‘Semin Reaches’
courtesy of ‘clydeorama’
This kinda slipped under my hockey radar (sorry, been focused on the Winter Classic in two days), but better late than never, right? Three prominent Capitals players were announced to the Russian 2010 Olympic hockey squad on Christmas Day: Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, and Semyon Varlamov.
I know, not a huge surprise, these guys. They’ll be joined by several other NHL and KHL stars, including former Caps players Sergei Fedorov (now with Metallurg Magnitogorsk) and Viktor Kozlov (with Salavat Ufa).
It’s an interesting roster, with 9 players on the 23-man squad coming from Russia’s own Kontinental Hockey League. One wonders if the Russians are playing a bit of sports politics by trying to puff up the KHL, rather than build the best team possible. (Keep in mind, however, that the final-final roster won’t be announced until February 15.)
Still, it’s a team with massive firepower and will be highly entertaining to watch. Just like Caps hockey…
Having lived in the DC area for ten years, Ben still loves to wander the city with his wife, shooting lots of photos and exploring all the latest exhibits and galleries. A certified hockey fanatic, he spends some time debating the Washington Capitals club with friends – but everyone knows of his three decade love affair with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
A professional writer, gamer, photographer, and Lego enthusiast, Ben remains captivated by DC and doesn’t plan on leaving any time soon.
Don’t forget to mention Fleischmann on the Czech Republic team and Nicklas Backstrom on the Sweden team.
The big surprise so far is Mike Green getting the snub from Canada… with their power play at the last Olympics hovering at around 13 percent overall, a power-play specialist defenseman should have been one of their top priorities. They overcame that power play issue last time, but to ignore it this time around is a huge mistake on their part.