Alexander Ovechkin’s Nomination Mocks the Messier Leadership Award

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: March 23, 2010

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On Monday, the NHL announced the three finalists for the Mark Messier Leadership Award : Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo, Los Angeles forward Dustin Brown, and Washington forward Alexander Ovechkin. Luongo and Brown are both deserving nominees; Ovechkin makes a mockery of the core values of the Messier Leadership Award.

Started in 2006-07, the Messier Leadership Award is presented "to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice during the regular season." Past winners have been Chris Chelios, Mats Sundin, and Jarome Iginla. Based on this definition, a strong case can be made for both Brown and Luongo. However, simply reading that mission statement, and considering the past winners as potential company, should eliminate Ovechkin.



In 2006, Ovechkin received five boarding majors and a game misconduct for hammering then-Philadelphia forward Daniel Briere. At the World Championships in 2007, Ovechkin was suspended for a game for a hit to the head while representing Russia, not the Washington Capitals. In Game Four of last spring's semifinal series against Pittsburgh, Ovechkin was hit with only a minor penalty for tripping after a knee-on-knee collision with Sergei Gonchar.

On Oct. 22, Ovechkin was fined the maximum amount allowed by the collective bargaining agreement, $2,500, for a "slew foot" on Atlanta's Rich Peverley. On Dec. 1 of this season, Ovechkin was suspended for two games after a knee-to-knee collision with Carolina's Tim Gleason (video at bottom). The Gleason hit came just days after Ovechkin received a five-minute major for boarding Buffalo's Patrick Kaleta, whose face was bloody after hitting the wall.

How is someone who is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, and who has been suspended twice for unsportsmanlike hits on other players during th...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

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