I used the word “I” way too much in this interview. That isn’t like me. We are all in this together - our partners, families, fans and players.
“We” is more powerful than “I”. There is no “I” in team. You know what I mean.
Please accept my apologies everyone. This is a total team and community effort. Let’s say, “Let’s go Caps!”
Here is an important film to watch on SnagFilms.com. It is called Crawford and it focuses on the small town in Texas where President Bush calls home. It is a poignant film to watch as we turn the page and get ready for regime change.
It is an exhibition game in the middle of the season. There are no points awarded for it and it is all about individual achievement and fun. It is really an event that caters to television, sponsors and the local fans in the community where the game is played.
I watch All-Star games and my only hope is that our players who participate don’t get hurt. I have zero emotional connection to the game.
At season’s end, there is a vote for the best players in the NHL. Alex Ovechkin has been a FIRST team ALL NHL player in each and every year he has played and he was last season’s MVP. That is the All-Star vote that matters.
So it is now time to stop our collective whining here. I didn’t want to mount an All-Star online voting campaign. I didn’t want to expend franchise energy and resources on a program that frankly is about individual stats and not about playoff hockey and the pursuit of a Stanley Cup. I also think that franchises that mount campaigns to support individuals for All-Star games look “small time and unsophisticated” to the media, longtime fans and industry insiders.
That was a decision that I stand by. I am much more concerned with our play of late than I am about the All-Star game balloting process.
We now have many players who have been out for a long time trying to be re-integrated into our team. We also need to find motivation and play with desperation and show hard work and play physical with a big lead in the standings. This is a new experience for this team and right now we have lost our focus and our momentum. All of our energies need to marshaled to get back to being a tight knit team that plays together and is trying to achieve a common goal. We also need to play with a chip on our shoulder. We are not taken seriously yet and the best way to get respect is to win; be a long term playoff performer; and win a Stanley Cup. Everything else will take care of itself if we win a championship. A Stanley Cup clarifies and provides true signal through all of the noise.
I appreciate the media writing supportive and critical articles such as this one and the emails I have received about the All-Star game but to be direct and honest, I don’t care. I don’t want us to waste cycles on this exhibition game any longer. We need to be focused on the next 38 games to qualify for the playoffs. That is all that matters to me and our franchise.