Alex Ovechkin Bows Out of All-Star Game

After receiving a three game suspension from the NHL’s safety director Brendan Shanahan, Alex Ovechkin has decided to not play in this Sunday’s All-Star game.

Original speculation regarding this decision centered around Ovechkin bowing out because, well, the All-Star game is meaningless. However, recent reports have emerged that Ovechkin believes he “doesn’t deserve to play as a suspended player.”

Quotes like this one are, for lack of a better word, unusual coming from Ovechkin’s toothless mouth. The gritty Russian forward is known for his brash, unrelenting play on the ice – a skill set that has earned him elite scorer status as well as ire from other players around the league.

Ovi hits hard, shoots even harder and isn’t afraid to speak his mind. The recent suspension is evidence of his style of play. It is not like him, however, to take himself out of the All-Star game – an honor he has all but assured himself every year in the past but one that he might not be so deserving of this time around.

Ovechkin’s Capitals currently sit in eighth in the Eastern Conference, and Ovechkin is slotted in at 38th overall in league scoring; hardly a stellar season for either of them. The question that can now be raised is whether Ovechkin is taking the high road by not playing in the All-Star game during his suspension, or whether he’s realizing he didn’t really deserve to make it in the first place and is simply taking a mulligan on it?

Whatever his true feelings are, it’s tough to deny the fact that Ovechkin is having a less than impressive season. His selection to the  All-Star proves it is more of a popularity contest than performance reward. His suspension only adds to the fact that he isn’t exactly the best role model in the league right now.

Since I am a fan, I think Ovi did take the high road here, and hope that he uses all this to bounce back for a strong second half. I also believe that he shouldn’t have been selected to head to Ottawa on Sunday and his realization of that could mean a newfound maturity that will really help his career flourish.