Nominations just came out for Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year. Among them, Brooks Laich, a small town Saskatchewan boy with a heart of gold. Those of us who follow the Caps know that Brooksie is the less-flamboyant leader of the team. He is sought after by the media for his 'heart on his sleeve' sincerity, always trusted for an honest opinion. I'm sure he was likely considered by more than a few guys alongside Alexander Ovechkin when the team voted on their new Captain after the departure of Chris Clark in January last season.
I personally love the guy. I consider myself fortunate that I was able to watch him in junior for a season in Moose Jaw (Saskatchewan) with the Warriors of the Western Hockey League. A late round pick of the Ottawa Senators in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft (6th round, 193rd overall), Laich was considered by many to be a longshot to make the NHL. The Capitals tended to draw a lot from the Western Hockey League at the time (drafting the likes of Kris Beech, Brian Sutherby, Matt Pettinger, Jakob Cutta and Nathan Paetsch in a three year span), so I'm sure the Western scouts were keen on him. And when the opportunity presented itself in a trade for Peter Bondra, the Caps took it. I'm sure that they're thankful for that decision every single hockey day. Brooks Laich - a stand-up guy, who represents everything that is good about our game.
Here is a story on his nomination by SI great Michael Farber...
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/magazine/sportsman/10/28/farbernew.sportsman/index.html
