When Bruce Boudreau was at crossroads about telling Alex Ovechkin to change his play style after two-game suspension

Back in 2009, Alex Ovechkin was reprimanded by the NHL with a two-game suspension after a series of reckless plays that culminated with a knee-on-knee hit against then Carolina Hurricanes D-man Tim Gleason. The then-Washington Capitals coach, Bruce Boudreau, had openly addressed his concerns for Ovechkin's style of play.

In the first period of a game against the Canes on Nov. 30, 2009, Ovechkin went knee first in a hit against Gleason. The referees immediately stopped the play. Ovi was handed a game misconduct, his second one in the span of five days after the Caps winger had earned a previous game misconduct for a hit on Patrick Kateta of the then Buffalo Sabres.

His hit on Kateta occurred when Ovechkin boarded Kateta in a rough manner to the side frames. In October of the same season, the Russian forward was also fined by the NHL for intentionally tripping then Atlanta's Rich Peverley.

Three consecutive isolated incidents which weren't isolated in the first place and that rather showcased the general style in which Ovechkin went about his game, led to the NHL imposing a two-day non paying suspension that also amounted to a $98,844.16 fine.

After the suspension, Boudreau opened up about his concerns for the winger and his style of play.

"He's pretty reckless. It's hard telling a guy that scores 60 goals a year to change the way he plays. At the same time, I don't want to see him getting hurt. Maybe he has to be a little more ... pick his spots a little better. The open-ice hits. It's not only the hitter; the guy who's getting hit is also moving fast, too. You're lining guys up to hit him, and once they move everything gets exposed," Boudreau said.

Bruce Boudreau later clarified his reckless comment

Alex Ovechkin had a counter response when asked by the journalists the following day about his coach's comments. In a one sentence response, he said:

"I’m not going to change anything," Ovechkin had said.

Boudreau later explained that him calling Ovi reckless didn't mean he was asking his star player to change his style of physicality.

"I don’t want him to change the way he plays at all, either," Boudreau had explained. "When I said reckless, I was using the term in fear of him getting hurt, not him hurting anybody else. He’s got to be him, so I don’t want him to change. That’s what makes him one of three things: one of the best players in the world, one of the best personalities in sport, and it’s the reason you pay to watch."

As Alex Ovechkin matured as an NHL player, his rough aura on the ice has also evolved. He continues to remain the same player but he has evolved in many diferrent ways both as a forward and a leader for the Capitals.