Alexei Kovalev Slams PK Subban
Alexei Kovalev takes a shot (AP)
Alexei Kovalev is not shy. Even as a young rookie on a Stanley Cup winning team in NY he stood out. Matter of fact, he stood out and could barely speak the language!
In an interview with TSN this week, he told them how he just didn’t understand why PK Subban got so much money. Alexei tried to put it into context of how the older players didn’t understand how his generation got paid too, but he didn’t mince words on Subban.
“He’s a risky defenceman and he’s a wide open defenceman. What I’m saying is that he can give up five goals and score five goals, and the score’s still going to be zero-zero.” Well, that’s quite the statement.
Kovalev continued and this is where my eyebrow raised ala the Rock in a WWE promo. “So I always compare him with Brian Leetch, because he wants to play the same kind of style and be more offensive. He’s not making the right decisions. He’s making the risky plays, he’s not making the right decisions sometimes. He just plays like we used to play on the street – street hockey.”
What???
Did Alexei Kovalev just run over PK Subban and hit one of the men he owes his only NHL championship too? Was it not Brian Leetch who was named the 1st American Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 1994? It sure was, which begs the question of what Alexei really meant.
This is no doubt “tabloid” material and we are not the FullTilt Enquirer. My honest opinion is that Alexei, who still speaks with a hard accent, only wanted to compare Subban’s offensive game to Leetch’s. Not his defensive side.
Still, the quote certainly comes off the wrong way and I can understand how some may see it as such.
Bottom line for us – it’s still only August and we really need hockey back! Is it October yet?
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