Top Russian Players in the National Hockey League
Ice, cold and ice skates are the first things that a person thinks of when he generally hears the word “Hockey”, unless you live in Asia where hockey is played on a grass field with a curved stick. For the people of North America, Russia, Switzerland and
many other nations, hockey is the sport of the morning. It is the first thing many people wish to do as soon as they awake.
Since Canada is the birthplace of hockey, the Canadians have always been great performers at the sport. With the increasing popularity, hockey is not only the property of Canada anymore, but many nations are starting to surpass them at talent and passion.
We see more and more foreign nationals entering into sports which were considered a particular type of men’s sport. Baseball was considered an only American sport, hockey a Canadian sport, Cricket a European sport and Lacrosse an Asian one. However, as cultures
have mixed, players from virtually every background are found to be players of all sports.
There is a great accumulation of hidden talent which is slowly being exposed from countries such as China, India, Japan and Russia. Yao Ming, a larger than life basketball player in China, brought to the USA to play for the National Basketball Association
(NBA). Hockey is no exception in this case having more than 29 Russian players in the NHL alone. This is something great for inter-cultural harmony and something which shatters the barriers of racism, stereotypes and hate.
These players possess raw amazing talent, special abilities and a strong passion for the sport which they also love. It is difficult to mention all of them due to their large number, but discussing the top few can show a little appreciation to their talent
and the entertainment they provide to us sports fans.
1. Alexander Ovechkin: Washington Capitals
Playing for the Washington Capitals, Alexander Ovechkin is a player which cannot be compensated for. Having both agility and power makes him a great all rounder. Being the fourth highest scorer in their first five seasons, Ovechkin has made himself a name
and a place in the NHL’s greatest players list.
Ovechkin has not only let his team into the play-offs this season, but helped them overtake the Philadelphia Flyers for the Eastern Conference’s top spot. He might not only be the greatest Russian player, but one of the greatest in the league overall.
2. Evgeni Malkin: Pittsburgh Penguins
Winning the Art Ross, Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup in the 2008-2009 season, Evgeni Malkin has taken the Pittsburg Penguins to a whole new level. Scoring 77 points in 67 games, Malkin has earned the reputation as a great overall hockey player.
He remains out of the line-up of his team due to an ankle surgery that he recently underwent. Pittsburgh is hopeful of his early return to help them penetrate deep into the post-season.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will be facing the Tampa Bay Lightning for the first match of the quarter-finals.
3. IIya Kovalchuk: New Jersey Devils
Kovalchuk can be without a doubt called the most famous player of last summer. Where we saw him repeatedly renegotiating his contract with the New Jersey Devils and finally settling for a whopping 15 year, $100 million deal. We can say that IIya has done
great for himself and hope that he keeps on playing the way he does.
Despite his talent and the teams’ hard work nearing the post-season, they were unable to make it into the top eight of the Eastern Conference.
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