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Hockey

The Canadian Press

Ovechkin to play in 2014 Olympics no matter what

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Posted Wednesday, September 9, 2009 2:41 PM ET

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Alexander Ovechkin

It appears as though Capitals' Russian superstar Alexander Ovechkin has drawn a line in the sand with the NHL in terms of Olympic participation.

ESPN.com is reporting that the reigning Hart Trophy winner plans on participating in the Olympic hockey competition at the 2014 Winter games in Sochi, Russia, stating that he will risk suspension to play for his country even if the NHL is not formally involved.

"Nobody can say to me you can't play for your country in the Olympic Games," Ovechkin told ESPN.com.

"I don't care," Ovechkin continued. "I'll go play in the Olympic Games for my country. If somebody says to me you can't play, see ya."

The NHL has no commitment to take part in the Olympics past the upcoming Winter Games in Vancouver in February, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has intimated that it is likely that the Vancouver games will be the final Olympics which the NHL sends athletes. Bettman has stated he plans to discuss the issue with the Players Association following the Vancouver Olympics to go over the advantages and disadvantages of continued participation.

The NHLPA has repeatedly stated that they fully support continued participation.

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Comments (38)

public
Dec 26, 2009 | 1:44 PM ET

oympics = best players from each country.Keep American politics out of the sport,if the american politicians wants to stay away,let them.Canada can still go.I'd watchCanada's best vs Russia's best hockey players anytime and i think so would the world.

pierson11
Oct 14, 2009 | 4:38 PM ET

I like the guy saying the players are forgetting who butters their bread, well actually the owners and the league is forgetting who is making them money, its the players, no players no league remember that, i pay to see players play games not short dumb americans sit behind a desk or microphone and spew nonsense, and as far as teams losing money or whatever if their player gets hurt, what happens if the guy is walking across the street and gets hit by a car and is killed they lose the player and the money so theres always a chance something could happen to the player and the team loses money whether he is playing or not, atleast if he gets hurt playing the players have insurance to cover the cost of the contract so the team doesnt lose money off the contract.

bumbryal
Oct 04, 2009 | 8:59 PM ET

Good for Ovechkin! What if he and all other superior players play for their country? Is Gary going to suspend them? Won't that leave a diluted sub par product on the ice. Gary is just scared that if a North Americain team does not win gold the (his) NHL would be tainted as B class. The hell with Gary. Any one invited to represent their country should do so. It's the Olympics not Gary's show. He should concentrate on promoting the game where people want hockey(maybe Canada eh?) instead of trying to run teams where they get 2500 people to an exhibition game and could care less who the coach is.

MannyC
Sep 29, 2009 | 7:35 AM ET

Why does it take a Russian, to show us Canadians (North Americans) that playing hockey isn't about the money? That the Olympic experience isn't about the money? From this point on, all NHL players who feel strongly about the Olympics, should have a clause in their contracts that gives them the right to participate in the Olympic games. If the NHL won't accept contracts with a clause like that, then the players should sign 3-year deals that will not include an Olympic year. I don't expect all of the players to do this but for those who are passionate about playing for their country, this might be the only method available to them.

matt
Sep 22, 2009 | 3:09 PM ET

I think Ovechkin is great! Hope he plays

Shawnaldo
Sep 15, 2009 | 8:58 PM ET

FIRE BETTEMAN ALREADY!!! He has done nothing to improve Hockey... This type of thing proves that Bettman is not all there. He openly admits he wants to expands the popularity of the NHL, but he doesn't want to do it at one of the biggest Global Events possible. Olympics are meant to be the best players from each country, not best players that were able to get two weeks off work.

cybersocko
Sep 10, 2009 | 9:20 PM ET

GerryJB: it would be Ovechkin's right to play in the Olympics had he not signed a contract with the NHL. If he's man enough to sign the contract, he should be man enough to fulfill it. It's not like he's not being paid enough to fulfill it. Let's us a little bit of logic here.

mousechicks
Sep 10, 2009 | 4:07 PM ET

I agree to a point with Bettman. He's only trying to protect the teams and league interest. I mean how many people in the Washington DC area would know or even watch hockey if it wasn't for OV? I'm not a Bettman lover by any name but you have to see his point. Also who knows by 2014 he could be out as commish. (One could hope right?)

GerryJB
Sep 10, 2009 | 1:20 PM ET

OLVECHKIN makes a totally valid and unequivocal assertion that he'll play for Team Russia 2014 Olympics. I've been trying to tolerate Bettman with on-going gong show with Coyotes, but this claim by him and NHL Owners that NHL players for their respective countries will not be permitted to participate beyond Vancouver 2010 is ludicrous. Talk about an overt North American biasness to the league! So its OK for NHL players on their country's team to show-up at Vancouver but not again at future Olympics because the next few will all be at georgraphically inconvenient locations like South Russia Black Sea in Sochi. What a petty minded perspective on a globally played game. And 2010's hockey is being played on smaller North American rinks counter to Calgary, Salt Lake City any other Olympics before another distinct advantage to Team Canada/USA over most other nations where other than stars in NHL most teams players only play on the bigger international rinks. Can you imagine world's elite Soccer club owners telling their top players they can't compete for their countries at future Summer Olympics or the ATP Tennis Tour Assoc. proclaiming that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal cannot compete for Switzerland or Spain respectively? This is pure nonsense! Alexander and all other players have every right to play for their country's national teams during Winter or Summer Olympics only occurring once every 4 years and the big corporate commercial interests will just have to try to find a way to accomodate that. Power to Ovechkin for taking a stand and I trust the NHLPA will fully back him and other players on this.

Jay000
Sep 10, 2009 | 12:24 PM ET

WTG Ovie. How many wimpy North American millionaire NHLers will do that? If the NHL says NO then we wont go! Sheep.