COLUMBUS, Ohio – Hockey players became stand-up comedians for a night as the NHL all-star draft turned into an entertainment program that could be better television than the skills competition or the game.
Captain Jonathan Toews cracked that he picked Phil Kessel because he’s "one of the most coachable players out there." Alex Ovechkin pleaded to be the last pick because he really needed a car.
Ovechkin didn’t get it, but fans were treated to a different side of players than they usually see. The laughs were plentiful on a fun night in downtown Columbus.
Perhaps the best zing came when captain Nick Foligno announced a trade that "worked out for both teams in the past," sending Tyler Seguin to Toews for Kessel. Fans at Sunday night’s game aren’t likely to start chants of "Thank you, Kessel."
The Toronto Maple Leafs winger was the second pick in the draft after Foligno took Columbus Blue Jackets teammate Ryan Johansen first. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Edmonton Oilers and Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators were the last two left and each got a Honda Accord that Ovechkin was pushing so hard for.
Ovechkin was the third-to-last selection. Foligno told him to "just buy a car," a fitting barb for a player making US$10 million this season.
