with the Caps of his own volition, makes any difference to a hockey market that has distinguished itself with its own indifference, is unknown.

The only thing that is for certain is that Leonsis won’t have to worry about second-guessing himself, even if it cost him $124 million for that satisfaction.

“You can talk to me after we win a Cup,” he said.

much more…

Just Listen

by Paul on 01/11/08 at 10:35 AM
Comments (0)

Ovechkin and Jordan Staal wore microphones during a recent game against each other…

Watch the video…

Continue Reading »

Ovechkin!

by Paul on 01/11/08 at 09:34 AM
Comments (5)

from George Johnson of the Calgary Herald,

Upon hearing of the enormous contract extension his friendly rival signed on Thursday, you can just see Crosby between periods of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ game at Tampa, screwing up his face, tightening his fists, and letting out with another stammer:

“Ovechkin!’’

One-upped again....

Is Ovechkin worth $124 million over 13 years? Is anyone? He beat Crosby to the Calder, scores buckets of goals, beautiful goals, and comes across as a genuinely engaging, effervescent presence in a sport populated more and more by the bland and the suspicious. Still, even with his deeds of derring-do, the sad sack Capitals are tied for 27th in a 30-team league, and quite probably doomed to miss the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season.

more

Report- Ovechkin Signs

by Paul on 01/10/08 at 02:55 PM
Comments (19)

via RDS (translated),

Alexander Ovechkin is in Washington to stay. RDS a appris que le jeune attaquant russe vient de signer une prolongation de contrat de six ans d’une valeur de 54 M$ avec les Capitals. RDS has learned that the young Russian striker recently signed a contract extension of six years with a value of $ 54 million with the Capitals.

Update 3:02pm ET: From On Frozen Blog (*sourced at SovetskySport):

Earlier today, Alexander Ovechkin, accompanied by family and an attorney, walked into the Washington Capitals’ team offices in Arlington, Va., reviewed with counsel terms for a new contract with the club, and agreed to a six-year pact that will pay him $54 million.

Update: 3:18pm ET: TSN is citing the same reports.

update 3:31pm, TSN added to their link…

Contract negotiations between the Capitals and leading scorer Alexander Ovechkin continue a deal has yet to be reached.

added 4:04pm, from the AOL Fanhouse,

But hold one one second: TSN is now reporting that no deal has been reached and that negotiations are continuing. The bottom line: Stay tuned as we finally learn the fate of the player who has scored more goals in the NHL over the last three years than any other.

UPDATE: Kurt Kehl, the team’s Vice President of Communications is denying the story. Stay tuned for updates.

Update 4:25pm From Tarik El-Bashir, Capitals Insider:

I checked with one of my sources late last night at Verizon Center and was told that “the atmosphere is right” for a deal to come together, but he stopped short of confirming that terms had been reached or that a deal was imminent.

Update 5:32pm More from Capitals Insider,

Update:I can confirm that talks are going on right now at the Caps headquarters. But I’ve been told by my sources to refrain from going with the numbers that are out there right now.

added 5:52pm, via the Washington Capitals,

The Washington Capitals will announce a new contract with left wing Alex Ovechkin at an 8:30 p.m. news conference at Verizon Center, immediately following the team’s Meet the Team Party for season-ticket holders.

added 6:59pm, 13 years, $124M!!!

Harder For Teams To Keep Young Talent

by Paul on 01/03/08 at 08:17 PM
Comments (0)

from Wes Goldstein at CBS Sportsline,

It’s enough to cause a lot of headaches in several front offices in the weeks and months ahead. Here’s a look at 10 situations most likely to do so:

1. Alexander Ovechkin: It’s hard to imagine the Washington Capitals will let their franchise face go under any circumstance, but Ovechkin has already reportedly rejected a deal worth $7.5 million annually and will almost certainly get an offer sheet approaching the maximum $10 million per season if he hits the open market.

read on

Don’t Forget Ovechkin

by Paul on 12/31/07 at 09:15 AM
Comments (0)

from In the Room at the Washington Times,

The latest batch of voting results was released Thursday. With upwards of 445,000 votes, Sidney Crosby has about 2 1/2 times as many as Vinny Lecavalier and Daniel Alfredsson, who are in a tight battle for second. Ovechkin was more than 46,000 votes behind those two with Daniel Briere in between and Ilya Kovalchuk nipping at his heels.

This might not seem like a big deal to some, and it is not like Ovechkin won’t be in Atlanta as a reserve. But I don’t think I am making a bold or inaccurate statement by saying Alex is the second-most popular player in the NHL (and this voting stuff is really just a glorified popularity contest).

read on

14 Goals- 2 Players Had Half Of Them

by Paul on 12/30/07 at 09:41 AM
Comments (0)

Ovechkin with 4 goals, Mike Fisher with 3, all in the 3rd period.

Watch all 14 goals in about 7 minutes…

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Caps Lose Goalie, Ovechkin Gets Stitched Up

by Paul on 12/28/07 at 08:03 AM
Comments (0)

from the Washington Post,

Ovechkin left the game early in the third period after being cut on the leg by a skate. The Capitals’ leading scorer (he tallied his 26th goal in the second period) required “a few” stitches to close the cut, but he will play on Saturday in Ottawa, General Manager George McPhee said. Ovechkin declined to talk to reporters as he limped to the team bus, saying only that he was “okay.”

The prognosis was not so good for Johnson, who will miss the next two to four weeks with a sprained left knee.

more (reg. req.) on the Caps loss to Pittsburgh…

I’m From Russia - We Have Fun

by Paul on 12/19/07 at 07:28 PM
Comments (3)

from the D.C. Sports Blog,

“Hey Segway guy,” the Park Police officer was shouting at Alex Ovechkin. “You can’t ride in there.”

Ovechkin, wearing his red Caps jersey and yes, riding a Segway, scooted out of the tourist-dotted maze that encircles the National Christmas tree, smiling his gap-toothed smile.

“I’m sorry officer, he got away from me,” apologized Mary Ann Melville, a tour guide from Capital Segway.

continued… very funny with pics…

thanks to a KK reader for the pointer…

Update 10:58pm ET: Courtesy of the Washington Capitals media relations department, two photos of today’s adventures. Click the images to enlarge.

Shop Ovechkin

by Paul on 12/17/07 at 01:25 PM
Comments (1)

from Mike Brophy of the Hockey News,

But what if Ovechkin doesn’t want to play in Washington any longer? What if the young superstar tells the Caps he’d prefer to play someplace a little more cosmopolitan than Washington? You know, it could happen.

And frankly, I think Caps GM George McPhee should, at the very least, explore the possibility of trading the 22-year-old sniper.

more

AO On Detroit

by Paul on 12/16/07 at 04:08 PM
Comments (0)

from Capitals Insider,

I was able to join Alex Ovechkin’s conference call with the Detroit media a few minutes ago. Ovechkin will be playing at Joe Louis Arena for the first time tomorrow night against the league-leading Red Wings, and the local reporters had lots of questions for him.

Q: Can the Caps still make the playoffs?
A: “Last week was very important for us. We play five games and we win four and lose one. We still have a chance. We play better and better.”

Q: How much are you looking forward to playing in Detroit?
A: “Detroit is one of the best teams in the league. It’s a great place to play hockey and I’ve never been here. So I’m really excited. They have great players so it will be big challenge for my team.”

read on

The Old NHL Creeping Back

by Paul on 12/07/07 at 10:20 AM
Comments (3)

from Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province,

Crosby, it seems, has already provided some enduring moments in his short career, but when you watch the highlights these days, it’s other images which stand out. He’s trying to stickhandle through four defenders on the way to the net. Or he’s carrying a couple of backcheckers to the goalie. Or he’s operating in spaces tighter and more congested than the Tokyo subway during rush hour.

True, he still produces numbers. But the new NHL promised a game in which Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin and so many others could flourish.

Right now their going back on their word and that’s a problem because there’s a lot more than Crosby’s point totals at stake here

more

AO & Bowman

by Paul on 11/25/07 at 08:59 AM
Comments (1)

from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,

Maybe someone can provide one good reason for Alex Ovechkin to sign a new contract with the before becoming a restricted free agent on July 1, because we sure can’t think of any.

Ovechkin, stuck in a hockey market in DC that’s as irrelevant now as it was before the lockout and therefore denied a suitable stage to showcase his brilliance, isn’t going to make more money by signing with the Caps than he would by inviting offer sheets this summer.

continued plus more NHL talk including this,

Dialogue has resumed between Scotty Bowman and the board of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment aimed at working out a deal so the nine-time Cup-winning coach and one-time player personnel director would become the Toronto club’s president and director of hockey operations, Slap Shots has been told.

I’ll Go With The Insider On This One

by Paul on 11/14/07 at 02:55 PM
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from Tarik El-Bashir at Capitals Insider on AO contract talks…

Nothing has changed, he said, since the last time I asked him about this on Oct. 29 in Toronto, adding that serious talks still have not started and that he’s not sure when they might.

I asked him if that lack of an offer is bothering him. At first he said, “No.” Then he paused for a moment before saying, “Of course I think about my contract. It would be stupid to answer that I don’t think about my contract. Of course I think about it. But we don’t start talking. We just wait. We still have time.”

This earlier today from Marty York at Metro News,

Two young NHL stars, defenceman Dion Phaneuf and forward Alexander Ovechkin, have rejected contract-extension proposals from the Calgary Flames and Washington Capitals, respectively.

The Caps offered Ovechkin a five-year pact similar to the deal the Pittsburgh Penguins gave Sidney Crosby ($8.7 million a season), but the sniper is demanding more — between $9- and $10-million a year.

Line Of The Day

by Paul on 11/09/07 at 08:14 AM
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via Chris Stevenson of the Ottawa Sun,

Speaking of surly, former NHLer Bob Probert was outside the Caps dressing room after the game. He introduced himself to Ovechkin. The star walked away and asked somebody, “Grobert? Who’s Grobert?”

AO, I’d like you to meet Grobert....

Continue Reading »

The Future Of AO

by Paul on 11/08/07 at 01:24 PM
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from Stan Fischler at MSG Network,

The ever-rumor-seeking Toronto reporters pressed Alex about the possibility of his leaving Washington next summer. Ovechkin is in the final year of a three-year pact. As yet, the Caps have not made an offer but he loves the D.C. area.

“We have lots of time,” Alex says. “It will happen, I want to be here. I don’t like a change of pace. I like the team and the organization and the fans.”

more from Stan and On Frozen Blog is taking another path with the latest on AO....

Ovechkin Seems To Be Tiring Of Crosby Questions

by Paul on 10/20/07 at 09:21 AM
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from the Washington Times,

Did you run into Crosby at any point this summer?

“Yeah, I call him every day,” he said before rolling his eyes. “He’s Crosby, I’m Ovechkin. I am here. He’s over there. Why I have to call him in the summer and say, ‘Hey, what’s up buddy? What are you doing?’ “

Ovechkin’s smugness about the subject underscored the general theme from members of the Washington Capitals organization at practice yesterday

more

AO vs. Crosby

by Paul on 10/18/07 at 12:42 PM
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from ESPN(sorry, my fault) NHL.com,

In this week’s Head-To-Head, NHL.com’s Evan Grossman and Adam Kimelman debate which superstar is the best all-around player, Washington’s Alex Ovechkin or Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby.

It’s Ovechkin, no contest!
By Evan Grossman | NHL.com Staff Writer

Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky are compared to each other at each and every opportunity. But here’s one you probably haven’t heard before: They are both not the best players of their respective generations.
No disrespect to either guy, but there’s something you people need to wrap your minds around. Gretzky, despite his total rewriting of the record book, was not as good as Mario Lemieux was—just like Crosby, despite his trophy-case first two years in the NHL, is not as good as Alexander Ovechkin....

Sid the Kid is The Man!
By Adam Kimelman | NHL.com Staff Writer

What’s the old saying? Don’t believe the hype?

Take a look at Sidney Crosby. It’s not hype; it’s gospel truth. “Sid the Kid” can’t buy a beer yet, but he’s got a chance to sip something out of that big silver mug the NHL gives away each June....

read on

AO Hungry For Hockey

by Paul on 09/12/07 at 07:49 PM
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from the Washin