Last Monday, during the Capitals’ loss to the Canes in Game Three, Alex Ovechkin and Andrei Svechnikov got into a brutal fight. The 19-year-old Svechnikov went to the hospital and recently returned to practice sporting a full-face mask.
Now well enough to speak with reporters, Svechnkikov shared his own account of the fight, which differs from Ovechkin’s.
“He did ask me first for fight,” Svechnikov said. “I’m not a superhero, ask first for fight.”
Ovechkin had previously said it was Svechnikov who asked to fight. Ovechkin responded to the request with “let’s go,” and the two proceeded to throw punches.
Svechnikov on who started fight with Ovechkin:
"He did ask me first for fight. I'm not a superhero, ask first for fight."
You said yes?
"I said yes. I just want to stand up for myself."— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) April 20, 2019
Ovechkin also apologized to Svechnikov and said he “hopes he’s okay.” Svechnikov added that Ovechkin called him “right after the game.”
Svechnikov said Ovechkin called to check on him.
"He call me right after the game and I just talk with him a little bit, you know."
Did he apologize?
"Yeah, a little bit, you know? I said sometimes it happen. You never know."
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) April 20, 2019
During Game Three’s postgame press conference, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour–having seen the fight but not spoken to Svechnikov–thought Ovechkin was the one who instigated.
“One guy’s gloves come off way first, and that’s Ovi, that’s not our guy,” he said. “I just heard Ovi talk about it [in his post-game interview]. He said our guy challenged him, so if that’s the case, it’s a little different.”
The split opinions were on display during last Saturday’s Coach’s Corner. Don Cherry pointed to Svechnikov’s repeated physical attacks and harassment of Ovechkin as the instigating factor, not necessarily an extended and accepted verbal agreement.
“Listen: when you stick a guy, and you go after a guy, you better be prepared,” Cherry said. “If you’re a kid, and you want to go–he gave Ovechkin a hard time, Ovechkin didn’t want to go.”
Ron MacLean said Ovechkin “shouldn’t have picked on a kid,” and that he’s the one who “invited [Svechnikov] to go.”
Svechnikov hopes to return for Game Six which would be in Carolina on Monday.
Svechnikov ready for morning skate with full cage and no-contact jersey. pic.twitter.com/NluK766jMy
— Chip Alexander (@ice_chip) April 20, 2019
