The finest logo I've ever seen!
In my house we congratulate the players with a “molodyets” and routinely root for names ending in “ov” or “in.” Lately I’ve been shouting “Davai Gino!” while my partner urges on “Ovie.” Yes, we are cheering on the Russian players for Washington and Pittsburgh. Of course I feel advantaged in cheering Pittsburgh, a team with a quotient of talented Canadians including Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury. (“Molodyets” means “Well done” in Russian).
There is no doubt that the big game this weekend takes place in an hour or so in Switzerland, as Russia takes on Canada at the World Championship. A talented Russian squad will take on an equally game squad of Canadians. It’s been amazing over the last couple years to marvel at the frequency with which Canada meets Russia in these big games. I have been scorned by a friend for cheering on the Russians – yet my heart is always going to be “strong and free.” Canada is my home and guys like Spezza and Heatley are my “hometown heroes. ”
The world of hockey has globalized like much in economics, sport, or entertainment. In the U.S. capital, the Washington Capitals are dominated by a gaggle of Russians, and they rely on two in particular to lead the charge – Ovechkin who has half their team’s goals, and the young Varlamov, who is a superb rookie backstop, and charmingly has a hybrid goaltender’s mask, one side still painted with the words “Hershey Bears.” the farm team he played on before being called up. Earlier this season I chuckled when I picked up the Metro newspaper and saw the headline and photo in the Sports section. The All-star game was being played in Montreal. The headline referred to “Hometown Heroes” and the photograph featured a red-sweatered Montreal Canadien: Alexei Kovalev. The irony was not lost on me. Montreal is a big-league fanatical hockey city. For years, growing up, I knew that young Francophone players were coveted by teams like Montreal. Now I was looking at a strange new world where nationality meant little in the definition of what constituted local. The 4 representatives for “Les Habitants” at the game were Kovalev (Russian), Andrei Markov (Russian), Mike Komisarek (American) and Carey Price (an English Canadian).
Of course, over the years as Maple Leaf fans, I have cheered a rather large number of players from Russia and the former republics. Most recently I have cheered Ponikarovsky and Antropov, and before that it was Sergei Berezin and the amazing Alexander Mogilny. One of my all-time favourites was the “Russian Tank,” Dimitry Yushkevich. Russian Maple Leafs are so ingrained that once when walking through the Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood near U of T, I overheard a young man walking his dog hurry the wee canine by tugging at the leash and gently saying, “c’mon Borschevsky.” (Apparently Mike Myers also had a dog named for Nikolai Borschevsky, the small Russian who played for the Maple Leafs during the 1990s).
In any case, the Russians have the flash and perhaps epitomize the essence of a “ballet on ice” – though Ovie has been charging around with a thoroughly mean and possible “Canadian” bent in his hitting and thrashing. Even uber-fan coach/commentator Don Cherry seems to have come to like him and only criticizes him recently to tone it down because he could get hurt with his overly-physical play.
A couple years ago when watching the Canadians at the World Junior Championship I wrote a poem. Below is an edited version of “Samba on Snow” – written for my team, Team Canada.
Da-Da-Ka-Na-Da! Nyet-Nyet-Soviet!
We are Brazil on ice
Samba on snow
It’s a goal!
Strongandfree
@World junior hockey
Gold baby gold!
I am hopeful Spezza/Heatley will put on a Pele-like performance and enormously glad that half of Team Russia is engaged in the Pittsburgh/Washington series. : )
