Datsyuk, at 35, is playing in his fourth Games — and first, obviously, in his home country. He was the unanimous choice, coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov reportedly said, which is interesting; you'd think Ilya Kovalchuk, who left the New Jersey Devils for the KHL, and Alex Ovechkin, Russia's highest-profile player, would've gotten a little support.
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Regardless, the pressure is on for all of them; the country hasn't won a gold medal since 1992, and the roster it's bringing to Sochi is, at bare minimum, controversial; there are six KHL forwards on it, no Alexander Semin and a weak crop of defensemen.
So, maybe Datsyuk is already trying to lighten the mood.
What’s blue and white and red all over?
Sorry.
