The NHL Needs a New "Face"

From his highlight-reel goals to his explosive hits on the forecheck to his pure love for the game, Alexander Ovechkin brings a lot to the NHL -- and to online sportsbook players and fans lucky enough to watch him.

However, after seeing him stick out his knee and injure an opponent for the second time in 2009, get suspended and claim he'll return "even angrier," I wonder if he should be the NHL's poster boy after all.

The league hoped Sidney Crosby would take the mantle. While he's still young enough to grow into that role, I doubt he will. He'll win plenty more scoring titles and MVPs but he's considered a whiner to the refs, not necessarily respected by his peers and not flashy or colorful with the media.

Alexander the GR8 had the potential thanks to his exciting play and infectious joy. No matter what, he'll still be a fan favorite for the rest of his career. However, after seeing him bust out multiple dirty plays -- not to mention the hot-dog celebrations that weren't everyone's cup of tea -- it's clear that Ovie's headed for Jeremy Roenick or Brett Hull territory. Nothing wrong with that; those guys were highly influential voices who made the game better. But they weren't ambassadors.

Cal Ripken never cleated people. LeBron James wasn't part of the Malice at the Palace. Peyton Manning is too busy starring in every ad on the planet to do anything dirty on or off the field.

It seems both the NHL and advertisers already know Ovechkin isn't their guy. Has Ovechkin ever hosted Saturday Night Live? Landed a movie role?

I love Alex as a player but the NHL clearly needs a new face -- a guy who leads by example and helps popularize the game. In a perfect world, Jarome Iginla would be that guy, but he's buried up in Calgary, too far from mainstream media to get recognition across North America.

The eventual successor to a role arguably not occupied since Wayne Gretzky and Steve Yzerman left the game could be Jonathan Toews. He plays in a big market, is already a captain on a contender at age 21 and is lauded for his two-way play.

Sorry, Mr. Ovechkin. We love you and so do all those sports betting sharps who pick Washington. But we can't have the kids watching your example and learning how to knee-job guys.