Matt Bradley returns to Washington on Tuesday night when his new team, the Florida Panthers, visits Verizon Center. A cult hero in the District during his six seasons with the organization, Bradley had some strong comments on Ottawa radio station TEAM 1200 on Aug. 17 about former Caps teammate Alex Semin.
“I don’t mind saying Alexander Semin’s name because he’s one guy who has so much talent, he could easily be the best player in the league, and for whatever reason just doesn’t care,” Bradley said then, confirming in public what some have long said in private about Washington’s mercurial, but immensely talented, winger. ” When you’ve got a guy like that you need him to be your best player, or one of your best players, and when he doesn’t show up, you almost get the sense that he wants to be back in Russia. That’s tough to win when you’ve got a guy like that who’s supposed to be your best player not being your best player. Or one of your best players.”
Strong words, but Bradley exclusively told the Sun-Sentinel newspaper on Monday – one of two papers that covers the Panthers, who have a game tonight in Tampa Bay – that he will apologize to Semin if he sees him tomorrow. Doubt all of this will overshadow Bradley’s return. This is a man, after all, who became a fan favorite by routinely fighting bigger, stronger opponents – a job that often fell to him because Washington rarely used enforcer D.J. King last season.
Fans also won’t soon forget Bradley, who was not re-signed by the team after his contract expired at the end of last season, scoring two goals in Game 5 of the first-round Stanley Cup playoff series vs. the New York Rangers on April 24, 2009. Washington began its comeback from a 3-1 series deficit with that win. Plus, he was an all-around good guy in the room, always had cordial relations with the media. Even started a recycling program at Kettler Iceplex. Regardless of his comments about Semin – and in some quarters because of them – Bradley should get a pretty good roar from the crowd on Tuesday night.
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