Mean Joe Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos

Perhaps today's most pathetic adorable news item concerning the Great Eight comes from Tampa Bay.

The Puck Update has the story.

The Lightning's rookie forward Steven Stamkos has a "diary" where he posts about his transition from Juniors to the NHL.

In his most recent entry, Stamkos talked about how he's starting a collection of NHL sticks. So far he has obtained Vincent Lecavalier's, Evgeni Malkin's, Drew Doughty's and Luke Schenn's sticks.

One stick has remained elusive to Stamkos: Alex Ovechkin's.

In the post, he writes:

"I asked for [Alex] Ovechkin’s at the All-Star event but I didn’t get a chance to get it. Hopefully he still remembers me before the end of his career."

This sounds like the saddest version of the "Mean Joe Green" Super Bowl ad. If I were an advertiser looking for an idea for a Stanley Cup ad (those exist? right?), what better than a hockey version of the commercial?

Here's the original:


Now just replace Mean Joe with Ovechkin, and the clothes on the child with a Stamkos jersey. No Coke should be exchanged; the child should ask for his stick. Ovechkin would deny the child this, and then "Stamkos" would mutter. "Well-well-well maybe if you still remember me by the time you retire."

Tear-jerking gold.