Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan has admitted in the past that he sometimes asks Alex Ovechkin for input on moves or hiring the front office is trying to make. Most recently, MacLellan revealed that Ovechkin was consulted “at the beginning and at the end when we decided to hire [new head coach Spencer Carbery].”
Before returning to America, Ovechkin spoke about his relationship with the Capitals front office in a recent The interview in Russian language on the YouTube channel, This is hockey, bro!
Hosts Artem Batrak and Alexey Shevchenko dug into Ovechkin’s power in the Capitals front office, asking him to compare himself to Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.
“Sometimes it’s said that Sidney Crosby wants to hide this or that hockey player,” they said.
Ovechkin rejected any direct comparisons, but explained he was happy to weigh in if necessary.
“I don’t know what happened in Pittsburgh, how it all happened, but in Washington, if they ask for any advice, I’ll give it,” Ovechkin said in a Google Translation.
He used the recent situation of close friend Dmitry Orlov. The Russian defenseman was dealt by the Capitals at the 2023 trade deadline to the Boston Bruins and eventually signed by the Carolina Hurricanes during free agency. Ovechkin may be consulted on some moves, but he understands the pecking order and the constraints of the salary cap.
“I’m not a general manager, I can’t manage a team,” Ovechkin said. “My work is completely different.
“I want Dima to stay,” he added. “We are actually neighbors across the street. His wife is (Ovi Jr’s) godmother. Do you think I won’t say: ‘Keep Dima?'”
During the season, The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir reported that MacLellan met with Ovechkin as the Caps’ strategy shifted to trading and retooling before the trade deadline. The writer noted that Ovechkin “[was] not happy with the situation” but understood why it happened.
“I always see some of the old guys,” MacLellan said in response. “I met with Ovi just to tell him what I think is going to happen here so that he knows the reasons. Why this is happening and what we hope to accomplish by the trade deadline.
Ovechkin said he remains close friends with Orlov — though he wouldn’t 100 percent rule out a fight with his former teammate if push came to shove.
“Why not? This is hockey,” Ovechkin said. “In hockey, your friends are not on the ice. When you go on the ice, all your friends are on your team. Here the emotions are very heavy. It is very difficult to control yourself when something happens. And you don’t look when your friend or your brother is there.
“We have a good relationship with Orlov,” he concluded. “Dima is a good friend. Too bad he left. But, again, this is business. The general manager did what he had to do. If he doesn’t want to sign the contract, then there is no reason to let him go for nothing.
Header image: Alan Dobbins/RMNB