In 2004, Alex Ovechkin was drafted first overall in the NHL draft by The Washington Capitals.
The NHL lockout ensued the season after he was drafted.
While the Canadian Hockey League gained popularity during the NHL lockout, Sidney Crosby was the most talked about player in junior hockey.
Crosby led the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL to the final game of the Memorial Cup series before losing to the heavily favoured London Knights.
Crosby scored an unreal 31 points in just 13 playoff games and before the playoffs began he scored 168 points in the 2004-2005 regular season.
Crosby then got drafted 1st overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2005 NHL draft and went on to be one of the best NHL players of his era.
Ovechkin still had a great season playing for Dynamo Moscow back in Russia in 2005 and the year after when they started playing in the NHL, he beat Crosby for the Calder Memorial Trophy in that season and it was during that season when the rivalry between Ovechkin and Crosby first established and this intense hockey player rivalry still exists today.
Now here is a truly shocking philosophy on the next player rivalry that has already generated lots of buzz.
Nail Yakupov is a very explosive Russian hockey player much like Ovechkin is.
He got drafted first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2012 NHL draft just like Ovechkin and both of these players couldn't play the season after the ensuing draft because of a lockout.
There is this young player that has been making headlines and his name is Nathan Mackinnon and he has stunning similarities to Crosby.
They are both from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, they both played their junior hockey years in the QMJHL and were both talked about to be the first overall pick in the NHL draft the year before it happened.
It is unknown at this time whether Mackinnon will be drafted 1st overall but regardless there is another phenom rivalry in the making between Mackinnon and Yakupov.
Yakupov is 2 years older than Mackinnon just like how Ovechkin is 2 years older than Crosby and both Russians are older while the Canadians are younger.
The scenario couldn't be anymore similar 8 years apart.
The difference now is that there will be 2 Canada-Russia superstar rivalries instead of just one and that makes things twice as exciting.
Once everything is in order when the lockout ends, fans could see an infusion in talent that can interest fans more than ever before.
With all the talent that has been drafted in 2012, the 2013 draft looks better according to some NHL scouts and the players from that list include Seth Jones, Sean Monahan, Hunter Shinkaruk and more.
Goals scored in the NHL is expected to go up than the season before that might be a trend that can go on for several years due to more advanced physical and mental training that is available now that hasn't been before.
The NHL lockout ensued the season after he was drafted.
While the Canadian Hockey League gained popularity during the NHL lockout, Sidney Crosby was the most talked about player in junior hockey.
Crosby led the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL to the final game of the Memorial Cup series before losing to the heavily favoured London Knights.
Crosby scored an unreal 31 points in just 13 playoff games and before the playoffs began he scored 168 points in the 2004-2005 regular season.
Crosby then got drafted 1st overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2005 NHL draft and went on to be one of the best NHL players of his era.
Ovechkin still had a great season playing for Dynamo Moscow back in Russia in 2005 and the year after when they started playing in the NHL, he beat Crosby for the Calder Memorial Trophy in that season and it was during that season when the rivalry between Ovechkin and Crosby first established and this intense hockey player rivalry still exists today.
Now here is a truly shocking philosophy on the next player rivalry that has already generated lots of buzz.
Nail Yakupov is a very explosive Russian hockey player much like Ovechkin is.
He got drafted first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2012 NHL draft just like Ovechkin and both of these players couldn't play the season after the ensuing draft because of a lockout.
There is this young player that has been making headlines and his name is Nathan Mackinnon and he has stunning similarities to Crosby.
They are both from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, they both played their junior hockey years in the QMJHL and were both talked about to be the first overall pick in the NHL draft the year before it happened.
It is unknown at this time whether Mackinnon will be drafted 1st overall but regardless there is another phenom rivalry in the making between Mackinnon and Yakupov.
Yakupov is 2 years older than Mackinnon just like how Ovechkin is 2 years older than Crosby and both Russians are older while the Canadians are younger.
The scenario couldn't be anymore similar 8 years apart.
The difference now is that there will be 2 Canada-Russia superstar rivalries instead of just one and that makes things twice as exciting.
Once everything is in order when the lockout ends, fans could see an infusion in talent that can interest fans more than ever before.
With all the talent that has been drafted in 2012, the 2013 draft looks better according to some NHL scouts and the players from that list include Seth Jones, Sean Monahan, Hunter Shinkaruk and more.
Goals scored in the NHL is expected to go up than the season before that might be a trend that can go on for several years due to more advanced physical and mental training that is available now that hasn't been before.
SHARE
