Alex Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk laugh it up after New Jersey Devils rout Washington Capitals
Losing a game by a score of 5-0 is no laughing matter for any team in the National Hockey League. After the game, the coaches often have a lengthy post-mortem discussion with the players
before the dressing room is opened to the media for post-game interviews.
On Monday 22 November, the New Jersey Devils handed the Washington Capitals a 5-0 shutout loss. When the media entered the dressing room following the game, Alex Ovechkin, the Capitals’
captain, was one of the first people approached for interviews. A visibly emotionless Ovechkin answered questions before the members of the media spoke to head coach Bruce Boudreau.
According to
TSN.ca, as Boudreau fielded questions from the press, Ovechkin was heard having a laugh with team-mate Alex Semin and their fellow countryman Ilya Kovalchuk of the Devils in the background. Ovechkin had been relatively stoic a few minutes
prior when he faced the press.
Many NHL players have friends on opposing teams who are from the same country or hometown as they are, and it is not uncommon for them to chat after a game. However, the sounds of the
three Russian players laughing together could easily be heard in a video of Boudreau’s post-game press conference. The video has since made its rounds on major sports websites and also on YouTube.
In the video, Boudreau is seen glaring at the three Russians several times. When asked by a reporter if their laughing was disturbing him, Boudreau replied by stating “I’ll reserve my
thoughts on that, if you don’t mind.”
The incident has called Ovechkin’s professionalism into question. Sharing a laugh with friends is normally not frowned upon, but all of that changes when it is going on close to the media
scrum and with a member of an opposing team after a huge loss.
Washington has lost their past three games, two of which were by 5-0 margins. They will try to get back into the wins column when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday 24 November.
Tags: