How’s The Face of the Washington Capitals?

One of the reasons for enjoying the winter season is ice hockey. Ice hockey has, for quite some time now, been getting more popular and popular each day. It helps that Hollywood itself has made the sport one of the “cool” (pun unintended!) sports to be indulging in what with such films as the Mighty Ducks, The Love Guru, Tooth Fairy, and Miracle on Ice.

Ice Hockey, at least those that resemble the modern version, has been around since the Middle Ages. The modern version, however, is believed to have started during the 19th century from the stick-and-ball games that was quite popular in Canada during the 19th century. These games, in turn, could have been brought on by the peopler from Nova Scotia. Regardless of which country the game originated from, however, it cannot be denied that this sport has caught the fancy of many Americans. Well, caught the attention of one guy named Alex Ovechkin.

Alex Ovechkin has long been touted to be the face of the Washington Capitals, one of the popular ice hockey teams in town. However, many fans and sports aficionados alike have noticed what seems to be a decline in the star athletes performance. There are some who see this as a result of the change in the brand of equipment that he is using. That could sound a bit petty for some. though. Many have ventured as far as claim that it was all because of Dale Hunter, the team’s coach who came at the heel of Bruce Boudreau’s departure.

Right from the start, fans have had qualms about Hunter’s entry to the team. Not that he lacks the chops for the post. In fact, Hunter is one of the most qualified and sought-after ice hockey coaches around. Unfortunately, with Hunter focusing more on the defensive side of the game, this meant that Ovechkin, a powerful and aggressive offensive player, would have to make changes to how he moves around the court. And just like a wild lion cannot be tamed easily, the ice hockey winger and the captain of Washington Capitals cannot just become a defensive player after years and years of being in the forefront of the “battle”. Of course, the first to suffer was Ovechkin’s numbers.

Fortunately, Adam Oates came in to the picture.

Adam Oates has definitely seen it all (or at least most of it!). For one, he used to be a center for an NHL team. He was also an assistant coach for the New Jersey Devils when the said team went and played for the Stanley Cup. Since he has an innate knowledge of how things work in hockey, many are speculating that he might just be the break that Ovechkin needs in order to get back his groove. It helps that Ovechkin himself appreciates the amount of trust that he feels is coming from Oates.

Make sure you catch the Washington Capitals as they go against the Winnipeg Jets on the 22nd at the Verizon Center in DC. You can get your Washington Capitals tickets from Ticket Broker.