Alexander Ovechkin is the latest hockey phenomenon. In the likes of Crosby, he's a young player that's generating enormous buzz being compared to the likes of Gretzky and Lemieux.
He has an interesting back-story to all the hype. The son of a professional soccer player father and a two time Olympic medalist (Basketball) mother Ovechkin grew up in a very athletic household. He was constantly encouraged to play sports as a kid, but it wasn't until he was 8 that his brother Sergei introduced him to hockey. Unfortunately, Sergei was killed in a car accident two years later and many cite this as Ovechkin's reason for trying so hard on the ice.
Alexander began playing at age 16 for Dynamo Moscow, playing in the Russian Super League. He made his NHL debut in 2004 as the first overall draft choice for the Washington Capitals. However due to the NHL strike, he did not start playing until 2005.He's playing for the Capitals currently and recently signed a 13-year, $124 million dollar deal with the team the largest contract in NHL history. Ovechkin finished the 2008-2009 season with 56 goals, winning his second Rocket Richard Trophy along with the Hart Trophy and the Lester Pearson Trophy.
Ovechkin is a skilled player that has a lot to offer the league. The question is whether his stardom will affect him negatively. If he starts showboating and being egoistical, demanding things from the teams he plays for, his days in the NHL may be numbered regardless of skill. One thing people have to remember is that the reason The Great One was the great one was because of not just his skills but his character. He was a good person that didn’t let himself become egoistical. Any future comparisons of players should keep that in mind. Not that this is necessarily a concern for Ovechkin. He's nowhere near the level of Sean Avery but it's still a valid concern. He's relatively new in the hockey world and has a lot of years ahead of him. In the meantime, however, it seems that he can take a joke.
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