Alex Ovechkin confronted enforcer Donald Brashear when they were teammates!
Amazing story. Former Caps coach revealed what happened on the bench:
HockeyFeed
Following superstar Alex Ovechkin’s NHL rookie season with the Washington Capitals in 2005, then-general manager George McPhee added enforcer Donald Brashear to his roster, signing him to a one-year, $1 million contract with the main and most important task to protect Ovi and deter any opposing player from going after him.
It was a great plan seeing that no one in the league would want to have to deal with Brashear. one of the most fearsome hitters and heavyweight fighters in the league at that time. However, Dean Evason, who was a Capitals assistant coach that season as he is now the bench boss of the Minnesota Wild, revealed how Ovechkin did not want Brashear’s help on the ice, finding it unnecessary during his own physical battles on the ice.
“There were some days when we had Donald Brashear here and guys were taking runs at him, like crazy runs at him,” Evason said of Ovechkin last season per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. “He’s the best player and Brash would go, ‘Ovi, you want me to look after you.’ And he says, ‘No, no. I’ve got it.’”
Evason even added: “And he would just go out and be more physical than the people that were trying to be physical on him.”
You know, it does not even surprise me. Ovechkin is such a fearless and physical player. And keeps on producing even with one or two opponents on his back!
Fans also know how Ovechkin can defend himself as we saw in the postseason of 2019 when he knocked out Carolina Hurricanes rookie Andrei Svechnikov in a bout.
Gotta love how Ovechkin confronted Brashear each game to make sure the enforcer need that Ovi can take care of himself.
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