It was only the third time in draft history that non-North American players went 1-2. Roman Hamrlik from the Czech Republic and Alexei Yashin from Russia were selected by Tampa Bay and Ottawa, respectively, in 1992. In 1999, Patrik Stefan, from the Czech Republic, and Daniel Sedin, from Sweden, were the first two picks overall, going to Atlanta and Vancouver, respectively.
The only other time that a Russian was selected first overall was 2001, when Ilya Kovalchuk was taken by the Atlanta Thrashers.
In all, six of the first 11 picks were European and 13 overall in the first round.
"Clearly, hockey is an international language ... it's like love," laughed Colorado Avalanche General Manager Pierre Lacroix.
All kidding aside, that's true ... to a point.
The fact of the matter is that it's true that there is a language in hockey that supersedes all tongues. Put the 50 best players in the world on the ice and come back a half hour later and you would see magic -- players making plays that would lift you out of your seat.
And though a scout's checklist usually begins with size and speed, skill and instincts, character and a passion for the game, the strengths and weaknesses of a prospect doesn't stop there. Not in a such a special team game like hockey, where split-second decisions and game plans are more than instinctual.
Language is an essential.
"We've got so much time and money invested in scouting and drafting these kids that you can't miss on a player because he can't speak English," said Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager Jay Feaster. "One of the first questions we ask non-North American prospects in the interviews we do before the draft is: What kind of a commitment are you going make to speaking English?
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The Atlanta Thrashers wanted to make sure they were on the same page as Ilya Kovalchuk before drafting him first overall in 2001.
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"I'm not talking about one of these Berlitz courses, either. I don't care if the kid knows how to order a steak at a restaurant. What's important to us is hockey specifics. For instance, if (coach) John Tortorella wants him to be positioned at the half-boards or if he wants him to be in a certain spot in a penalty-killing or power-play situation, he better be there."
In 2001, the Atlanta Thrashers had the first pick overall and planned to take Russian winger Ilya Kovalchuk with that pick. General Manager Don Waddell had all of the scouting reports on how dynamic Kovalchuk could be on the ice, but he didn't want to make a mistake with such an important pick. And the biggest question about Kovalchuk was linked to communication, since he supposedly spoke no English and understood very little.
"We brought him down to Atlanta for an interview and everywhere he went his agent was there to translate for him. Everywhere," Waddell recalled. "So I kidnapped Ilya for a half hour when the agent went into the men's room.
"We jumped into a cab and headed for the restaurant where we were going to have dinner. I wanted to hear from him, not the agent. I asked him what he liked to do the best on the ice -- knowing full well that he would say score goals. But he didn't stop there. He said, 'No. 1 is win.'
"We know it takes being a little selfish to be a great goal scorer, but to hear this kid with all the talent in the world tell me that he wanted to be a part of our team was invaluable to us. After that half hour, I was convinced he wouldn't have any problem communicating with the coaches or the other players. ... And the interpreter wasn't too angry when he finally caught up with us at the restaurant."
In this draft, Ovechkin speaks broken English, but it is good enough to get his point across, thanks to a steady diet of American movies on DVDs and a tutor his parents hired a few years ago.
Malkin, on the other hand, needed an interpreter -- as did more than a handful of other first-round picks.
"I plan to start with a personal tutor when I get back home," Malkin said through the translator. "I think a year from now when I expect to be ready to play in the NHL I will be OK."
It might be pointed out that teams have become accustomed to this dilemma. And the Penguins are old pros since Mario Lemieux spoke mainly French when he was picked first overall in 1984 and Jaromir Jagr spoke no English when he was chosen in the first round in 1990.
When pressed on the subject of language and which English words he knew, Malkin said, "Mother, father, brother ... and thank you."
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The Pittsburgh Penguins have experience developing superstars who enter the League speaking very little English, like native French-speaker Mario Lemieux.
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Feaster said the Lightning offer to pay for a course in English -- even pick out the teacher -- for any player after they draft him, if he remains in Europe. That way he's better prepared for what lies ahead for him when he gets to the NHL.
The job of seeing an 17- or 18-year-old kid growing into an NHL player is more than just skills and a desire to play the game. There's maturity and experience. Always being willing to learn. Those are all important characteristics, and those needs are doubled when you are talking about a prospect who has to learn a new language and completely new lifestyle.
"You don't win in this game with players who can't understand the orders of a coach or can't join forces with his teammates," said San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson. "We've got Russians, Germans, Finns and Swedes on our team and understanding the language is just part of what we in management have to make sure of to help our coach succeed.
"It's all about trying to integrate talents, skills and personalities together on a team."
Scouts often say that most European players display more skills at an NHL level sooner than North American prospects. And since teams want to win now, that has increased the number of European and Eastern European players taken early in the draft.
"French is my first language and so I understand how important communication can be on the ice in games and at practices," Lacroix continued. "I remember when we picked Milan Hejduk. We knew we had a great talent, and to make sure he was as comfortable as possible when he arrived in Denver, we enrolled him in a crash course in English for 90 days.
And he wasn't finished then. Once he got to Denver, he had a whole new culture to learn."
But Lacroix said that's OK.
"As long as the kid understands the coach when the puck is dropped, you're OK."
With all of the skills and talent that the top European players have been bringing to the NHL for the last decade, let's say that teams are more than just OK.
