One of the NHL's most popular and unpredictable stars furthered his reputation at NHL All-Star Weekend in Columbus.
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was at dinner with his agent, a friend and a team PR man Saturday when he decided he wanted to make a fan's night. So Ovechkin, who was looking at his Instagram account, called a young man who had left his phone number on one of Ovechkin's pictures.
Alas that young man, CJ Grinnell, didn't answer and Ovechkin was left to leave a message. Here's what he said:
|
|
Washington Post reporter Dan Steinberg got in touch with Grinnell, who is 20 and plays for the East Coast Wizards of the Eastern Hockey League. Grinnell said he was watching highlights of the NHL skills challenge when Ovechkin called.
"It was a terrible feeling to miss the call," Grinnell wrote to Steinberg. "You never want to miss a call from someone like Alex Ovechkin. I just didn’t think he’d actually call. ... I was getting calls till 2 am last night. We’re all hockey fans, and no one can fathom the fact that Ovi called. It’s still hard to comprehend."
Ovechkin was calling from a blocked number, so Grinnell had no way to return the ring. But maybe Ovechkin, who has proved himself to be a Good Samaritan, will grant Grinnell a do-over and call again.
