An Explanation of Two of the Most Controversial Goal Celebrations in the Past Five Years
1. Alex Ovechkin’s 50th Goal Celebration
With a stunning wristshot, Alex Ovechkin fired the puck past Mike McKenna for his fiftieth goal of the season, and became the first Capital to score fifty or more goals in each of three seasons.
However, what Ovechkin did next, pretending his stick was on fire, angered some people, starting with his coach Bruce Boudreau, “It's the first and only time I've seen that happen in all the time I've been watching Alex. I've never seen him do a celebration like that. But I don't expect it to happen again.” It wasn’t just the Capitals staff; Tampa Bay players didn’t like what he did either. “I'm a traditionalist when it comes to hockey. I appreciate guys who play the game hard and are humble. Alex is always exciting to watch and he's great for the game, but it's not something I would have done. When I saved his breakaway I could have done a spin move or something, but I didn't,” said Lightning goalie Mike McKenna. And Tampa forward Ryan Malone wasn’t amused by it either: "I took it as an insult, personally. It's embarrassing, this isn't football… I wouldn't have any trouble with somebody [hitting] him right in the noggin, I would have no trouble with that… You scored a goal? Great. Fine. I don't need it rubbed in my face."
Ovechkin did nothing to quell the flames of irritation against him; during an interview, he said, beaming, “If I score fifty goal, just to put stick on the ice and make like it hot, hot, hot, you know… I feel pretty good actually… yeah [already thought about it], me, Jose Theodore, Backstrom, and Green, we said if I score goal, like, Jose told me, I just put stick on the ice, and do like, its hot, it’s so hot, yeah, and then Backie stopped and Greenie stopped, and I just said, okay, I have to do it myself.”
The best part came when Ovechkin was told that Don Cherry would be angry at his celebration; he just laughed and said, “Oh, yeah, he’s going to be pissed off for sure. He’s going to be pissed off… can’t wait when he says something about me.”
On Hockey Night in Canada, Don Cherry expressed his annoyance ovehe tells Ovechkin, “You’re above this kind of stuff. The people are not laughing with Ovechkin’s celebration. He started yelling about how Ovechkin should pay attention to how Tampa feels, and the fact that he scored on a rookie goaltender. “You can’t do stuff like that and not make people feel bad,” he stated. And then you, they’re laughing at you. Starting with your coach.” Don Cherry especially didn’t like the fact that Ovechkin directly challenged him.
As for me, I like the enthusiasm that he shows for the game, and I think the celebration was a great way to express his passion for scoring goals. He very clearly earned the right to celebrate like that.
2. Nail Yakupov’s Celebration Against the Kings
Nail Yakupov is known around the NHL for his exuberant and passionate personality. But three games in the 2013-14 season, some people think he went too far.
After scoring a goal against the Los Angeles Kings, tying the game with only a few seconds left, Nail Yakupov slid across the ice in his knees then lay face down on the ice in what was similar to Theo Fleury’s goal celebration back in the ‘90’s. Personally, I loved what I perceived as a passionate celebration – but Don Cherry – and some others – didn’t.
"If any time you want to make our highlights at the start [of the show], just act like an idiot like this," Cherry fumed. Hockey Night in Canada then showed a clip of devastated Jonathan Quick, the Kings’ goaltender, lying down on the ice after the goal.
"Here's the MVP of the National Hockey League. Here's a guy, the best goaltender in the world," Cherry said of Jonathan Quick. "He [Yakupov] has embarrassed him, lying there like that. I am telling you, they, LA, is going to remember this. They will remember this to the dying day. You don't do stuff like that."
Yakupov’s teammates were not happy with his celebration, particularly because they had to chase him down the ice.
However, in my opinion, the NHL needs young, zealous players like Yakupov, players who love every moment of the game. So, no, I don’t blame him for that celly at all. Had I been in his place, I probably would have done the same thing.
Sources:
"Alexander Ovechkin’s 50th Goal Celebration – Did He Go Too Far?" Hockey Hermit. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2015.
Huie, Michael. "Celebration Station." USA Hockey. USA Hockey, Sept. 2009. Web. 6 Mar. 2015.
Tongio, Jesilou. "Don Cherry Takes Issue With Nail Yakupov Goal Celebration." CBC Sports. CBC/Radio-Canada, 26 Jan. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2015.
"Don Cherry Rips Oilers' Nail Yakupov for Goal Celebration." The Edmonton Sun. The Edmonton Sun, 26 Jan. 2013. Web. 6 Mar. 2015.
Wyshynski, Greg. "Nail Yakupov’s Goal Celebration and Death to the NHL’s Tedious Decorum." Yahoo! Sports. Yahoo!, 25 Jan. 2013. Web. 06 Mar. 2015.