Capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin was surprisingly in good spirits after learning about the two game suspension that the NHL had handed down on him as a result of his check on Brian Campbell of the Chicago Blackhawks. After Ovechkin learned of the suspension he became giddy and wiped his brow as if to signal a sigh of relief. “Whew, thank god they gave me two games, now I can watch the first and secound rounds of March Madness,” said Ovechkin referring of course to the ever-popular NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. “I’ll tell ya, it was a tough 24 hours wondering if I would be suspended or not. I wanted to fill out a bracket more than anything but I didn’t want to jinx myself in case I didn’t get suspended. I was on pins and needles the whole time.”
Ovechkin said that as soon as he got off of the phone with league disciplinary Colin Campbell he began filling out his bracket and explained that his love for the tournament began immediately during his first year in North America, and that he anticipates it greatly every year. “Oh yeah there is nothing better man. The buzzer-beaters, the up’s and down’s, the drama, its straight up crazy,” said Ovechkin as he looked over the bracket in which he had just filled out. “I’ve got Kansas, Syracuse, West Virginia and Duke in the Final Four, and then Kansas to beat Duke in the final. It was tough to pick against Kentucky in the Elite 8 because I think they have the most talent, but they’re so young. I’m hoping they get through though because a Calipari-Kryzewski coaching showdown in the semi’s would be epic, especially with storied programs like Kentucky and Duke going at it, doesn’t get any better than that.”
While mildly interested, most of the other Capitals players admitted to not knowing much about college basketball and already conceding victory to Ovechkin in the bracket challenge. “He kills us every year,” said defenceman Mike Green. “I just make my picks based on which school’s name sounds cooler, but Alex knows every team inside and out.” Ovechkin then continued spewing out his knowledge of college basketball as he highlighted some of the tournament’s top players. “Wait till you see this Evan Turner guy on Ohio State, he is something else let me tell you, he can do it all. Score, pass, rebound, he can even play the point and he is 6’7, clutch as hell too. Then there is this freshmen on Kentucky, John Wall. He’s probably the most exciting player in the game. But the reason I’m picking Kansas is the veteran leadership provided by Sherron Collins of Kansas. He is as tough as nails and pretty much wills his team to victory; nice to have a 7-footer like Cole Aldrich to dump the ball into too…they’ll be tough to beat”
Ovechkin ended his media responsiblity for the day by expressing his regret over the incident with Campbell, but once again quickly regained his jovial nature and uttered the words “let the Madness begin.”
