On Frozen Blog

Lucas Ackroyd of Hockey Adventure recently discussed the “controversy” surrounding Alexei Kovalev’s comments after the Canadiens’ 2-1 shootout loss to Florida. Kovalev opined, “It was just my idea that we could have taken a timeout, get organized, and get the right people on the ice. Maybe it could have been better.”
Nothing earth-shattering there; but the Canadiens’ coach felt the need to say he wished Kovalev had kept such apparently inflammatory comments “in the locker room,” and the Montreal press, desperate for something to talk about, fanned the flames.
When did hockey become a sport of such†delicate sensibilities? As Ackroyd put it in his article, “Hockey’s more entertaining when you’ve got Alexander Ovechkin joking about his ‘gangster’ haircut and the way his chipped tooth impresses the girls on whom he practices his broken English.”
The National Hockey League needs more characters like Ovechkin, and more honesty from all players. I’m not advocating Terrell Owens-type blatherings, nor Tiki Barber-esque team poisoning. But let the guys speak freely without fear of media and coaching backlash!
Like the political arena, post-game sports interviews have gotten so bland†with what players feel able to say that it’s barely worth the interview in the first place. Most hockey players are even more reserved than the average baseball/football/basketball professional; those that want to speak out should be encouraged, not vilified. Kovalev’s statement didn’t throw his coach or teammates under the Zamboni; all he did was suggest a different strategy. And what would you bet that next time the coach calls a timeout in that situation?
I say again: Let ‘em speak. In fact, the league should encourage honesty and bluntness. A little controversy helps publicity, and perhaps it would get people outside of the cozy hockey-obsessed core talking about the sport. As Ackroyd put it, “Controversy, humor, debate, and candor are effective marketing tools.”
Who knows: with a little more honesty, perhaps the post-game hockey†interview will become Must-See TV instead of the sports equivalent of C-SPAN reruns.