Skip to content

Alex Ovechkin says suspension might make him “more angry”

Alex Ovechkin says he isn’t going to change his playing style because of a two-game suspension.
Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom
Washington Capitals' Nicklas Backstrom stands over teammate Alex Ovechkin after Ovechkin collided with Carolina Hurricanes' Tim Gleason in Raleigh

ARLINGTON, Va. — Alex Ovechkin says he isn’t going to change his playing style because of a two-game suspension.

Asked about the penalty he received from the NHL for a knee-to-knee hit, the Washington Capitals star said Wednesday it might make him “more angry.”

Ovechkin was ejected after the hit on Carolina’s Tim Gleason in Monday night, the second time in less than a week he has been tossed from a game.

Coach Bruce Boudreau suggested Tuesday that he might talk with Ovechkin about curbing some of his aggressive play, but on Wednesday the coach said he’s not going to tinker with the league’s two-time reigning MVP.

Boudreau says he is “satisfied with the way he plays.”