CAPITALS’ OVECHKIN IS A TRUE RUSSIAN BEAR
The Great 8 crowns magnificent career with Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe
BULLS OF THE WEEK
Thursday night saw Twitter become a resounding pozdravleniya (Russian for congratulations) for Alex Ovechkin.
After carrying the burden of 13 years of playoff disappointment, the 32-year-old NHL superstar carried not only the Stanley Cup but the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player during the post-season.
Ovechkin’s 15 goals, 12 assists, physical play and vocal leadership were all big factors in what is the first Stanley Cup in the 44-year franchise history of the Washington Capitals.
He became the first Russian and third European behind former Detroit Red Wings star Nicklas Lidstrom and Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins to captain a Cup winner.
Ovechkin is the fourth European to win the Conn Smythe behind Lidstrom, Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg and Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin. Yet he is only one of the big winners associated with the Capitals, one of the most diverse rosters in the NHL with players from nine different countries; eight from Canada, seven from the United States, three each from Russia and the Czech Republic, two from Sweden and one apiece from Austria, Denmark, Germany and the U.K. (Welsh-born Australian Nathan Walker).
Just as Ovechkin’s Stanley Cup consolidates his status as one of the poster boys for the increasingly international NHL, the win is well-deserved for Capitals governor Ted Leonsis, who purchased the team for US$85 million in 1999. Leonsis is one of the most accessible and playercentred owners in the NHL.
BEARS OF THE WEEK
Only a few words are necessary: It’s been a bearish week for the NBA, with the Bryan Colangelo Twitter controversy and questionable officiating overshadowing the NBA Finals. The fourth consecutive showdown between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers looks like an anticlimax after two seven-game conference finals.
The Sport Market on TSN 1040 rates and debates the bulls and bears of sports business. Join Tom Mayenknecht Saturday from 7 to 11 a.m. for a look at the sports business stories that matter most to fans. Follow Tom Mayenknecht at Twitter.com/TheSportMarket