Alex Ovechkin Celebrates 50th Goal
March 19, 2009 by Tyler
Filed under Hockey Columns, NHL Players
Alexander Ovechkin scored his 50th goal of the 2008-2009 season on March 19. Ovechkin, who leads the National Hockey League in goals, is favored by many fans as the most impactful and exciting player in the league. Ovechkin celebrated his 50th goal by dropping his stick and when attempting to pick it up, pretended it was too hot to touch!
[Video thanks to On Frozen Blog]
Too Much Celebration?
I wonder what Don Cherry, who criticized Ovechkin on the February 28th edition of Hockey Night in Canada for his excessive celebrations, will have to say about the celebration of his 50th goal?
For those who haven’t seen Cherry’s previous remarks on Ovechkin’s post-goal celebrations, I submit the following video:
In my opinion, as a hockey fan, if you can score 50 goals in the National Hockey League, then you are entitled to a little excessive celebration. I actually enjoy watching Ovechkin’s celebrations because he shows his love for the game and passion for scoring.
Until he crosses the line from showing passion and excitement for the game to mocking the opposition, I will continue to Ovechkin and his goal celebrations are great for the game.
Honestly, it isn’t as if Ovechkin scores a goal in the opposition’s arena and then skates as fast as he can to center ice, stopping and standing on the other team’s logo – I mean that is disrespectful! (Terrell Owens – NFL Video)
Take a moment and watch the above video again. Notice how Ovechkin is just randomly swinging his arms and jumping. Most of the time it is just pure exuberance and random displays of emotion. There is no pre-planned celebration going on – He didn’t pull a Sharpie marker from his skate to autograph his stick (Terrell Owens…again!)
Ovechkin is a Team Player
One key thing to understand is that Alexander Ovechkin gets excited for every one of the Capitals goals. Many times I have witnessed him jumping up and down and pumping his fists and hurling himself at a teammate who just scored. That is pure passion for the game, nothing more.
Cherry, in the above video, encourages young players not to act like Ovechkin after scoring. Okay, even if you think Alex is a touch over the top from time to time, he isn’t faking his appreciation for his teammates.
That said, I encourage each and every young hockey player to act like Alex Ovechkin acts when his teammates score. It is a pure exhibition of excitement and enthusiasm for the members of his team and, if nothing else, he deserves to be recognized for that.
Thoughts and opinions, as always, are most welcomed in the comments section.
Jamie Favreau on Thu, 19th Mar 2009 10:53 pm
I totally agree with you. Plus, his stats speak for himself! If he enjoys his career, is a team player, and is excited. What is the problem? Oh wait! The problem Don Cherry has is that he is NOT a Canadian.
Well, he is a darn good Russian player and he has a great support system! Don Cherry can keep his ratings and money but let Alex O celebrate and if he happens to show up Canadian Boy Crosby then let him! He hits more, is way more talented, and the list can go on!
Tyler on Fri, 20th Mar 2009 7:59 am
Jamie,
I think you are right on the mark. And, it is obvious to me that as Ovechkin becomes more proficient with his English his interviews become more and more entertaining and popular.
Crobsy’s interviews seem so robotic and emotionless, while Ovechkin, at least shows emotion and speaks from the heart – whether his English is top-notch or not.
IceColdNews on Fri, 20th Mar 2009 9:04 am
I think it’s great to be passionate about the game and to show emotion but I don’t agree with over the top celebrations like the one Ovechkin showed during his 50th goal celebration. That was not a spontaneous act of emotion it was pre-meditated.
Hockey does have a code and just because you are one of the if not the best player in the NHL right now it does not give you the right to break those rules.
Gretzky has nearly every scoring record in the books and I don’t recall him ever celebrating a goal to quite the extent that Ovechkin does. Gretzky will always be remembered as a very classy player who had nothing but respect for the game. How is Ovechkin going to be remembered?
Mother Pucker Hockey on Fri, 20th Mar 2009 10:27 am
Yeah AO is a beauty and I don’t see why the league is looking to chastise him for this. They compared it to the NFL celebrations last night, but I’d hardly say that this is the case.
Lori on Fri, 20th Mar 2009 10:30 am
I agree that Ovie is an exciting player and a great asset to the league. As a Caps season ticket holder, I have the distinct pleasure of watching him 41 times a year and seeing first-hand what he brings to our franchise. Washington is turning into a legitimate hockey town!
That said, speaking completely objectively, I do think last night’s display was excessive. Ovie did say that it was pre-planned and several of his teammates knew about it ahead of time and declined to take part. That may be what bothers me the most — it was planned. Regardless of the target — Don Cherry or the Lightning — it was tacky. Coach Boudreau isn’t pleased and says he plans to talk to Ovie about his actions.
I have no doubt this was a special celebration for his 50th goal and he will go back to his regular celebrations, which I love to see, in the future.
Brandon Worley on Fri, 20th Mar 2009 10:35 am
As a Dallas Stars fan, I tend to focus my attention on Western Conference teams and watch those games that have an impact on the Stars in the standings.
I watch every Washington Capitals game I can, purely because I love seeing Ovechkin play the game. He’s exciting to watch, his energy is infectious and his play has turned the Verizon Center into one of the loudest and most raucous places to play hockey.
I say let him do his thing, because this is EXACTLY what hockey needs.
7th woman on Fri, 20th Mar 2009 11:04 am
Ovechkin can do whatever he likes! He has brought so much entertainment and fire to this game, let him have his fun. He knows this is a game, and he’s lucky to be able to make an excellent living doing it. The old days are gone. And yes, agreed. Cherry doesn’t like him because he’s Russian and doesn’t conform to his idea of how things should be done. Too Bad. Glory to Alexander the Gr8.
dee
pixelfusion on Fri, 20th Mar 2009 1:59 pm
Quite frankly, who cares how Ovechkin celebrates and what Cherry thinks? Next time he can break out dancing with a bunch of Balalaikas for all I care. He still gets one point and one goal goes on the scoreboard.
Ovechkin’s celebrations are not the typical type of celebration in Hockey. That’s not a bad thing. Just not common. I must say though, I don’t agree with the mentality of “That’s what hockey needs”. Hockey needs players of Ovechkin’s caliber, not for the way he celebrates but for the way he plays.
As with just about anything else, some people like it, some people hate it. Can we move on already?
ChrisG on Fri, 20th Mar 2009 4:05 pm
Hey IceColdNews can you show me where any such code exists in the rule book? If the refs who are THE law on the ice felt he was being too celebratory in his actions then they would have issued an unsportsmanlike penalty to Ovechkin. Listen, the old time style of hockey is dead and gone, for better or for worse. Ovechkin is a big boy and im sure he knows what he is doing, premeditated or not, and im sure he knows what the implications are of such actions. As far as Don cherry he is as relavant as the Bee Gees and the matters he opines on are for our grandparents to cheer on not people who understand the game in its evolved state. Comparing Ovechkin to Avery’s conduct is not an accurate or fair comparrison at all, and I should not have to explain why, cause if you dont know then you are really out of touch. i think anything that gives the fans somethign to talk about in a league where there hasnt been anything to talk about in the past decade is good for the growth of the game.
David Hutchison on Sat, 21st Mar 2009 10:41 am
Well said – we need more celebration, not less. Let’s not turn this into the NFL.
Now…if only we could get the goalie equivalent who celebrates like OV when he makes a big save!
Kyle on Sat, 21st Mar 2009 10:43 am
I think Tocchet, and all others that disapprove of AO’s celebrations are adhering to an old set of rules. They claim that celebrations “embarass” your opponent. I bet my last dime that the only reason why they claim to be embarassed is because the “code” tells them they should be embarassed.
I’ve got a better answer for those people: Don’t let him score. Sure, easier said than done, but that’s what it takes nowadays.
joshnilson on twitter on Sat, 21st Mar 2009 10:45 am
I wish we had more players like OA in the west, and in the NHL. He is not doing this every goal people, just the 50th. Funny how the only comments in the NHL are from players who would never reach this mark. Look at slam dunks in NBA, its what the fans want. This is the new NHL and this is what the fans want.
NHL needs more shows for the fans, less people complaining about it.
Courtney on Sat, 21st Mar 2009 11:59 am
Agreed.
First of all, plenty of players celebrate excessively. I recall Milan Hejduk diving and “swimming” at the red line after a goal. This is hardly the most excessive of the lot.
Secondly, just because other players don’t celebrate as much as Ovechkin, does not mean that he shouldn’t. I’m sick of seeing him compared to Crosby, Gretzky and players of the past. The fact is: he is NOT Crosby. He is NOT Gretzky. He’s entirely his own player and he’s amazing at what he does. He has every right to be happy about that. Ovechkin has never done anything insulting to the other team (and I don’t see how this move falls under that category) and like you said, he celebrates just as much when his teammates score. He is exciting to watch and the game is all the better for it. As far as I’m concerned, Ovi is a great player for kids to learn from. He is one of the few players who openly displays his passion for the game and I truly think there should be more players like him. And if you do happen to be a Crosby or a Gretzky and are too classy to jump into the boards, so what. That’s the way YOU play. Variety is good and it’s what the game needs. Just remember, the game also needs to evolve to keep fans passionate about the sport.
Chris Nadeau on Sat, 21st Mar 2009 3:28 pm
Great post Tyler and great comments from those who commented. As a fan, Ovi’s theatrics are definitely fun to watch. It’s exciting to see someone get excited, as a fan.
As a player, and this is where I think Cherry is coming from, it can be perceived as a slap in the face sometimes. I was listening to an interview a few weeks back with Craig Simpson and Gary Roberts and they were talking about the Theo Fleury celebration in the playoffs. Here it is if you have never seen it.
Roberts was a Flame at that time and commented “that the Flames tried to tackle Fleury before he did something stupid, but they couldn’t” He said he knew that provided more fuel to the fire for the Oilers. Fleury did it again in Game 7 and the Oilers were down 3-0 and came back and won the series.
Simpson went on to say that it really ticked them off to see him do it twice.
So, this is why I think Boudreau had a conversation with Ovi, because he doesn’t want any of theses celebrations to haunt him and his team going into the most important time of the year.
That is why a player needs to be careful of the way he carries himself during celebrations. Notice how the Caps players really didn’t want to participate.
Geordie on Wed, 13th May 2009 10:23 am
you guys are retardeded, ovechkin is unreal at life and he can do anything without people critising him