Why the NHL should forget about Crosby and bank on OV8

In a losing effort last night, Alex Ovechkin potted his league-leading 37th goal of the season and the 200th of his career. La-ti-da, right? Just another day at the office for the Gr8 one.

Ovechkin now joins a very elite company of people. Last night was the 296nd game of his career. Here is a list of the other players to score their first 200 goals in less than 300 games. You might recognize one or two of these guys: Wayne Gretzky (242), Mike Bossy (255), Mario Lemieux (277) and Brett Hull (280).

Not only has Ovechkin already scored one of the most mind-blowing goals in the history of the NHL. Maybe even one of the most mind-blowing plays in the history of sports if you'll pardon my hyberbole.


Not only has he won both the Calder Trophy as rookie of year (beating Crosby) and the Hart Trophy in only three years of service. Not only has he scored over 100 points and 50 goals twice. Not only has he scored 62 goals in a season, becoming the single season, highest scoring left-winger of all time.

Not only has he gained a reputation as one of the fastest skating, hardest hitting, quickest shooting, master dekeing, brain altering players in the world. He's done it all with a smile on his face and a talkative, positive demeanor that is unmatched in the world of pro sports.

This guy is the whole package. This guy GETS IT.



I take nothing away from Sid the Kid and his ability to play the game. In terms of pure hockey talent, Crosby should always be in the discussion for best in the league. But he doesn't get it like Ovechkin gets it.

This was a question asked of Crosby on ESPN's Sportscenter earlier this season:

"ESPN: Are you at that point where you say 'I gotta concentrate on what I'm doing on the ice,' or do you look to other things and say, 'alright, as one of the top guys in the sport and in the league I have to do a little bit more off ice'?

Crosby: No, no. I worry about playing. And you know, the other stuff comes along with it, but my main focus is playing. I wanna be the best that I can and I just gotta manage everything."

Ovechkin on the other hand, does worry about that stuff. His on and off-ice bravado is such a turn-on for so many hockey and non hockey fans that the Capitals have recently taken over DC and are now the new hit in town.

Ovechkin does funny commercials, he wears flashy suits, gives funny answers to silly questions and even has a twitter page! (My favourite twit: "Nobody saw me fall in practice, did they?")

This year's All-Star Game was the true changing of the guard. When Alex put on that silly hat with a Canadian flag to do one of his moves in the skills competition and when he was caught on camera oohing and aaahing at some hot girls being shown on the jumbotron, people realized just how much more entertaining he is that anyone else in the game today.
By contrast, Crosby's interview with Ron MacLean was as much as fun as my most recent lobotomy.

The NHL needs to take more notice and begin marketing him like the NBA markets LeBron, the NFL markets Peyton Manning and MLB markets the Yankees and Red Sox.

If they do, they might just have a chance to grow the game in places where that has been difficult, to put it lightly. They need to realize that other sports market the game not by proclaiming how great the game is, but by showcasing how great it's players are. The NHL will never grow in the US until it learns to market its most marketable players, not necessary just the best ones.

However in this case, Ovechkin happens to be both.