Hockey players pride themselves on their toughness, and Russians (as well as Canadians) pride themselves on their ability to tolerate cold weather. This sets the stage for NHL outdoor games to be the ultimate showing of toughness – although the CFL’s Grey Cup is up there as well.
Alex Ovechkin is one of the most eccentric personalities in the league, so you can expect that he would make his presence felt during the rare outdoor matches. Ahead of Washington’s Stadium Series game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ovi made sure everyone knew just how much he didn’t care about the cold weather when he barely wore anything below the waist ahead of puck drop.
It would be tough, but in both posts Ovi honestly just looks miserable. His clenched teeth and overall persona are just screaming with regret, but you can bet he wouldn’t tell you that. Either way, the Russian is pretty sure he’s ready for anything Mother Nature is going to throw at him.
Hopefully for Caps’ fans Ovechkin is able to channel his inner-toughness and translate it into results tonight.
(H/T Tarik El-Bashir)
