Capitals coach still cultivating relationship with Ovechkin
( AP) — Adam Oates earned Alex Ovechkin’s respect right away.
Oates reached out to Ovechkin after getting the job as coach of the Washington Capitals in June 2012, establishing a connection with the star captain that didn’t exist under Dale Hunter. He capitalized on that by convincing Ovechkin to move to right wing last season, a switch that paved the way to Ovechkin winning the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player.
But Oates wasn’t done cultivating a strong working relationship with his captain. Last summer, he flew to Russia to spend some time away from the rink and in Ovechkin’s environment as a thank you for believing in the position change.
“I went there because he did something for the organization, for me and the staff, that he didn’t have to do, in my opinion,” Oates said Wednesday. “He won the Hart and there was no banquet last year, and I wanted to show him how much it meant to me, personally, and for the club, to go over on his turf to acknowledge it.”
Ovechkin owes Oates for helping him reinvigorate his career after becoming somewhat stale and predictable. His goal production was still better than much of the league — 32 in 2010-11 and 38 in 2011-12 — but he wasn’t the game- changing super star who broke into the league and piled up the awards.
Now 28, Ovechkin has 17 goals going into Friday night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. That’s tied for top spot with St. Louis Blues forward Alex Steen, who was set to face the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. Ovechkin wouldn’t be in the midst of this career renaissance without Oates’ pointers, which continue even as the goal light comes on far more often than it did two years ago.
“I’m not going to violate the trust, and I don’t think he will,” Oates said. “That doesn’t mean that on a day-to-day basis I can’t correct him on a game, like talk about things, little things and improve his game. I guess that’s where the trust comes in that he trusts that I’ve got his best interests at heart. But I think he should be over that by now.”
Ovechkin seems to be over it and comfortable with his coach and role as a high-scoring rightwinger. He appreciates that Oates cares about players’ lives beyond hockey.
“He wants to know the guys,” Ovechkin said in September. “He don’t want to do only training and be at the ice rink and show us video. He want to know everything about us, about me personally. He met my family, as well, last year. It’s good. We can talk, not about hockey but different stuff of life.”
According to The Washington Post, Oates did some film study with Ovechkin in Moscow over the summer and went out to a restaurant with him and his friends to watch the Russian national soccer team play Northern Ireland. Russia lost, but Ovechkin picked up the bill and the bond between player and coach grew stronger.
That’s even with Ovechkin knowing full well that it didn’t take flying halfway around the world to be on good terms.
“It doesn’t matter if he fly or not, we still have a good relationship,” Ovechkin said. “It was nice of him to come see me, what I’m doing out there, see my hometown. He spent one time on the ice with me. It’s always good to have that kind of relationship with a coach. I never had it before. It’s always exciting, it’s always fun.”