from Adam Proteau of The Hockey News,

Make no mistake, your legacies will take an incredible walloping. All of the good you and your NHL organizations have done on and off the ice will be relegated to the lower, lesser-read paragraphs of your biographies. The damage inflicted on the sport will linger like a dusty residue in your clothes and on your persons for much longer than a cancelled hockey campaign.

Take you, Ted Leonsis. You’ve carved out a pretty sterling reputation for yourself in Washington. You’re an affable guy, you’re incredible when it comes to fan interaction, and you’ve got a burning desire to bring the Capitals their first-ever Stanley Cup. In short, you’re one of hockey’s most visible, socially aware owners. But what happens if, in pushing a hard line against the NHL Players’ Association over these next few weeks, you wind up alienating your superstar Alex Ovechkin beyond repair and he decides to stay home in Russia and play in the Kontinental League for the rest of his career?

I know what happens: in an instant, you go from being the toast of D.C. to being The Guy Who Ended The Ovechkin Era. Somehow, I don’t think all the “Ted’s Take” blog entries in the world explaining your side would return you to fans’ good books. You’d be a heel in a way you never could atone for.

read on, Proteau is looking at you Mario...