Caps Briefing: Beating Up Youngsters
Last week we reported that seven guys who played for the Capitals this year are now tearing up the American Hockey League playoffs with the Hershey Bears. Over the weekend, the Bears beat the evil Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins two more times, taking a 3-0 lead in the best of seven East Division Final series. The Bears weren't the only Capitals beating up on less talented players, though.
Alex Ovechkin spends his summer vacations playing in the World Championship of Hockey, a tournament sponsored by European leagues to showcase the best hockey players in the world who couldn't make the NHL playoffs. Everybody makes the NHL Playoffs. In this tournament of tiddlywinks, the Kharlamov Trophy winner did what any self-respecting hockey player would do in a relaxed, meaningless scrimmage: he tried to kill the worst bush-league player out there.
In a stunning coincidence, the player Ovechkin brained is actually named Valentin Wirz (pronounced "worsht") and really plays Busch Hockey. Of course, this isn't to say that he isn't a great Swiss hockey player. Only that it's hard to tell why Ovechkin would give him the time of day, let alone take the time to brain him.
Clearly this is not the first time Ovechkin has tried to kill another hockey player with a dangerous and unnecessary hit from behind. It's just the first time he's been suspended for it. In the NHL, great players are treated with the same love and respect that a used car salesman gives to Ferrari. There's no sense losing commission just because that wicked sportster might kill somebody.
In fact, when 2003 NHL rookie of the year Dany Heatley killed teammate Dan Snyder with a Ferrari Modena, he took a year off to recover from personal injuries, and then got traded to a better team. Meanwhile, at a cheesy tournament in Russia, where no one died, Alexander Ovechkin has been suspended.
Russian hockey officials simply don't understand the importance of star appeal, and it's a shame that they don't give Ovy the respect he deserves. This one-game suspension is an affront to superstars everywhere, and we hope no great players will ever have to play in this awful tournament again. At least we can take solace in knowing that Alexander Semin won't be subjected to this horrible treatment. He was kicked off the Russian team after he declined to attend their stupid practices.