Washington's Leader of the Future, Alex Ovechkin
It should come as no surprise that the GR8 Eight has been named as the next captain of the Washington Capitals.
Everyone saw it coming, it was just a matter of when.
Given the recent struggles, now seemed like the right time to officially pass the torch to the face of the franchise.
As for OV's assistants, I would expect Greener and Backs to get an "A" at some point, while Brooks Laich is obvious leader, regardless of a letter.
It's a great move and considering that word has leaked out only minutes before tonight's game, this could just be the right spark this slumping Capitals squad needs.
Capitals Name Alex Ovechkin Team Captain
ARLINGTON, Va. – Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin took the ice for tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens wearing the captain’s ‘C’ on his sweater, introducing him to the Verizon Center fans as the 14th captain in club history. Vice president and general manager George McPhee and head coach Bruce Boudreau made the selection and Boudreau informed his team of the decision this morning.
Ovechkin, 24, is the first European-born captain in Capitals history and the second-youngest captain in team history (Ryan Walter was 21 when he captained the 1979-80 team). The Moscow native is the sixth Russian-born player to be an NHL captain and joins Atlanta’s Ilya Kovalchuk as the only active Russians to captain their teams (Pavel Bure, Alexander Mogilny, Alexei Yashin and Alexei Zhamnov are the previous ones). Ovechkin, who has been one of Washington’s alternate captains since his second season in the league, succeeds Chris Clark as Capitals’ captain following Clark’s trade to Columbus last week.
Midway through his fifth NHL season, Ovechkin has already distinguished himself as arguably the greatest player in the league today. Each of the past two seasons he has won the Hart Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award as the NHL’s most valuable player as voted by the media and the players, respectively, becoming the first player since 1997-98 (Dominik Hasek) to win the Hart in consecutive seasons. He has also captured back-to-back Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies as the league’s top goal scorer and won the 2006 Calder Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year in a landslide vote.
Ovechkin is just the second player all-time to be named to the NHL First All-Star Team in each of his first four seasons in the league, joining Montreal goaltender Bill Durnan (1944-47), and has played in three NHL All-Star Games. He was recently named to his second Russian Olympic team.
Off the ice, Ovechkin has embraced the Washington, D.C., community and shown a commitment to the city and the franchise. He is in the second season of a 13-year contract, the longest in Capitals history, that he signed January 10, 2008.
Since 2006 Ovechkin has purchased eight Capitals season tickets as part of his Ovi’s Crazy 8s program and donates them to Most Valuable Kids to be distributed to underprivileged children and soldiers in the area. He has made multiple visits to Children’s National Medical Center as well as area schools and rinks and has hosted a beautification project at a D.C. junior high school. He was the spokesman for the Capitals’ holiday toy drive last season and the Honorary Chair of the 2006 Caps Care Classic. In his spare time Ovechkin regularly cheers on his counterparts at Washington Wizards, Washington Redskins, Washington Mystics and Washington Nationals games. He received the key to the city from Washington, D.C., mayor Adrian M. Fenty in June 2008, the day after becoming the first major professional sports MVP in Washington, D.C., in 25 years.
Washington Capitals Captains
Doug Mohns – 1974-75
Bill Clement & Yvon Labre – 1975-76
Yvon Labre – 1976-77 to 977-78
Guy Charron – 1978-79
Ryan Walter – 1979-80 to 1981-82
Rod Langway – 1982-83 to 1991-92
Rod Langway & Kevin Hatcher – 1992-93
Kevin Hatcher – 1993-94
Dale Hunter – 1994-95 to 1998-99
Adam Oates – 1999-00 to 2000-01
Steve Konowalchuk & Brendan Witt – 2001-02
Steve Konowalchuk – 2002-03 to 2003-04
Jeff Halpern – 2005-06
Chris Clark – 2006-07 to 2009-10
Alex Ovechkin – 2009-10
Washington Capitals Career Goal Leaders
1. Peter Bondra 472
2. Mike Gartner 397
3. Alex Ovechkin 245
Washington Capitals Career Point Leaders
1. Peter Bondra 825
2. Mike Gartner 789
3. Michal Pivonka 599
4. Dale Hunter 556
5. Bengt Gustafsson 555
6. Mike Ridley 547
7. Calle Johansson 474
8. Alex Ovechkin 470
Washington Capitals Single-Season Goal Leaders
1. Alex Ovechkin (2007-08) 65
2. Dennis Maruk (1981-82) 60
3. Alex Ovechkin (2008-09) 56
Washington Capitals Single-Season Point Leaders
1. Dennis Maruk (1981-82) 136
2. Alex Ovechkin (2007-08) 112
3. Alex Ovechkin (2008-09) 110
4. Alex Ovechkin (2005-06) 106
Quotes on Ovechkin as Captain
Alex Ovechkin … What Others Are Saying
“Our team has adopted Alex’s personality, and the energy, passion and drive to win that are his hallmarks have become our team’s as well. He sets the tone, on the ice as well as off. He’s respectful to everyone and a great ambassador for our team and our sport. We look forward to him leading the Washington Capitals for a long time.”
– George McPhee
“Alex is a great player and a great choice for captain. He is the best player in the NHL and I love his combination of skill and physical play. He finishes his checks and hits hard.”
– Former Capitals captain Dale Hunter
“I think he’s got all the qualities you look for in a captain, and to see that in someone so young is incredible. He’s been a leader since he’s been here, and he leads by example. If he gets upset, you can see him start to take over a game. There’s no doubt he’s deserving.”
– Former Capitals captain Yvon Labre
“He’s the best player in the world and he’s the face of the franchise. Plus he’s a great teammate. The Caps organization should feel proud to name him captain.”
– Former Capitals captain and current Tampa Bay Lightning center Jeff Halpern
Alex Ovechkin … A Leader Since His Rookie Year
“Ovechkin is a truly magical player on the ice, a creative, thoughtful individual who cannot wait to share his triumphs with teammates, a player who seems destined to lead his club to lofty heights with his passion for the game and devotion to it.”
– The late Dave Fay, The Hockey News, Oct. 4, 2005
“What makes him so special is the fact that he’s a great team player. He works hard. He makes hits. He blocks shots. He gives pep talks to his teammates. And on top of all that, he’s an awesomely skilled player. He has great speed and hands. He’s a big guy who can stand his ground. He knows how to play every aspect of the game.”
– Chicago Blackhawks scout Sakari Pietila in the Washington Times, Oct. 5, 2005
“Those are things you don't teach. Those are the kind of things that are in the belly of a guy. That’s what makes him special. When he scores, look at his facial expressions. That comes from inside and that’s why he’s a special player. He has great skill and is really determined.”
– Then-Florida Panthers head coach Jacques Martin, Miami Herald, Dec. 1, 2005
“I think [the Caps] are approaching it the right way. You can see them coming together as a team. To start becoming successful you need to do it as a team. Even the young kid [Alex Ovechkin], some guys may think he just goes it about his own way, [but] you can see him buying into the team concept. That's the key.”
– Then-Tampa Bay head coach John Tortorella, Oct. 28, 2005
“A great team guy. He really has a lot of passion about wanting the team to do well. He’s very hungry to score goals, but he doesn’t do it in a way where it’s just about him.”
– Former teammate Jeff Friesen, Calgary Herald, Oct. 30, 2006
“We have this world-class, once-in-a-generation player whose personality is becoming the personality of the team, which is: ‘I can try anything. I can do anything.’”
– Ted Leonsis, Associated Press, Oct. 3, 2006
“He’s certainly the kind of guy a team and league wants to stand behind because he never does anything wrong. He’s a 21-year-old kid who … always does the right thing. He respects the game, respects teammates, respects the referees.”
– George McPhee, Vancouver Sun, Oct. 27, 2006
“He dove head first into everything we were doing. He wanted to room with a North American guy so he could learn the language and the culture quicker. I think that helped in the way he played last year because he was comfortable right out of the gate. The rest of the team fed off his energy.”
– Olie Kolzig, Globe and Mail, Oct. 27, 2006
A "C" for OV, GR8 news. Sorta puts the worries from my post below to bed.
Now begins the real debate, when does Ovechkin become the first Russian to ever captain an NHL team to a Cup? Oh the time is drawing near.
But, first the Habs.
Game Notes and Lineups below.
Sheep with no Shepherd
What has happened to our daunting Washington Capitals?
Did the New Year drain away all of their talent and hustle?
It certainly seems like.
Since the Capitals decided to part ways with their captain, Chris Clark, things just haven’t been the same. Many people argued how Clark’s value was grossly over-estimated and that he was one of the least impactful captains in the NHL.
What we are currently witnessing is a testament to what Chris Clark meant to this Capitals corps. Washington is missing him and it shows up and down the bench as the look of fire wanes from the players’ eyes.
Included in that trade was another versatile big body in defenseman Milan Jurcina. Jurcina, who had matured tremendously over the course of the last two seasons, was likely expecting a raise for the upcoming season which made him an easily tradable asset.
Jurcina and Clark’s departure paved the way for newcomer Jason Chimera to bring a younger and grittier element to the Capitals 3rd and 4th lines while it also allowed Karl Alzner to rightly take his place on the Caps blue line.
Yet these changes have seemingly had a negative impact of the team’s play.
It should be known that Columbus has enjoyed the addition of both Clark and Jurcina to their club as both have brought another dimension of size and grit to their club and while Chimera has already made an impact with the Caps, the team itself has seemingly crumbled.
13 goals against and a meagre 6 goals for. That is what’s happened since the trade.
The Caps have lost their touch as a team and have been grasping to take advantage of brief moments during a game rather than focusing on playing as a team, together.
You could argue that the Caps are missing the leadership of Clark and the depth of Jurcina on the back end, but the reality is that fatigue and a lack of discipline are what’s costing this team their wins.
Now, the Caps return home to the sanctity of the Verizon Center to welcome in a team that has also struggled with its identity.
The Montreal Canadiens have surged back into contention over the last few weeks and it has done so because of the return of Andrei Markov and Brian Gionta, not to mention the strong goaltending and All-Star performance by Tomas Plekanec.
The impressive part about this Montreal team is that they enter the Verizon Center having won 6 of their last 7 on the road. Even more impressive is that those 6 wins were all gained on a recent 7 game road trip.
The Canadiens have also mastered their special teams, something the Caps have lost their grip on. Montreal has the best power play in the NHL(24.8%) and are currently ranging between the top 10 and top 5 in penalty kill(currently 10th @ 84.1%). Those are some strong special teams.
Washington, unfortunately, has seen their power play slip from the top spot in the league to 2nd. Not exactly terrible, but considering the struggles of the power play of late, and the fact that the Capitals rely heavily on the advantage of their uber-talented power play units, this drop from first should be alarming. That said, the Caps penalty killing is perhaps the most troubling. Sitting in 20th place at 80% is not where a team aspiring to a Stanley Cup should have their penalty kill ranked.
Obviously the addition(s) of Chimera and Alzner to the penalty kill will help tremendously, but it is taking some time for the team to adjust to what has happened over the course of the holidays. Road-tripping over the holidays isn’t the greatest thing to experience and, having seen the results from the recent West Coast mini-swing, perhaps McPhee and Leonsis should ask the schedule makers to consider switching those games up next year.
Rambling aside, the reality is that Washington has slacked off too much as of late.
The loss of Chris Clark has dealt a tremendous blow to the leadership of this team and the only way to cure this illness will be for one of the players to finally step up and take it upon themselves to become the team’s leader. It doesn’t have to be Ovechkin and whoever steps up doesn’t have to be named captain.
What I am saying is that the Capitals need a voice in the locker-room and on the bench that can calm them, stir them up and offer them hope. These players must play for each other and no one else. Olympic nominations and contract statuses aside, the players wearing the Eagles on their shoulders must realize that only when they get together as one unit will they take the next step to success.
This may be the most memorable and infamous stage in the Capitals growth as a team as well as their hopes and dreams for the future.
We are now entering the crux period of this team’s development. We have been waiting for this team to take the next step forward and I firmly believe that the Chris Clark trade signals that management is now watching to see who takes the next step.
The Run for the Cup starts tonight with the Capitals first home game of 2010.
The most historic team in NHL history will help the Caps kick off their new year at home and will bring their incredibly dangerous special teams and stellar goaltending with them so the Caps are going to have to be on guard tonight and will have to look within themselves to bring out a victory.
As for Caps fans, I say put on your Tin Foil Helmets and block out what everyone is saying.
This team has what it takes and no one should tell you otherwise.
With that in mind, let’s just hope that Ovechkin and company have the same mentality and arrive in 2010 with style.
Game Notes
Streak stopper – With much of Washington focused on coaching in another sport, the Capitals enter tonight’s game with who they believe is the right man to halt their recent three-game skid. Bruce Boudreau – the longest tenured coach in D.C. pro sports – hasn’t lost four straight games in regulation in his two-plus years behind the bench, and he explained his philosophy yesterday. “We want to keep everything upbeat and get things back to where we were a week ago,” Boudreau wrote in his weekly column for WashingtonCaps.com. After a fast-paced practice yesterday and given the return to home ice, Boudreau expects a high-energy effort when the Caps face Montreal tonight.
Home sweet home – The Capitals return home Tuesday night for their first of nine January home games. Washington has played 18 home games thus far, tied for the fewest in the league. The Capitals are 12-3-3 at Verizon Center and have sold out all 18 games (25 in a row dating back to last season).
Multiples of eight – December marked the third straight eight-win month for the Capitals to start the season. It’s just the fourth time the team has won eight games in each of three months in a row; it has never done it four months in a row.
Green, going – Mike Green leads all NHL defensemen with 39 points and is tied for the lead with 10 goals. Green has seven goals and 13 points in his last 13 games, with goals in four of the last five games.
Double trouble – Mike Green’s goal against Los Angeles gave the Capitals seven players with 10 or more goals, tied with Vancouver for the most double-digit goal scorers.
Gold goal – While the Caps take on Montreal Tuesday night two Capitals prospects will be facing off with the gold medal of the World Junior Championship on the line. John Carlson of the United States – who has played three games for the Capitals this season – scored the game-winning goal and was +5 in the semifinal to help the Americans advance to face Canada. He has five points (2g-3a) and a tournament-leading +9 in six games.
Stefan Della Rovere has three goals and three assists and a +8 rating in five games for the Canadians. He is playing in his second World Junior Championship.
Stemming the tide – Washington allowed only two goals and 19 shots in Saturday’s loss to the Kings. The 19 shots allowed matched a season low (also Dec. 11 vs. Carolina) and the two goals allowed were a marked improvement from the 11 given up in the previous two games.
Lineups
Washington Capitals
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Knuble
Laich-Fleischmann-Semin
Chimera-Morrison-Fehr
Laing-Steckel-Bradley
Green-Schultz
Poti-Alzner
Morrisonn-Erskine
*Neuvirth
Theodore
- Neuvirth will get another start tonight. Sounds to me like Theo is nowhere near where he should be. Including Varly’s recent setback, expect Washington to keep going Neuvirth as long as they can.
- The line combo’s will certainly be juggled once again, but it is getting to the point now where consistency must be found, so expect BB to start looking for more than just a solid duo and for him to stick with certain combinations for awhile moving forward.
- The Capitals have 5 players heading to the Olympics in February, Ovechkin, Semin, Varlamov, Backstrom and Fleischmann while Mike Green may be the most notable snub among any Olympic roster out there.
-
Update - as per
CapsInsider, it seems that Bruce Boudreau will be giving Tomas Fleischmann a shot at center tonight. It's an interesting move, but certainly speaks volumes about how the coach is trying hard to find combinations that bring about solid chemistry.
Montreal Canadiens
Cammalleri-Plekanec-Pacioretty
Pouliot-Gomez-Gionta
Moen-Metropolit-D’Agostini
Laraque-Lapierre-Bergeron
Markov-Spacek
Hamrlik-Mara
Gorges-Gill
*Price
Halak
- Price will start for the Habs in nets.
- It was 100 years ago today that the Montreal Canadiens played their first official NHL game.
- Montreal has 3 players heading for the Olympics in February, Halak, Markov and Plekanec while Spacek, Markov, Gionta, Gomez and Cammalleri were all snubbed from their respective countries rosters.
Enjoy the Game! Puck drop is @ 7pm.
www.twitter.com/StevenHindle
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Go Caps!!!!!
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