Brooks Laich believes early-career Alex Ovechkin competed at a level that not even Sidney Crosby could match: 'He had just ferocity in his eyes, and he could kill you'

"“The thing that he does have, I'll wage war on this, he could compete at a level that no other guy could,” Laich said. “Even Crosby, even MacKinnon now. I was so close to him, too; we're teammates, so you see the f***ing fire in his eyes. He had just ferocity in his eyes, and he could kill you. He could go through you, around you, however you wanted to play it, he could play it. And that is what he did better than any player in the league, and it just pulled you into war.”"

"“When you saw him and his first three, four, five years, he wrecked everything. Remember Douglas Murray? San Jose Sharks. He was a fridge on skates. Him and Ovi had, we lost the game, I think, 3-2 in San Jose or something, but there's one night, they had four full tilt collisions in the last 40 seconds. Just f***ing cause. I remember seeing Ovi do that and just go, 'This guy is amazing.' Like, it is impossible for you not to be dragged into the fight when that guy goes and does that.”"

"Ovechkin hit his scoring peak in back-to-back seasons in the late 2000s, notching a career-high 65 goals and 112 points during the 2007-08 campaign and then scoring 56 goals and tallying 110 points during the 2008-09 season. That dominant two-year stretch earned him an Art Ross Trophy, two Rocket Richard Trophies, two Lester B. Pearson Awards, and two Hart Trophies as league MVP."

Brooks Laich played 11 seasons with Alex Ovechkin for the Washington Capitals and watched his rise from rookie to dominant star. Sitting near Ovechkin during his prime years gave Laich a close view of Ovechkin’s competitive drive. Laich said Ovechkin could compete at a level no other player matched, including Crosby and MacKinnon. Laich described Ovechkin’s ferocity as something that could “kill you,” forcing opponents into fights and pulling others into the battle. Laich also recalled Ovechkin’s physical intensity, including multiple full-speed collisions late in a game against Douglas Murray. Ovechkin’s late-2000s scoring peak included 65 goals and 112 points in 2007-08 and 56 goals and 110 points in 2008-09, earning major league awards and MVP honors.

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