"The Russian Next Door" is very much without pretense and able to joke around with anyone or everyone. When he talks to you he has the engaging personality of an old friend that is both endearing and awkward with himself. He is living in a world that few of us can ever imagine, having just signed a mega deal that will set up his entire family for years to come. Yet he is perfectly comfortable joking about it and acts like he is the cat who ate the canary, and although he won't say it his expression makes you think that inside that head he is thinking, "I can't believe that I get paid to do this."
Well, I certainly can. He is worth every single penny, because he simply "Gets it." And as easy and simple as it should be to "get it," we have seen far too many talented athletes who miss it far too easily.
Yesterday at the Bettman Press Conference, the obvious question surrounding this year's version of the All-Star game was thrown out. The elephant in the room came in the form of a two-part question.
"Two part question about Sidney Crosby: Do you feel like his absence takes a little luster away from this game? And do you think it will adversely affect the television ratings?"
It is the kind of question that everyone has talked about since Sid injured himself, and the answer is simple and obvious. Yes, on all accounts.
Sid is special, and at times downright magical, with his presence. His move performed during the ice bowl, where he split the defense stick-handling the puck in mid-air, would have probably won the free-style competition at last night's skill competition. This has become his NHL.
But last night, without Sid, we saw AO's NHL.
Part of what we saw last night was that Ovechkin was the only player who really brought a sense of creativity and beauty to the event. He took the chance and tried something no one else would try: He flipped the puck high in the air and tried to bat the puck out of the air following a complete 360 spin. He missed as you all know, but it didn't matter to anyone watching. And it didn't matter to Ovechkin either as he laughed and egged on the crowd.
I also watched the players watching Ovechkin...
Often during last night's skills competition you would see groups of players hanging out together and talking. Malkin, Gonchar and Markov were often found chatting in their Russian tongue. But when AO took the puck, every eye was looking to what he would do.
Hockey players are by nature the most humble of all athletes. They are also very much afraid of embarrassing themselves, which is why a "slam dunk competition" doesn't really fit into that profile. Even the greats who were out there last evening were often careful NOT to make a spectacle of themselves or embarrass a goalie.
And yet somehow Ovechkin was granted some sort of silent permission to do whatever he wanted to, and because of his somewhat simple and almost goofy nature, Ovechkin can pull off almost anything without looking like he is showboating. Even though the event was ABOUT showboating, we saw that at the end of the day hockey players are uncomfortable showboating.
I have seen far more creative stuff, we all have seen more creativity, in everything from 6am open hockey games played by accountants to NHL practices, but doing it in front of the cameras where you could embarrass yourself or someone else....where you could be accused of being "too big," well hockey players aren't those kinds of people.
And perhaps we should be OK with that. Even happy about it because at the end of the day hockey players will talk to you, NOT AT YOU. When something funny happens, they will tear THEMSELVES down in a joking matter every time.
And at the end of the night last night, that is what stuck with me about Ovechkin. He is humble enough to pull it off. And the other players. I almost get a sense that they want to see where he can take them. He is their Guinea Pig. They trust him.
Tonight, and this whole weekend, is Ovechkin's NHL. With Sid far away we will get a chance to see how bright Ovechkin can shine. I expect tonight AO's glow will blow our minds as well.
+++++++++++++
Rumour update to come after my XM show at 1pm.
+++++++++++++++
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!!
Many of you have supported the site for the first two years, and we really wanted to add some features to thank you, so you will now find that
Hockeybuzz Season Ticket Holders not only get the New and Improved
RUMOUR CHART (the chart is a great place to go and find the latest as to who could be traded where), free entry into all the
FANTASY GAMES, and to waste away the hours in
THE CHAT ROOM...But you also now get no autoplay video players, more social networking features, and a section on the front page where your favorite team's news can be found.
We are very excited about this and thank you for your support. To become a Season Ticket Holder for just $20 for the whole year go to:
GET A SEASON TICKET 
Join the Discussion:
»