Backstrom ‘happy’ to rejoin Ovechkin at Dynamo, as lockout forecasted to be long

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Published time: October 21, 2012 18:25
Edited time: October 21, 2012 22:25

Swedish international Nicklas Backsrom says he is happy to reunite with his Washington Capitals teammate, Alexander Ovechkin at Dynamo Moscow for the NHL lockout.

The 25 year old spoke with the Russian media ahead of his debut at Dynamo. The player has already chosen the number 99 jersey and is set to join Ovechkin on the ice next week.

“This was a good option for me and I’m glad Dynamo have wanted to have me here,” the Sovetsky Sport paper quoted Nicolas Backsrom as saying.

Sharing his thoughts on the lockout, which is likely to continue another few weeks after the league and the players’ union failed to come to any terms in the latest round of talks, the Swede preferred not to make any harsh comments.

“Let’s wait and see what happens. Right now nothing is happening,” he said.

Ovechkin, for his part, was much more critical towards the NHL basses blaming them for the current stalemate.

“The NHL gave hope for the media and the fans. But the truth is that their latest proposal is a bluff. They just try to make it look like they work hard to save the season but in fact propose nothing new,” he told the same source.

“If the NHL bosses continue to make the same kind of ‘beneficial’ proposals the lockout will last long,” he stressed, before adding that if the league cuts his current contract he will void it in court and continue to play in Russia.