Capitals: Why There Should Be an NHL Version of “The Last Dance” Starring Alexander Ovechkin

With the world under quarantine because of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are itching for new content to watch to keep themselves occupied and distracted during these new and confusing times.

For sports fans, it has been especially tough because, unlike films and television, there have been no games taking place and it is highly unlikely for sports fans to go back and re-watch classic games to occupy their time. That is why ESPN and Netflix’s combined efforts to produce and distribute, “The Last Dance,” a docuseries giving a behind-the-scenes look into the career of basketball and cultural icon, Michael Jordan, have come at an all-too-perfect time.

As previously mentioned, this 10-episode docuseries chronicles Jordan’s career. The series pays especially close attention to the1997-1998 NBA season. “The Last Dance” has taken the sports world by storm and with weekly releases of two new episodes every Sunday, it is keeping viewers engaged, and attracting new ones due to positive word-of-mouth.

By going behind-the-scenes, viewers become engaged by the personalities appearing on camera to discuss past events. For instance, it was interesting for me, a non-basketball fan for the most part, to learn about Dennis Rodman and his unique personality. It is also interesting to hear the stories being told revolving around and including arguably the greatest basketball player of all time in Michael Jordan.

Any sports fan can appreciate the behind-the-scenes look into these icons of sport because it differs completely from what sports fans are used to seeing on television. We are used to seeing uninteresting pre-and-post-game interviews before and after they play where the personalities of players are hidden. This has never been truer than with hockey players.

Throughout my binge-watching of this series, I can’t stop thinking about how great it would be for someone to do this about a hockey player. Have a camera crew following their team for an entire season and then interviewing players about that season, as well as previous seasons in their career.

It would give fans an opportunity to see the personality of the player, and other players on their team, which is something that is often hidden from the public eye. I think there is no player better suited for their own docuseries than Alexander Ovechkin.