The gold medal game at this year’s World Junior Championships saw Canada face a highly skilled Russian squad. The game also featured an intriguing match up, Sidney Crosby vs. Alexander Ovechkin.

The first pick overall in the 2004 entry draft selected by the Washington Capitals, Ovechkin became the first Russian-born player to be selected in the number one position. Along with his speed, skill and offensive abilities, Ovechkin attracted a lot of attention during the World Junior tournament due to his flashy mirrored visor and brash behaviour both on and off the ice.

Canada?s 6-1 romp over Russia in the final game dissolved a lot of the hype surrounding the clash of the two teenage hockey phenoms. Though Crosby went home with a gold medal around his neck, the outcome of the game cannot be viewed as a fair assessment of either player.

In all fairness, Crosby only had one assist and Ovechkin left the game mid-way through the second period suffering a separated shoulder after enduring, in succession, four bone-crunching body checks by Team Canada. This injury forced Ovechkin to miss almost a month?s worth of games with the Dynamo Moscow squad of the Russian Super League.

On Aug. 1, Sidney Crosby will walk up to the podium at the Corel Centre in Ottawa and put on a NHL sweater just like Ovechkin had done over a year ago. Let the comparisons begin!

When the NHL resumes play this fall, the League will be in dire need of a way to win back fans following an entire season missed due to the lockout. The NHL will be looking for a saviour or two to market the sport around. The obvious solution is to increase goal scoring by allowing the skilled players room to shine?this just so happens to be Crosby and Ovechkin?s fort?.

There is no doubt that both Crosby and Ovechkin will be permanent fixtures on a NHL roster, most likely this year. And only when both young men are playing in the League can the real debate over who in fact is the better prospect can begin.

If there is something NHL fans should get excited about is young, skilled players like Crosby and Ovechkin who will be turning on the red goal light many, many times. Bring it on boys! It should be interesting.






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