Tip MY Hat TO Ovechkin

[crossxcheck]

He refused to shake hands with team Finland after the game. I lost much of my respect for him right there.

I didn't need that incident to make me lose respect for chelios. He might be/have been an elite defenseman, but he lacks class IMO.

 

[Knucklez]

What 18 year old kid doesn't have an attitude to overcome?

Everybody says this in the defense of Ovechkin, but I don't see any players on Team Canada, or any other team for that matter, showboating and taunting, and they're all 18 year olds too.

 

[Jacob]

Ovechkin's never done it before either outside of that one game. I wouldn't be surprised if the coach ordered it, or if the coach simply didn't have a hold on his own players.

 

[c-carp]

He was booed all night last night, booed when he got his individual awards, BUT, at the end of last night, when the PA announcer said to line up for the shaking of the hands, half of the Russian's left the ice, Ovechkin gathered who was left and led his teamates ( In his street clothes ) to shake hands with the Canadians. And for that we all gave him an ovation. Good for you Ovechkin, I applaud you

I understand your point that Ovechkin showed some class with this act. The bigger question to me is WTF is wrong with this Russian team as a whole they dont win so they get pissed off and half of them skip the post game handshake. They are quickly gaining a rep as a sort of classless whiny group are they not.

 

[Mothra]

Everybody says this in the defense of Ovechkin, but I don't see any players on Team Canada, or any other team for that matter, showboating and taunting, and they're all 18 year olds too.

Malkin

 

[Foppa_Rules]

Shirokov.

 

[f1nn]

well i guess he had to safe face after realizing that his antic against the US made him a target all night against Canada, it own't be a lsice either in the NHL...taunting has no place in hockey, works well in football though!

I;m sorry... I missed this game, how did he taunt the US?

 

[c-carp]

I;m sorry... I missed this game, how did he taunt the US?

He taunted the bench after scoring an empty net goal.

 

[Nash]

How many of you people who choose to crucify Malkin and Ovechkin defended Crosby when that jackass Don Cherry called him a hot dog?

I really don't mind seeing players show a cocky swagger out there. The crowd in Quebec was all over the Russians in the ADT Challenge and when Radulov did his little Hulk Hogan ear thing, I thought that was directed at the fans, not the QMJHL team.

As for the US/Russia bitterness, I have heard there was some bad blood from previous Under 18 tournaments. As well, the US has an awful reputation as being some of the worst losers in hockey tournaments. It starts from their NHL role models trashing their hotel rooms in Nagano to Chelios not shaking hands. They always seem to take cheap shots when they lose. A prime example is the Belarus game. Those Belarussians had a right to be proud of their country's biggest WJHC victory, but the US team has to be jerks at the end of the game and try to start fights.

 

[alecfromtherock]

What I found interesting was the TSN commentator(the fat one) said that some players from team USA practically begged team Canada(you know the 51st state) to beat the Russians.

Frankly who cares what happened to the US in regard to the taunting they received from Ovechkin.

If team Canada ‘targeted’ Ovechkin because of what he did to the US then they do not deserve a gold metal.

Personally I would prefer a taunter and showman with skill over say a ‘Todd Bertuzzi’

Ovechkin gets targeted just as Crosby does by the other teams because of his skill.

The same commentator on TSN said the Ovechkin should get used to the abuse he received in the world juniors because its not going to change in the NHL.

 

[Nash]

What I found interesting was the TSN commentator(the fat one) said that some players from team USA practically begged team Canada(you know the 51st state) to beat the Russians.

Frankly who cares what happened to the US in regard to the taunting they received from Ovechkin.

If team Canada ‘targeted’ Ovechkin because of what he did to the US then they do not deserve a gold metal.

Personally I would prefer a taunter and showman with skill over say a ‘Todd Bertuzzi’

Ovechkin gets targeted just as Crosby does by the other teams because of his skill.

The same commentator on TSN said the Ovechkin should get used to the abuse he received in the world juniors because its not going to change in the NHL.

First of all, we are not the 51st state. That is very insulting.

As for US players begging Team Canada for retribution, I wouldn't be surprised since some of them play on the same CHL teams ... such as Shremp and Perry. However, every hit that Ovechkin received was clean. If anything, I would say that he was laying out hits as well as he was receiving them. Its just unfortunate that he got injured.

Of course Canada targeted him. Every good player on opposing teams should be targeted ... that helps you win. As for NHL treatment, he would certainly get the same attention in the playoffs ... with line matching and hard hitting.

 

[I am Jack's Fish]

Eddie Belfour, a Canadian, often refused to shake hands with the opposing team after playoff losses.

Can we mercilesly criticize him now too?

 

[RorschachWJK]

Eddie Belfour, a Canadian, often refused to shake hands with the opposing team after playoff losses.

Can we mercilesly criticize him now too?

Yes.

 

[Nash]

Eddie Belfour, a Canadian, often refused to shake hands with the opposing team after playoff losses.

Can we mercilesly criticize him now too?

I'm Canadian and yes I would criticize him. Shaking hands after the game is a show of sportsmanship.

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

Eddie Belfour, a Canadian, often refused to shake hands with the opposing team after playoff losses.

Can we mercilesly criticize him now too?

It's part of the game. I never like Billy Smith because of his refusal to shake hands, even in victory.

 

[CJHF13]

He refused to shake hands with team Finland after the game. I lost much of my respect for him right there.

I didn't see the game but, if it wasn't a well played, sportsman like game than, I wouldn't shake hands either. You don't do it because it's something you "have to do" you do it because you believe that both teams played hard and, the better team won fair and square.

 

[RorschachWJK]

I didn't see the game but, if it wasn't a well played, sportsman like game than, I wouldn't shake hands either. You don't do it because it's something you "have to do" you do it because you believe that both teams played hard and, the better team won fair and square.

If my memory serves me, it was a very clean game. Tight but clean. Apparently he just couldn't deal with the fact that tiny Finland handed them a bitter loss.

I also suspect he didn't like the way Finland played.
Some people really hate and despise tight defensive tactics like neutral zone trapping. However, can anybody seriously expect a country like Finland, with only two lines capable of scoring, to engage in a slugfest with the US or Canada?

 

[EroCaps]

He taunted the bench after scoring an empty net goal.

No. Malkin did.

 

[octopi]

Too bad it was hard, let me guess it was easy for Canada all those years.

Give me a break

I never said it wasn't hard for Canada all those years. Obviously it would be hard for anyone. Olympics, too. Samr thing.

 

[octopi]

Everybody says this in the defense of Ovechkin, but I don't see any players on Team Canada, or any other team for that matter, showboating and taunting, and they're all 18 year olds too.

Actually, with two exceptions, the Canadian team is all 19.5 year olds, with only two players eligable for next year. Shawn Belle turned 20 yesterday. Russia is half 17-18 year olds, with 10 eligable to return next year.

 

[RorschachWJK]

Actually, with two exceptions, the Canadian team is all 19.5 year olds, with only two players eligable for next year. Shawn Belle turned 20 yesterday. Russia is half 17-18 year olds, with 10 eligable to return next year.

At those ages, two years does make a difference. Also physically, which manifested itself in comments like 'They look like men playing among boys', although the comments were also made in reference to mature team play.

 

[rt]

Those Belarussians had a right to be proud of their country's biggest WJHC victory, but the US team has to be jerks at the end of the game and try to start fights.

Did you actually see that game? If so, you need to watch it again. If not, you need to not comment on it as if you have seen it.

 

[The Slap Shop]

I think it's funny that everyone else blames there Americans. Just because they played "Dirty" which I really didn't see myself(And if anyone says O'Sullivan's High Stick it was careless. If it was intentional a Stick to the head does more then that you guys blew that out of proportion). That doesn't give the right for the Russians to taunt back. That is going to cause more problems then playing dirty.

What Ovechkin did was very noble to do. But I hate to say it more people will remember the negative then this positive moment.

 

[Mothra]

He taunted the bench after scoring an empty net goal.

Thats what Malkin did

 

[bleedgreen]

i have no problem with the way malkin and ovechkin celebrated, and im american...and i was watching. i was pissed at the time, but i know we deserved it. there is no way those two just decided to be pricks - im sure it was going both ways, and the ruskies just came out on top. i waws more agravated watching radulov taunt fristche on the bench, but its the same thing. i didnt mind the celebration of the earlier goal either. it was a nice goal, and the celebration just gets the crowd more into it. if the americans cant take it, knock him on his ass. its the only response necesary, not a bunch of fans moaning about it later. the americans showed no class in the loss to belarus, im sure they were up to no good against the russians. hockey is an emotional sport, i ref tourneys and see this sort of thing all the time. i wouldnt mind seeing fritsche get a hold of radulov sometime when they are pros - but other than that it should just be let go. they are kids, and they played their hearts out.

as for the earlier post that said people will remember ao for other things besides the handshake....bs. nobody except for a couple of hockey geeks like us will have any idea it ever happened a year or two from now. if you hold a goal celebration against 25 year old ao, your pathetic. he's a kid and he was right to celebrate with all the crap he was taking. i like to see people succeed in the face of adversity, even against my team.