Maybe we are all getting a little too sensitive.
Alex Kovalev was at a charity golf tournament in Montréal and told reporters he loved Montreal, never wanted to leave Montreal and would likely return to Montreal if he has the chance once his 2 year deal in Ottawa is over.
That seems pretty straight forward to me. Is that a slight on Ottawa? I can’t see how.
The entire time he was playing in Montreal he talked about how much he liked it there. No flip flop so far. When his contract was up he talked publicly about wanting to stay. No flip flop there. When the Habs wouldn’t give him a multi-year deal he signed in Ottawa because at the time Ottawa was the only team offering him more than 1 year. No flip flop there.
I don’t get what all the commotion is about. The guy likes Montreal. That doesn’t mean he hates Ottawa. When Todd White was not offered a deal to stay in Ottawa he said almost all the same things as he left but the people in Atlanta didn’t get all upset. He liked Ottawa and wanted to stay but that wasn’t an option and he still plans on living here when his career is over. Does that make him a bad Thrasher?
Ray Bourque did not want to leave Boston. The Bruins did offer him a deal to stay but his reasons for leaving had to do with wanting to win a cup. Did the people of Denver assume he was going to live the rest of his life in Denver? Did they believe this life long Bruin was now a life long Avalanche?
We wonder sometimes why pro athletes won’t be straight with the media and fans. This is one of the reasons. Kovalev was asked a straight question. He gave a straight answer which did not differ from what he has said publicly in the past but now for some reason people are questioning his commitment to Ottawa?
I believe he will play as hard for Ottawa as he did for Montreal. He will play his 2 years here and if there is a deal to return to Montreal to finish his career he will take it. Just like hundreds of other NHL players who find themselves playing in places other than their first choice.
Do Ottawa fans think Kovalev grew up in Russia dreaming of one day being a Senator? Do they believe Jason Spezza grew up dreaming of being a Senator? Start adding names as you like to this question.
Alex Kovalev did not say anything new, outlandish or inappropriate. This is being blown completely out of proportion. Maybe we are all just so tired of talking about Dany Heatley we need a new distraction even if we have to engineer it ourselves.
See you at the rink.
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3 comments:
Finally, a cooler head prevails. Good comments Dean, and so very true. As a media man yourself, you know how comments can be taken out of context, and this seems to be a classic case.
Kovo didn't ask to be traded to Ottawa, he clearly wanted to remain a Hab - so what? The only thing I care about as a Sens fan is having a winning team, or at least a team of players that give it each and every night.
As long as he's giving us highlight material, scoring, and is a team guy, who cares where he goes in two years. Just help us bring home the cup during your tenure.
I hope Kovalev doesn't play "just as hard for Ottawa as he did for Montreal" considering he never even showed up 90 percent of the time.
I think this ballonned into a news story because of the way Dave Schreiber originally read the news on Team1200.
It was more like a commentary. He put a real sarcastic spin on it and ended his newscast by uttering, "Unbelievable!".
But you're right. Most fans dont expect him to have a deep emotional attachment to Ottawa. Just to play hard.
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