Caps’ Brouwer slams ex-teammate Semin

On the eve of Alex Semin making his return to Washington, Troy Brouwer had some pointed criticisms of his former teammate.

“Some nights you didn’t even know if he was gonna come to the rink,” Brouwer told the Washington Post. “It’s tough to play alongside guys like those because you don’t know what you’re gonna get out of ‘em.”

The Caps will host the ‘Canes on Tuesday, marking the first time Semin will play at the Verizon Center in an opponent’s uniform. The 28-year-old spent the first seven seasons of his NHL career in the nation’s capital, scoring 197 goals.

Brouwer doesn’t seem to miss any of it.

He went on to add that while it was tough to lose Semin’s scoring ability “when he wanted to play,” the Caps are “doing well without him.”

Two things to note here:

One, this isn’t the first time one of Semin’s old Washington teammates have blasted him in the media.

In 2011, former Caps winger Matt Bradley (then with the Florida Panthers) said Semin “just doesn’t care” and that “you almost get the sense that he wants to be back in Russia.”

Of course, the big difference between Bradley’s comments and Brouwer’s were that Bradley was no longer a part of the Washington organization upon making them.

(They also weren’t made on the eve of facing Semin.)

Two, Brouwer. He’s had — oh, how to put this — a propensity to vocalize his opinions about the Caps, despite the fact he’s only been there for a year-and-a-half.

Consider the following:

Capitals playing ‘pathetic’ hockey right now, says Brouwer

Brouwer accuses Caps teammates Hamrlik and Neuvirth of selling us out’

Brouwer on Caps: ‘We looked like a real timid, beaten down hockey team’

So yeah. Brouwer talks a lot.

As for Semin…well, he’s proven to be a quality pickup for Carolina, sitting third on the team in scoring — 4G-10A-14PTS in 17 games — while averaging 20:49 in ice time per game, most among all ‘Canes forwards.

He’s also won over team captain Eric Staal.

“He has been nothing but great,” Staal told TSN recently. “He’s been a great teammate for everyone in this room and the type of guy who competes in practice and in games and that’s all you can ask for.”

Update:

Carolina forward Tim Brent has jumped to Semin’s defense via Twitter…

Just read Troy Brouwer’s comments about Semin. I can say on behalf of his teammates that we love having him here, and he has been (cont)

— Tim Brent (@Brenter37) February 25, 2013

a big part of our success so far with his consistent play and work ethic. NOT only his scoring ability. I hope he sticks it to them #canes

— Tim Brent (@Brenter37) February 25, 2013