Bruce Boudreau compares NHL superstar to the Incredible Hulk.

We often refer to professional athletes as "heroes" but when we're using that kind of language we usually mean it in the more traditional sense of the word. When we say a player in the National Hockey League is a hero we usually mean something along the lines of them being an inspirational figure, or someone's whose charitable work has improved the lives of those in their community.

On Sunday however National Hockey League head coach Bruce Boudreau used an actual superhero to draw a comparison to one of the NHL's most beloved players, one that he himself is intimately familiar with. Boudreau, who is currently the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, was speaking with members of the media ahead of a Sunday afternoon matchup between the Washington Capitals and the Vancouver Canucks when he compared one of the opposing players to none other than the Incredible Hulk.

Now it wasn't because this particular NHL player is particularly green, nor was it because Boudreau has a particular fondness for the name "Bruce" but it was instead the Hulk's most infamous characteristic that prompted the comparison, his anger. Boudreau drew the comparison between the Hulk, who's 'real' name is Bruce Banner, and Washington Capitals superstar forward Alexander Ovechkin because, like the Hulk, Boudreau believes that Ovechkin feeds off of his anger.

Boudreau informed reporters that he feels it is a bad idea to target Ovechkin on the ice if only because it tends to light a fire under the Russian forward, one that it is clear he wants no part of.

"The more you hit him, he’s like the Hulk," said the always affable Boudreau. "He gets stronger the angrier he gets. You sort of want to let him sleep."

The Hulk is famous for letting his enemies know 'you won't like me when I'm angry' and it seems that Boudreau instructs his players to operate in a similar fashion when it comes to dealing with Ovechkin on the ice.

Boudreau himself coached Ovechkin for several years when he was the head coach of the Washington Capitals, so I'm confident he knows exactly what he's talking about.