Too early to talk about 2010?

Around here, it probably isn't. And we know for sure, in Canada, that speculation is running wild as to who Executive Director Steve Yzerman will choose to be the coach of the Canadian Olympic team in 2010. Those winter games just happen to be in Vancouver, in case you missed it.

Anyway, for the US, we know that Anaheim (and possibly, future TO) GM Brian Burke is in charge of putting together the team. Safe to say that Toronto bench boss Ron Wilson is going to be in the coaching mix. That much we know.

For the Americans, the pool is a bit more shallow than it is for our friends up north. One thing for sure is that the US entry in the 2010 Olympics is going to be a young bunch. Safe to also predict that our very own Rick DiPietro and Buffalo's Ryan Miller will be amongst the group in net. We'll have a good, experienced goalie so that will keep us in most every game.

One of the more intriguing stories about the 2010 games is that of the Russian team; specifically, two players that will be counted on heavily to lead the team to glory: Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin.

It's no secret that for whatever reason, Alex Ovechkin does not like Evgeni Malkin. (I seem to recall Pierre McGuire talking about a rift involving Russian agents as the cause, but that's unsubstantiated.) If you saw any of the game between the Penguins and Caps last Thursday, you know there were a few times where it sure looked like Ovechkin was taking something of a run at Malkin. The guys at NHL On The Fly had it covered like gravy.

While we may not know what is at the center of the beef between them, we do know that just because two guys are from the same country it doesn't mean they have to be friends. My wife pointed that one out. And if it does all boil down to a personal issue--no matter how many times Ovechkin denies anything is there--the proof is on the ice every time they play. Sure, Alex plays a pretty tough and exciting hitting game, but you don't need to be a seasoned hockey observer to notice that he is really going after #71 in black. And to his credit, Malkin seems to take it in stride as part of the game.

So that's the real rivalry: Ovechkin vs. Malkin. The NHL may find it is easier to market Ovechkin vs. Crosby, but we all know that Alex and Sid have too much respect for each other as players and people to make it a personal issue. Ovechkin and Malkin is personal.

Now, knowing that, if I am the guy in charge of putting the Russian team together that I am going to take it on myself RIGHT FREAKING NOW to see what I can do to get the two of them to knock it off. Seriously. If the Russians have any dreams about mixing it up with the Canadians, Swedes, and Fins in the medal rounds, they're going to need to get this patched up as soon as they can so that both guys will be at their best come Vancouver.

How do you do this? Hell, I have no idea. I don't even speak Russian. But one person I might ask for advice is Sergei Fedorov, Alex's teammate in Washington. From all reports, Ovechkin looks up to Fedorov and I bet Malkin probably does too. Fedorov is arguably the most NHL-accomplished Russian-trained player in the history of the league. Now, he's almost the elder statesman for a lot of the young Russians in the NHL and he deserves that level of respect. Why not reach out to Fedorov and see if he can help build a bridge between Malkin and Ovechkin?

Not that I want to give anyone any ideas or anything.