Capitals: Why There Should Be an NHL Version of “The Last Dance” Starring Alexander Ovechkin
Legend of Ovi
Although everything Ovechkin does is highly publicized, there is still a legend about Alexander the Great. There is a mythos that is, “Alexander Ovechkin.”
I don’t even know how to describe it properly, but when you hear the name, “Alexander Ovechkin,” or when players discuss him, there is just this sense of greatness, and a legacy to the name.
As if a legendary career is being discussed, meanwhile he is still playing. Nothing seems to phase him, and he never seems to slow down. He doesn’t seem like just another hockey player, he seems like something larger than merely a pawn in the game. A player with a legendary status immediately jumps out as somebody who should be the star of a documentary following a hockey player if one were to be made.
Michael Jordan is a legend of basketball and beyond. He carried himself differently, and everybody knew who MJ was. Although hockey’s demographic is much smaller, Ovi is about as close as they come to being a celebrity of the sport.
When it comes to carrying themselves differently, Ovechkin fits the bill there too. Of course, Sidney Crosby is a legend in his own right due to his extreme talent, unbelievable work ethic and how frequently he has won. However, when you hear Sidney Crosby, he sounds human.
What I mean by this is, everybody knows he’s a stud, but his legend status comes differently; It primarily comes from his aforementioned work ethic and winning. Ovi’s legend status as a hockey player just comes from being the way he is. It comes from him going 100 miles-an-hour every shift and slamming into everybody before scoring a hat-trick. He just has a presence about him I genuinely have a hard time describing that elevates his status from a great player to a legend of the sport.
Having a docuseries that follows a legend of the sport and helps the viewers get to see him as a person instead of just this legend we are accustomed to, it is bringing something new to the table. We see every other player as human, but if Ovi were at the centre of a series like this, it would be some people’s first opportunity to see him as a person as opposed to a legend (or a goat).