When I read Tarik El-Bashir's piece on the Washington Post website, something I suspected was coming finally happened: Olaf Kolzig will not be back with the Washington Capitals.
And while I try to always be as professional and arm's-length with NHL players, when it comes to Olie, there is a bit of a personal bias.
I have dealt with Olie many times in the last year and a bit, as he was a playoff analyst for NHL Home Ice last season and also served as the focus of our our first ever "Hockey Confidential". And whenever called upon, Olie has been there for NHL Home Ice.
So, with that much interaction, it becames hard not to root for the guy as the Capitals began the season and seemed like a team that would finally get over the hump and into the playoffs.
But it was equally difficult to watch him have to be on the sidelines as the playoffs became a reality and the team pushed Philly to 7 games.
But I was proud of how classy he was through it all. As far as I could see, from outside the Caps inner circle, he wrote the book on being a suportive teammate.
He also offered some lighter moments.
Back in January, on "The War Room" (10am ET on XM 204 with Dan Blakeley, Mick Kern and I), we got into a discussion about goalies and free agents and the trade deadline and I mentionned that in a few recent tough outings, Olie had looked like a goalie who was getting older and maybe less mobile.
A day or two later, I was talking to Paul Rovnak (Caps PR Manager) and asked if, on their next trip to Toronto, Olie would sign a picture for a friend.
Rovnak got back to me later in the day saying he had checked with Olie. "He said yes, but hesitated....he wonders if maybe he's too old to be signing autographs."
Priceless.
I also admire the charitable side of Olie. The guy who is so devoted to his family and to the cause of autism.
I'll never forget an encounter I witnessed during the taping of "Hockey Confidential" in our studio.
A colleague here at XM brought along a friend of hers and her son who suffers from autism.
The lady in question thanked Olie for his dedication to the cause and mentionned that her son had hardly ever sat for such a long time and paid such good attention as he had during the taping.
But that's what Olie does. He draws you in with his calm, intelligent and insightful personality.
And I don't want that to go away....not yet....
I am therefore asking Olie to seek out another opportunity and play another couple of seasons in the NHL.
If he left now, I for one would miss him.
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