What of Alex Ovechkin now?

I have not tried to hide my enjoyment of Alex Ovechkin when writing about him. One of the more fascinating aspects of the NHL right now is his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's goal record. His production over the course of 17 years is amazing, and we all do it. It was impossible to not share in the joy that Ovechkin has every time he is on the ice. You can see the boy that got on the ice 30 years ago if you watch him. If we watch to feel like kids again, if only for a brief time, it really couldn't be more on display than No. 8.

ESPN’s Greg Whyshynski had a pretty thorough article yesterday about all the things Russian players of all ages are facing right now. It’s obviously not easy for players thousands of miles from home who have no say and are having god knows what thrust on them from all angles. But Ovechkin is the top name. And he should be. You can say that in some ways, he asked for it.

Ovie has a close relationship with Putin. I wouldn't accuse Oviechkin of being stupid, but I would suggest that the waters probably don't run all that deep. A fair few in this country have always done the same thing. I would like to believe that the most powerful person in his country was the one who enjoyed getting attention and esteem from Ovicheskin. The politics are beyond him as they are with most hockey players from anywhere.

Wyshynski points out that Ovie has pushed his political beliefs before. It was during the invasion of the peninsula eight years ago. As we can all attest, that could be the case, as it could be just lapping up what he is being fed. It is still taking a stand and is frightening.

When he spoke about the invasion, he didn't mention the Ukrainian people. It was a pawing at the easiest branch to reach for, that of simple and generic peace. We will almost certainly never know if that is the case, but the doubt makes one feel uneasy.