Alex Ovechkin concedes dream of playing in 2018 Olympics

[CapitalsCupReality]

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/20707881/alex-ovechkin-concedes-dream-playing-2018-olympic-games

Alex Ovechkin concedes dream of playing in 2018 Olympics

The Washington Capitals winger released a lengthy statement through the team Thursday night, saying he would not compete for Team Russia in the 2018 Games.

"I said every time I was asked since last Olympics that nobody is going to tell me I can't play because my country was going to be allowed to ask me," Ovechkin wrote. "Now the IIHF and NHL say my country is not allowed to ask anybody in the NHL to play and there is nothing to talk about anymore."

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[g00n]

This deserves its own thread instead of being buried in a mega thread, both for locals and also so visiting fans can see we what we've said.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

NHL is blowing this.

 

[RandyHolt]

The dream is over. Bummed for Ovi but he will survive.

Your whole life is just a dream

 

[DCRedhawk21]

Bummed about this (in general more so than specifically Ovi), but it seemed inevitable for Ovechkin to back out with the recent IIFH news. I may watch a couple of Olympic games, but I won't follow it nearly as closely without the NHL players there. I get why the owners hate participation in the Olympics, but it undoubtedly generates excitement and I think it's good for hockey.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Hopefully that means we get angry Ovie this season.

I still think the decision is ********.

 

[Calicaps]

Personally, I'm with Herb Brooks on this. The Olympics should not be for pros.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

NHL is blowing this.

Totally agree.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Personally, I'm with Herb Brooks on this. The Olympics should not be for pros.

Then all the Olympic Games should be amateur. The trend is clearly in the opposite direction. I prefer to see the best players battling it out. I grew up on unheralded college guys representing the US vs Pros from Europe and that was fun and pure and all, but not an even playing field.

 

[Hivemind]

Personally, I'm with Herb Brooks on this. The Olympics should not be for pros.

Outside of soccer, hockey, basketball, golf, and tennis that distinction is basically meaningless. The "amateur" athletes are all basically professionals. They're recruited by their national Olympic agencies and get paid stipends to essentially have a career in their sport of choice.


I suppose a couple of the weirder/less demanding sports like curling have competitors who are substitute teachers and play curling as a hobby, but that's curling.

 

[Calicaps]

Then all the Olympic Games should be amateur. The trend is clearly in the opposite direction. I prefer to see the best players battling it out. I grew up on unheralded college guys representing the US vs Pros from Europe and that was fun and pure and all, but not an even playing field.

Outside of soccer, hockey, basketball, golf, and tennis that distinction is basically meaningless. The "amateur" athletes are all basically professionals. They're recruited by their national Olympic agencies and get paid stipends to essentially have a career in their sport of choice.


I suppose a couple of the weirder/less demanding sports like curling have competitors who are substitute teachers and play curling as a hobby, but that's curling.

All what you say is true. But I get to see the best battle it out in the NHL all year long. The old days of kids who will mostly never get a shot at the bigs having a chance to represent their country was more meaningful to me. Just my preference.

 

[g00n]

All what you say is true. But I get to see the best battle it out in the NHL all year long. The old days of kids who will mostly never get a shot at the bigs having a chance to represent their country was more meaningful to me. Just my preference.

Agree. Whatever the landscape is now, this is still true.

 

[twabby]

Actually kind of glad Ovechkin finally relented. Not because I don't want him to win a gold medal but because I don't think Russia with Ovechkin would even beat Canada's Z team. Russian coaching is horrific and I couldn't stand to see another humiliation for Ovechkin.

 

[Corby78]

I would rather see the best players from each country play. But the NHL continues to screw itself, and the buzz it gets from the winter Olympics will be no more. But I had a feeling if Ovie was one of the only who bolted, it would turn out bad for us. Because.... well....caps. So at least this way no risk of injury and no missing games.

Feel bad for ovie though.

 

[Hivemind]

It just dawned on me that the reason Chris Bourque went for an AHL only deal over a 2-way would be Olympic participation.


Also, the US team isn't going to be scrappy kids. While there will certainly be some NCAA guys there, it's probably also going to be a bunch of AHL and euro league vets.

 

[Sam Spade]

All Ovechkin has ever done is promote this league both on and off the ice. Shows up to every promo, all star game, etc. I realize it is bigger than one player but the Olympics is so much more than just games to Ovechkin and I think this whole thing really stinks.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

All Ovechkin has ever done is promote this league both on and off the ice. Shows up to every promo, all star game, etc. I realize it is bigger than one player but the Olympics is so much more than just games to Ovechkin and I think this whole thing really stinks.

He has done so many things for the Capitals, the NHL and Russia. In return, he got mockery and contempt from the hockey media. He has his shortcomings but overall he's easily a net positive for hockey.

 

[Sam Spade]

He has done so many things for the Capitals, the NHL and Russia. In return, he got mockery and contempt from the hockey media. He has his shortcomings but overall he's easily a net positive for hockey.

I get what you mean but the bolded is putting it mildly.

In a league devoid of personalities Ovechkin was one of the only ones for ten years that even had one. And even though he is older and has toned it down he is literally the only reason I keep watching this game.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I get what you mean but the bolded is putting it mildly.

In a league devoid of personalities Ovechkin was one of the only ones for ten years that even had one. And even though he is older and has toned it down he is literally the only reason I keep watching this game.

There are more and more personalities in the game now. Just on our team, Kuzy is quite the personality, he's just a lesser known player. The best personality in the game today is PK Subban IMO. You can love him or hate him but he's not afraid to show his true colours.

 

[Sam Spade]

There are more and more personalities in the game now. Just on our team, Kuzy is quite the personality, he's just a lesser known player. The best personality in the game today is PK Subban IMO. You can love him or hate him but he's not afraid to show his true colours.

PK is my second favorite player!!

I watch sports to be entertained and as good as some of the new players are they have the personalities of wet rags.

I agree about Kuzy and some other guys seeming a bit "looser" on the ice but the guys like Matthews and McDavid are just so coached by publicists that they barely crack smiles when they score. And interviews, forget about it, I can answer every question before they do and only miss a few words.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

PK is my second favorite player!!

I watch sports to be entertained and as good as some of the new players are they have the personalities of wet rags.

I agree about Kuzy and some other guys seeming a bit "looser" on the ice but the guys like Matthews and McDavid are just so coached by publicists that they barely crack smiles when they score. And interviews, forget about it, I can answer every question before they do and only miss a few words.

I don't like this mentality TBH. It's deeply entrenched into hockey. I remember being scolded by a coach in minor hockey for jumping into the glass like Ovechkin when celebrating a hat trick goal. I was a 13 year old kid FFS.

The Canadian hockey media gurus like Don Cherry are full of ****. They keep saying "Canada is the best at hockey, we're the best bar none." and then they go on a rant about European players lacking humility. They perpetuate this culture in which you're not allowed to show your personality.

 

[John Price]

Personally, I'm with Herb Brooks on this. The Olympics should not be for pros.

Well put. At the end of "Miracle" "Brooks" says

I've often been asked in the years since Lake Placid what was the best moment for me. Well, it was here - the sight of 20 young men of such differing backgrounds now standing as one. Young men willing to sacrifice so much of themselves all for an unknown. A few years later, the U.S. began using professional athletes at the Games - Dream Teams. I always found that term ironic because now that we have Dream Teams, we seldom ever get to dream. But on one weekend, as America and the world watched, a group of remarkable young men gave the nation what it needed most - a chance, for one night, not only to dream, but a chance, once again, to believe.

I understand Ovechkin's point of view but there is also something great about 20 ragtag misfits gathering together to win the medal.

 

[ovikovy817]

It will be fun if a big star of the NHL is injured during a preseason game, and will be out for a long time.

BTW, I hope IIHF shows us their balls and close the for the NHL players in 2022, so no chinese market for Gary and friends.

 

[Hivemind]

People keep romanticisizng these "amateurs" being allowed to play for USA. This isn't going to be Lake Placid. This isn't going to be a ragtag bunch of 20 year olds from college hockey. This is going to be NHL washouts like Mark Arcobello, Dan Sexton, and Nathan Gerbe.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

People keep romanticisizng these "amateurs" being allowed to play for USA. This isn't going to be Lake Placid. This isn't going to be a ragtag bunch of 20 year olds from college hockey. This is going to be NHL washouts like Mark Arcobello, Dan Sexton, and Nathan Gerbe.

I'm not even going to watch. I wouldn't enjoy seeing these NHL washouts get their butts kicked by the KHL stars.