Sidney Crosby Ain't The Only Young Star In The NHL

At a time when hockey coverage has never been harder to get, the game seems to becoming so wealthy with great young talent that can bring a bright future to this sport. It’s a shame that no one is noticing it. Even in wake of Sidney Crosby’s injury, an ankle sprain that will keep him out for at least the next month, a new generation of superstars is beginning to make their mark around the league.

None have made a bigger factor than Alexander Ovechkin, the NHL leader in points (76) and goals (47). Playing second fiddle to the much-deserving Crosby, Ovechkin has become the league’s most prolific scorer by the age of 22. He surpassed last year’s 46 goals last night, and had two assists in last night’s 3-2 win over the Rangers, which helped keep Washington’s dreams of its first playoff berth since 2003 and first division title since 2001 alive. Ovechkin is on pace for 68 goals this year, which would be the most seen in over a decade.

In wake of Crosby’s costly injury, the Pittsburgh Penguins haven’t lost any ground in the standings. That’s because of second year man Evgeni Malkin, who is just behind Ovechkin with 73 points, and doing the majority of his damage ever since Crosby went down on January 18th. Malkin is on a filthy roll as we speak, scoring three or more points in four of his last five games (he had two points in the other game). In 10 games without his fallen superstar, Malkin has scored 21 points and Pittsburgh has gone 6-2-2 in those. That’s very encouraging for a team that is playing without the league MVP. This year, it’s Malkin that has become a viable candidate for the award, a year after Crosby dazzled the league with his ascension to superstar status.

Ovechkin, Crosby, and Malkin are the most talented set of young snipers that the league will see for over the next decade; third-year pro Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers looks to be the best young player who makes a living off trying to make those guys look bad. In three years, the Swedish goaltender has helped put New York back in playoff contention. In his rookie year, he was 30-12-9 and had a ridiculous .922 save percentage. The Rangers had a glaring hole on defense following Mike Richter’s retirement in 2003, but Lundqvist has cleared that up with his impressive play. He’s two for two in playoff appearances, and a third straight trip to the postseason is very possible.

In a sports culture where hockey has fallen out as one of the Big Four, the greatest show on ice
may finally have what it needs to matter again. Ovechkin’s goal in his rookie year is called “the greatest ever” by The Great One himself, Wayne Gretzky, who had to witness it as the coach on the opposing sideline. In case you haven’t seen it, it’s right here. Still amazes me each time I watch it.

The NBA has shown how a crop of young marketable stars can create an era of prosperity that was never imagined, and the NHL should do a similar thing. In addition to all the recognition Crosby gets, the league should do everything it can to promote the skills of rising stars like All-Star Game MVP Eric Staal, who led his Carolina Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup in his second year in the league. His brother Jordan, 21, is on the Penguins, and is the youngest player in the history of the NHL to score a hat trick. These players and many others have demonstrated that they can play hockey at a high level, but most haven’t had a chance to see it with hockey stuck in television purgatory. Marketing these stars is the only other way the NHL has any hope of generating interest in their sport.