Police investigate message board death threat against Ovechkin

Channel 11 News in Pittsburgh is reporting that police are "are investigating a threat made against Alexander Ovechkin(notes) of the Washington Capitals." Tom McMillan of the Penguins confirmed the investigation and the team's awareness of the threat to the network.

The Capitals confirmed that the threat was made during a thread on the Pittsburgh Penguins' official message boards.

A thread on the Washington Capitals' official boards covered the threat at length, and it is believed to have occurred during Game 2 on Monday night. A user posted this image of what is alleged to have been a threat against Ovechkin. 

The Capitals have just released this statement on the matter:

"We became aware of an inappropriate comment on a message board and referred it to appropriate authorities. We appreciate their diligence and have every confidence in our club's safety."

A source with knowledge of the situation told us this afternoon that the threat was addressed swiftly and taken seriously after "levels" of authorities were made aware of it.

Make your own assumptions about the veracity of a threat made on a fan message board during a heated playoff series. But know that, just like when the Calgary Flames fan made his threat against Steve Mason(notes) of the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier this season, no one is taking these things lightly.

(UPDATE: Police have traced the threat to a 17 year old male; no charges filed yet, according to the AP.)

Copyright PuckD - Puck Daddy
Contact Us