Ed's Bio
Ed has a long history in sports as a media member from 1984-1988 covering sports for The Prince George's Post-Sentinel and then did a 10 year stint as a Washington Capitals statistician (1988-1997). His favorite sports are hockey, football, and golf. Follow Ed on TWITTER: @Emfrank123
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So I have been following all of the coverage surrounding the Alexander Ovechkin injury and the more I read about it the more incensed I have become. So when is the NHL brass going to come out and condemn the circumstances surrounding it?
After all, the most entertaining player in the league is on the shelf, week-to-week, because he made a couple of clean hits and Ken Hitchcock’s Columbus Blue Jackets decided that instead of getting even with a legal check in retaliation they would simply jump the Great #8 while he skated by their bench during a stoppage in play, likely injuring Ovechkin. To me this is just like a couple of thugs hiding out on the street and mugging the pedestrian as he walks by. Once caught they would get jail time yet the NHL, in this instance, so far has done NOTHING!! And to literally add insult to injury Hitchcock is going around in the media bragging about going after a guy who is a major meal ticket for the NHL.
“That would be correct. That’s the name of the game. Why, is that against the rules now?… Run, chase, hunt down, hit, whatever word you want to use that would be correct,” responded Hitchcock when asked if Columbus was targeting Ovechkin.
Well yes Ken, jumping a guy by your bench during a stoppage in play is against the rules and using the words ”hunt down” to describe it is even more despicable and is a disgrace to sports and the NHL. In fact, this whole incident, from the punch by Jason Chimera to the mugging by Jared Boll to Hitchcock’s comments, has no place in the league and Gary Bettman and Colin Campbell need to come down hard on the Blue Jackets for this incident IMMEDIATELY, because if they don’t then their game is going to become a joke very quickly.
”Hunt Down”… are you kidding me? What has the NHL become Wild Kingdom??!!
All the NHL is doing by not doing anything is making Ovechkin, who is selling lots of tickets and driving up TV ratings exponentially for the league, likely have to deal with this scenario on a game-by-game basis going forward. What is he going to have to watch behind his back at every stoppage in play now? It would surely seem so since Hitchcock and company have drawn up this blue print that teams can use without even the threat of an ounce of punishment? Ridiculous, if you ask me.
You want to keep a good product that is gaining serious traction, and that is what the NHL mostly is these days because of the speed and flow of the game, then you need to stomp this type of stuff out now, otherwise we might as well all get ready to go watch pro wrestling instead. This roller derby type of activity needs to be taken out of hockey immediately.
Amidst all of the thuggery around Ovechkin on Sunday I also can’t help but point the finger at Don Cherry of Hockey Night in Canada, who seems to have incited players to go after Ovechkin with his weekly diatribes against the two-time Hart Trophy winner. Yes, this is the same guy who has ripped European players for years for being soft and now finally the NHL has a megastar in the Great #8 from Russia who hits and scores yet all Cherry wants to do is bash him on Coach’s Corner and say “that somebody is going to get him??” Which way do you want it to be Don??!! Are you happy now that Ovechkin has been injured while being mugged on the ice? Was Columbus’ thug-like actions the “manly” way to try and get back at Ovechkin because he happens to hit effectively while the puck is in play?
Cherry’s statements are totally hypocritical. Hypocritical on this issue just like he was on Ovechkin and “show-boating” last year when Alex did his 50th goal celebration. You wanna talk about show-boating? Cherry is one of the all time biggest show boaters ever! All you have to do is break out the old videos from his coaching days or see the “look at me” outfits he wears every Saturday night.
Seriously though, the NHL needs to wake up fast. There are things happening in the game right now that need changing and it all starts with checking. It seems now that if a guy makes a clean hit on a player then immediately he is jumped by one of his opponents and forced to fight. What is that? What happened to the give and take that used to occur within the game in the NHL? If you get hit clean, find a way to either check that player later during play or even better yet, keep your head up, go around him, and score a goal next time you are on the ice. That is a sure fire way to deter that type of activity. This stupid code, and that is all it is, that exists now in response to clean checks needs to be removed, pronto!
And the NHL needs to come out immediately and condemn the actions of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday against the Caps and Alexander Ovechkin as well. Allowing teams to “Hunt Down” star players and then brag about it is no way to have your league operating.
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November 4th, 2009 at 7:21 am
I agree! Hitchcock’s comments had gotten me in a really foul mood. I feel VERY ready to root against the Blue Jackets. Did Cherry put him up to it?
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November 4th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Wow. Someone who agrees with me completely. This is good stuff. THANK You!
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November 4th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Oh - and did you see that someone on the bench used his stick to butt-end Ovechkin during that scrum? That’s great, NHL. Really great. Let a player get away with something like that? Sure. Fantastic. Jerks.
(Note from Ed: I did not catch that part, thanks for pointing it out!)
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November 4th, 2009 at 11:00 am
This would not have happened if Caps had a heavy like Brashear, Boogaard, etc…
No fear of retaliation when you play Washington. No physical players with Erskine out.
Mcphee gets what he deserves. Blue Jackets did nothing wrong.
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November 4th, 2009 at 11:06 am
[...] Ed Frankovic says NHL should do something about Ken Hitchcock going after Ovechkin [...]
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November 4th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
The NHL Network and Versus network should now air Columbia Blue Jackets games while Ovechkin is out. Let’s see if Rick Nash attracts record viewership and excites an international audience. If not, let’s have some thugs go “hunt down” his head.
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November 4th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Right On Eddie…
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November 4th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
I agree Ed. This is ridiculous. Didn’t Ovi get fined recently? Something needs to be done. I also agree with bomber that we need an enforcer. With Brash gone no one is afraid of anyone on the Caps and that’s not a good thing.
(Note from Ed: Yes Chad, Ovechkin was fined $2,500 for a “slew foot” in the Atlanta game two weeks ago. This infraction occurred while play was going on. I disagreed with the fine as I felt Alex was using his upper body to try and maneuver on Rich Peverly and then there feet got tangled up and the Thrasher went down. Now Ovechkin is jumped with play stopped and the league continues to do NOTHING!)
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November 4th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Where’s the justice for Ovechkin when he goes around head-hunting and throwing knee-to-knee hits? I don’t think Jamie Heward, Daniel Briere, or Sergei Gonchar have much sympathy for poor little Ovechkin. The fact is that players are sick and tired of Ovechkin running around, leaving his feet on hits, hitting from behind, throwing cheap shots, and then acting like some ridiculous bojangles when he scores goals.
When Ovechkin is on the giving end of cheap shots, Caps apologists come out of the woodwork to laud Ovechkin for his “passion” and “hard-nosed style of play.” When Ovechkin gets a dose of his own medicine, Ovechkin, Boudreau, the Washington sports media, and the Caps fans get their undies in a twist. This is how the game is played, folks. Deal with it.
(Note from Ed: Last time I checked Ovechkin hasn’t cheap shotted anyone after the whistle was over so get your facts straight. Your post is the joke.)
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November 4th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Bravo Blue Jackets for doing what over half of the NHL as been looking forward to. Its called karma. Odouchekin has been running players and giving out cheap shots since he’s entered the league. (Gonchar, Malkin, and Briere come to mind). It was going to happen sooner or later and now all of the sudden everyone is in shock. I can’t stand Hitchcock but i gained some respect for him after those comments. Ovie wants to play the hard rough and tough game, fine let him. Just don’t get your panties in a bunch when another team returns the punishment back on him.
And personally, I know I’ll get ripped for this on a Capitals/Baltimore/Washington propaganda board, but I’d take Nash over Ovie. 40 or more goals per year and Nash actually knows how to play defense and backcheck, something the “Great 8″ has proven time and time again he knows nothing about. You can have your “flair” and “passion” but I’ll take the solid all around team player.
(Note from Ed: Clearly a Penguins fan here. Ovechkin’s hits occur while the play is going on, not cheap shots from behind by the bench so what games have you been watching? I don’t think you’ll be getting a GM or scouting job anytime soon choosing Nash over Ovechkin. While #61 is a very good player he is no #8. How many playoff games has Nash won? 0 is the correct answer).
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November 4th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
“Note from Ed: Last time I checked Ovechkin hasn’t cheap shotted anyone after the whistle was over so get your facts straight. Your post is the joke.”
If you re-read my post, I never said that Ovechkin has thrown cheap shots between whistles - I just said he throws cheap shots. So instead of telling me to check my facts, how about you read the post again.
Again, players are sick and tired of him running players, leaving his feet, hitting from behind, hitting knee-to-knee, etc. They are also sick and tired of him acting like a buffoon when he scores goals. Until he tones down the post-score theatrics and the cheap shots (which he throws during play - as I noted previously), teams will continue to do this kind of stuff to him. Is it right? No. Is it within the rules? Not really. But last time I checked, Colin Campbell has difficulty with enforcing the written rules of the league.
When Ovechkin hit Briere from behind a few years ago, the Washington sports media quickly came to his defense, saying it wasn’t intentional. Same thing when he threw a cheap shot on Jamie Heward. Again, when he was going high with the intention of decapitating Evgeni Malkin repeatedly. Then he hits Sergei Gonchar knee-to-knee (and watch a replay, Ovechkin threw his leg out), and again everyone rushes to Ovechkin’s defense to say it wasn’t intentional. Ovechkin throws a slewfoot on Rich Peverly, but everyone says Ovechkin doesn’t have a history of dirty play. How many more “unintentional” cheap shots must Ovechkin throw before you and others in the Washington sports media realize it is a pattern of behavior. The other players in the NHL caught on.
I’m not saying what the Blue Jackets did was right - Jason Chimera has always been known as a bit of a rough and tumble character like that - but I’m sure they believe it was justified. And as I said in my last post, I’m sure Daniel Briere, Jamie Heward, and Sergei Gonchar aren’t losing sleep over Ovechkin’s injury.
Go ahead and say my post is a joke all you want, but for a guy who has been as close to the NHL for as long as you have, you sure make it sound like you don’t understand the game.
(Note from Ed: First, how about posting your name and a real email address? Second, Heward said he didn’t think Ovechkin’s hit on him was a cheap shot last January 1st. I have watched the Gonchar hit several times, Ovechkin sticks out his shoulder first and if you know anything about skating if you stick out your shoulder your leg will also typically go with it in that direction. The Peverly play - I am on record numerous times that he was again sticking out his shoulder/upper body to get position and his feet got tangled up with Peverly in the process. Why would Ovechkin be attempting to slew foot anyone in a one goal game in the last minute of regulation? Were you even watching that game live or did you just see the replay? You are the one who doesn’t seem to understand the game. The league is a joke for fining Ovechkin on that hit and not reprimanding Columbus for their thuggery after the whistle.)
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November 4th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
If you want to play with “passion” and “aggression” sooner or later somebody’s going to give it back to you. Hockey’s a tough sport, sorry. A lot of folks outside of Washington think that many of Ovechkin’s hits are questionable at best. Sooner or later he was going to get it back, and as the gloss wears off he’s going to get it more often.
Top players being targeted isn’t exactly a new phenomenon, in fact it’s the opposite. You’re bio says you covered hockey in the 80’s, so you should know that.
So you don’t have to make a snide comment, I’ll tell you I’m a Penguins fan. “Run, chase, hunt down, hit” is a good way to describe how Ovechkin’s gone after Malkin, or how the Flyers play against Crosby. If you have a good team, you suck it up and overcome it. We’ll have to see what the Caps do.
(Note from Ed: Yes, I covered the game and worked in it in the 80’s and you retaliated with clean hits while the puck was in play, not by cheap shotting a guy from behind while the play was stopped. So all of this “Ovechkin got what he deserved” from some of you makes no sense. If Ovechkin got hit while the puck was in play on an honest attempt at a check, I would buy the argument. But the fact remains he got cheap shotted and jumped during a stoppage in play. Yes hockey is a tough sport so if other teams want to get even for clean, aggressive, hard checks from Ovechkin they should retaliate by hitting him. Malkin has gotten some good hits on him just like Ovie has gotten him too. It is a good rivalry between the two and they keep it going between whistles. But to jump a guy at the bench and grab him from behind is flat out cheap and dirty and that is what Hitchcock and his thugs did on Sunday.)
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November 5th, 2009 at 1:09 am
Running at players within play is just as bad as ‘cheap shots’ after the play. The nature of the game allows in-play hits to be very violent. And post-whistle scrums have always been apart of the game. If Ovechkin and the Caps participated in a scrum with the CBJs then they have to swallow the pill that comes with that. A smarter team would turn their cheeks.
As far as head-hunting is concerned, it’s been around forever and Ken Hitchcock can say it’s part of his gameplan if he wants, and won’t receive any disciplinary action unless it is revealed that the intent was to injure. Roughing up a star-player has been part of the game forever. This was especially memorable during the Gretzky era and has also been documented as happening to Crosby, even in the QMJHL and below that. If the Caps want to prevent this they need to sign a player that will scare the pants off any player thinking about messing with Ovechkin. At this point, they’re just inviting this type of tom-foolery.
As far as the specific altercation you are referring to, I haven’t seen much of this play other than handy-cam videos. If you could provide a link that shows where all this outrage is coming from, I would be gracious.
(Note frome Ed: Nic, I am unable to find a link at this time but will continue to try and find one. Turning the other cheek is certainly an option. Post whistle scrums have always been a part of the game but in this instance it crossed the line. When Chimera pushed Ovechkin it might have been best to skate away but this happened right in front of the Columbus bench and 7 Blue Jackets were on the ice giving them an easy advantage when they jumped Ovechkin. Boll grabbed Ovechkin up high and had a field day. I do think that the Caps will re-look at not going with an enforcer so far and perhaps bring one up (Sugden) or trade for one. However, I do not think that Ovechkin’s hits are cheap shots. The Heward, Gonchar, and Peverly hits are all easily explainable when watching the replay plus you have to consider the game situation (time and score). While Hitchcock has every right to say they were going to play hard, within the rules, and hit Ovechkin, the words “Hunt Down” are over the line. There is no need for that in hockey. Gretzky was very well protected by McSorley and Semenko in his time but he also did not hit like Ovechkin. But the NHL needs to discourage this fighting that is occuring after clean hits across the board. These fights after hits were not the case at all in the past, you have to agree with that, right?)
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November 5th, 2009 at 1:32 am
Ed,
The last three posters are all Pens fans. We’ve all seen it before, someone gets ahold of this article, and then they tell their little buddies, and they’re come on and talk smack about Ovi. Notice how they don’t mention Malkin’s slewfoots and elbows or Crosby’s nutpunches, jumping a guy off of a faceoffs, or multiple slashes after the whistle has blown. (But of course me bring those two names up means I’m obsessed with them, but the fact that they have to respond to every Ovi article doesn’t mean they’re obsessed with Ovi–right.)
Seriously should rewatch the Gonchar hit. MANY hockey experts looked at it and said he didn’t stick his leg out to hit Gonchar’s knee. Talk about bitter people. Even Guerin said he’d bet his house that Ovi didn’t try to deliberately knee Gonchar.
Heward has said MANY times that Ovi’s hit wasn’t dirty, and that Ovi is not a dirty player. Funny how Pens fans can’t seem to find those articles.
I’ve said it before, I have no problem with other teams trying to hit Ovi. Ovi’s a big boy and can handle himself. It’s too bad that he got hurt, but this is hockey and it’s a tough sport. I do have a problem with these insecure Pens fans though. It’s really embarassing.
(Note from Ed: Thanks for the post and input. As I’ve said, I have no problems with someone trying to hit Ovechkin while play is going on and post whistle scrums are a part of the game but this one crossed the line and when you combine the next day bragging from Hitchcock it became clear to me that this type of behavior needs to be reprimanded. But so far all we hear out of the league office is crickets..)
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November 5th, 2009 at 1:44 am
I forgot to add to Seriously in regards to this quote:
“Again, players are sick and tired of him running players, leaving his feet, hitting from behind, hitting knee-to-knee, etc.”
And these players are so sick and tired of this stuff that they voted for him for the Pearson? Imagine that. I would have thought if they were so sick and tired of him doing all of this stuff, then they would have thought that he was the NHL’s Most Outstanding Player.
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November 5th, 2009 at 1:50 am
I won’t deny I’m a Pens fan, but I am also a hockey fan dfe. And with that I’d like to think I can be objective once in a while. I do think the league does need to hold players more accountable regardless of team. I had the same outcry you guys are having now with Ovechkin when Hartnell (or was it Mike Richards, one of those two) ran over Fleury with less than a second left in a game and then after the fact a biting incident occurred.
There needs to be a precedent set and as of now the only way players are being held accountable is via the goons/enforcers in-game and the occasional suspension handed out to the most violent of plays (and sometimes, seemingly with exception).
The fact that these are all considered on a case-by-case basis instead of being spelled out in the rule-book is the problem in the first place.
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November 5th, 2009 at 1:51 am
Oops, that should have been “wouldn’t have thought”…
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November 5th, 2009 at 2:09 am
@Nic, when I talked about the above 3 posters, you hadn’t posted yet, so I wasn’t including you. I have no problem with Pens fans who are, as you say, hockey fans. I don’t expect most Pens fans to like Ovi, but some of these comments from Pens fans on every Ovi article are just stupid.
Back on topic, I pretty much agree with everything you wrote.
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November 5th, 2009 at 2:32 am
@Nic, when I said I pretty much agree with what you said, I was referring to your second posting. In your first posting, you allude to Ovi being dirty (if that was not your intent, I apologize). But I would like to quote a Caps fan in regards to Ovi being dirty or not that best sums up how I feel:
When you are as fast and as physical as Alex you will occasionally break a few eggs. Those few instances will be spotlighted by fans of teams that Ovi consistantly torments and turned into the dirtiest plays in hockey history. A dirty player is someone who tries to play dirty. Ovechkin doesn’t. Making the occasional questionable play due to aggressiveness does not make him dirty. And that’s 3 or 4 questionable hits out of approximately 880 hits in his NHL career so far.
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December 1st, 2009 at 5:37 pm
First, I am a Thrashers fan. As a Thrashers fan I was predisposed to being a fan of Alex Ovechkin. After all, it certainly appears that he and Ilya Kovalchuk are buddies. I’m sure that Ilya, if asked, would defend Alex as he would any friend. After all, he still defends Dany Heatley and wonders why he still gets booed here… another discussion for another time.
Your right, I can’t open that can of worms without an explanation. The city of Atlanta and the Atlanta Thrasher fan base offered unwavering support for Dany Heatley after he drove his Ferrari 80+ mph through Buckhead, crashed, broke said Ferrari in half, killed Dan Schneider, stayed as far away from Atlanta as he could during the lockout, asked to be traded mere moments before camp opened, immediately dissed the fans who supported him and then did all his community service in Canada. I’m glad he’s happy in Ottawa.
I digress. Ilya’s misplaced loyalties aside, I loved Alex Ovechkin. But now, as much as I love how hard he plays the game and as much as I wish our Superstar played that hard all the time… HE’S DIRTY and he’s going to hurt someone! He may not intend to play dirty but, just like a spoiled rich kid, nobody has bothered to do much to correct his behavior so why should he alter it?
Double standards exist in all sports. This however, is different because it will result in a serious injury if nobody sits him down and has a “come-to-Jesus” meeting with him. I hope he gets suspended for a few games and is made to understand his behavior so we can watch this incredible talent without cringing every time he comes on the ice. Of course, we’ll always cringe… we just want to afraid of his slapshots not his ice-leaving headshots.