I’m still amazed people want to strip Ovi of the “C”. I’ll grant you that the decision to make Ovechkin the Captain was made by GM George McPhee and Coach Bruce Boudreau, but it was reported that when this was in the works, the team was in on the decision. Let’s take a trip down Reality Road, ok?
First up; per NHL.com from 1/5/2010:
Boudreau said he had polled the team in recent days and Ovechkin was the unanimous choice.
"They were really happy when I told them (Tuesday) morning and this doesn't happen too often, but the group got up and cheered," Boudreau said. "I had talked to a lot of them in the last couple of days and they said Alex was the only choice, 'He's our leader and he's our guy.”
So, if the team wanted him, and the General Manager wanted him, and the Coach wanted him, how does that result in the idea he isn’t the right guy?
I’m also amazed that people say he doesn’t show leadership qualities and the job should be given to a more outspoken veteran guy.
Show of hands; how many people have actually been present in the locker room between periods that are NOT members of the Capitals team or staff? …Anyone? I thought so. Assumptions are being made that claim Ovi does not have what it takes to be the team captain.
Ok, let’s tackle the argument that he’s too young. How about a little look around the league?
Out of 30 teams, 13 of the current captains were born between 5/1/1984 and 4/29/1988, with the two youngest being Stanley Cup winners. (And, yes, #3 Andrew Ladd also won 2 Stanley Cups but he was not a captain on either team at the time they won.)
Jonathan Toews 4/29/1988
Sidney Crosby 8/7/1987
Andrew Ladd 12/12/1985
Alex Ovechkin 9/17/1985
Shea Weber 8/14/1985
Ryan Getzlaf 5/10/1985
Dion Phaneuf 4/10/1985
Ryan Callahan 3/21/1985
Dustin Brown 11/4/1984
Eric Staal 10/29/1984
Zach Parise 7/28/1984
Rick Nash 6/16/1984
David Backes 5/1/1984
How about the argument that Ovi is Russian and English is his second language? I call bullshit there as well. You and I know that Alex’s English is fine and he works hard to speak it and be understood.
Next up; Alex is a selfish player who is out for himself. Come on, really? The guy has tons of heart; one of his greatest wishes is to win a Stanley Cup. Naturally, you have to be selfish to do that and not support your team, because it’s an individual achievement. Yeah, right.
Have I covered all the main arguments? I hope so. The biggest issue is what it says about the team if they strip Ovi of the “C”. Like we need a vote of no confidence right now? Let’s get real. We have enough to complain about and it’s only November. Who is or should be Captain is not really an issue, it’s a diversion. As a fan base, we are concerned about our team. I get it, but let’s not get detoured down Reality Road.
Author's Note: Anyone who clicked the link expecting this post to be about something else...sorry, but thanks for reading!
I am not saying he should lose the captaincy, not for me to decide. But, a solid argument is that he does not put in consistent effort. And honestly, he very rarely puts in much effort at all in the defensive zone. This lack of effort often costs the team and also sets a very bad example. He is the "leader", he needs to lead by example. Put in the same effort most of the time and try playing a little defense. Cruising through the neutral zone straight legged, standing at the blue line staring at the puck carrier and leaving the zone early is just not going to cut it.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I should have also mentioned you made some very valid points in your article
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments, Rob. Totally understand your point; it is frustrating to watch. But I think that's just one fraction of the whole picture and some of that could be attributed to coaching as well as the huge target on his back when he's on the ice. I do wish it were addressed and corrected though, but don't think it deserves having the "C" stripped away.
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