Jim Kelley Compares Ovechkin to McSorley and Bertuzzi. Really?

Jim Kelley, a Pittsburgh nativecolumnist for Sports Illustrated made no secret about his views of Alex Ovechkin and Ovie’s recent run-ins with NHL disciplinarians in an article published this week.  Click HERE to read it. 

In case you’ve been in hibernation, Ovechkin is serving a two game suspension for a knee-on-knee hit delivered last Monday on Hurricanes defensman, Tim Gleason.  In this article, Jim Kelley takes the “dirty”, yet incidental hit Ovechkin planted on Tim Gleason and compares it to three of the more famous acts of premeditated on-ice violence the league has ever seen.  The three instances being the McSorley baseball swing to Donald Brashear’s crown, Todd Bertuzzi going MMA on Steve Moore breaking his neck, and Chris Simon whacking Ryan Hollweg in the face with his twig.  To place Ovechkin on the same pedestal as Marty McSorley, Todd Bertuzzi, and Chris Simon is utterly preposterous and further shows the ignorance of Jim Kelley.  Can it be more obvious that Kelley is just trying to smear Ovechkin? 

Ovechkin plays like no other player in the NHL.  The passion and excitement that Ovechkin brings to the ice night in and night out is matched by no one.  This passion is what makes Ovechkin the most exciting player in the NHL.  Obviously known for his offensive prowess, Ovechkin directly impacts the game in other areas as well, most notably his physical play.  Ovechkin is always amongst the league leaders in hits.  Delivering bone crushing hits has always been a part of his game just as much as goal scoring has been.  When you have a player of Ovechkin’s size, strength, and speed; incidents are likely to occur.  Every player in the league knows this as it is an inherent part of hockey.  The hit we saw on Tim Gleason was one of these unfortunate incidents.  The hit on Gleason was not dirty hit.  As is the norm with Ovechkin, Gleason was in Ovechkin’s crosshairs.  Some argue that Ovechkin was lining up Gleason from across the rink.  Last I checked that isn’t against the rules.  It is true though, Ovechkin takes runs at different players, but that is in no way dirty.  If a player is skating with his head down, he will most likely get run over.  Whether the player applying the check start from five feet or twenty-five feet is irrelevant.  The point is when Ovechkin lined up Gleason it was going to be a clean hit.  Gleason had his head down.  Ovechkin usually makes quick work of players who skate with their heads down.  To Gleason’s credit, he made a last second move to his left which left himself in a very vulnerable position.  What was going to be a clean hit turned into an unfortunate incident in which the two player’s knees collided.  For someone to argue that Ovechkin could’ve changed the angle of his body with a split-second decision after Gleason moved is just not in tune with the realities of hockey.  Hockey is one of the fastest games.  Ovechkin plays the game like a missile on skates.  It just isn’t practical to think Ovechkin, who had already committed to making the hit, could change course and avoid the knee-on-knee hit.  Nothing was premeditated and their was no intent to injure. 

It is true that this isn’t the first time Ovechkin has been under fire for questionable hits.  During last year’s playoffs, OV had a knee-on-knee incident with Sergei Gonchar that I believe was a suspendable offense.  Far worse than the latest hit on Gleason.  The boarding major Ovechkin received in a game 5 days earlier on Patrick Kaleta didn’t help Ovechkin’s cause either.  But once again Jim Kelley uses this hit as a reference and comparison to the acts committed by Bertuzzi, McSorley, and Simon.  Again, how these scenarios are mentioned in the same sentence is beyond me.

Was the hit on Kaleta dirty?  Some would say yes.  I would ask if they’ve watched the replay.  The hit on Kaleta was again categorized as “dirty”, warranting a game misconduct, because of last split-second move by Kaleta.  Kaleta was not facing the boards until the very moment Ovechkin came in with the shoulder.  Ovechkin was finishing a check and at the last minute Kaleta turned toward the boards.  Ovechkin didn’t come in high or with an elbow.  Once again, an unfortunate incident.  My issue isn’t with the decisions of the refs to eject OV from the game.  My issue is with the Ovechkin haters using the hit on Kaleta as justification for calling him a dirty player.  Hockey is played by individuals moving at 25 mph who end up colliding with each other.  These types of incidents are apart of the game.  Removing or preventing these types of plays would be an attack on the nature of the game.

The main difference between Ovechkin’s incidents and the incidents previously described is intent.  The assaults carried out by Bertuzzi, McSorley, and Simon were premeditated and were carried out with the intent to end the careers hurt the opposing player. 

Jim Kelley also felt the need to go after Leonsis when Leonsis defended his star player.  Well Jim, what do you expect!  Ovechkin is the face of the Capitals franchise.  He is solely responsible for the hockey resurrgence in Washington.  Leonsis did as any owner would do, stick up for his player.  Here is what Leonsis had to say:

“Alex isn’t trying to hurt anyone. He has an honest respect for the game and for all players in the league. Alex is trying to ‘get the puck. I just want what they have and that is the puck.’ It is a simple logic. He plays the game the way it was designed. He is just bigger and faster than anyone. Can you name a player in NHL history that has this mix of size, skill, power and speed? I can’t.

“Alex does play fast and hard. It is why he is beloved. It is why he is the two-time and reigning MVP of the league. I believe if he changes and becomes a player that is managed by the media or fans or anyone else, he will put himself at risk. ‘To thine own self be true.’ That is the right motto to live by. That is what I have advised Alex. Be authentic and be respectful. Play the game with passion. Lean in, don’t lean back.”

Mr. Kelley again compares the Ovechkin incident to that of Bertuzzi saying “Is that the kind of advice the owners of the Vancouver Canucks gave Todd Bertuzzi, another forward who had an advantage in terms of size, skill, power and speed and used it to cripple Colorado’s Steve Moore?  Kelley shows his incompetence by once again comparing on ice related incidents that are products of a physical player who happens to play a physical game with an incident that more often than not would occur in a dark alley in Southeast DC.  Todd Bertuzzi sucker punched Steve Moore, drove him to the ice, thus breaking his neck.  Let’s pretend for a second that Ovechkin was intentionally trying to hurt Gleason, the two incidents still are not even comparable. 

Maybe in Jim Kelley’s imaginary world Ovechkin would be under investigation for assault as McSorley and Bertuzzi were.  If that’s the case, what’s in store for Sean Avery?

Jim, Ovechkin is guilty of having so much passion that occasionally he may play a bit recklessly.  Perhaps he does need to pick his spots a little better.  But comparing Ovechkin to the likes of Bertuzzi, McSorley, and Simon?  Have you completely lost it man?