Washington Caps Front Page News

CAPITALS AGAIN HAUNTED IN THIRD PERIOD -- LOSE 4-3 TO SENATORS IN OVERTIME

2009-11-24T14:11:00.001-08:00

For such a talented Washington Capitals team, it has felt heartbreaking to watch them battling injuries, struggling to hang onto leads scored before the third period and then simply floundering.

The third period has haunted the Capitals, and last night the third against the Ottawa Senators was no different. They started the period with a 3-1 lead, but the Senators outshot them and took the 4-3 overtime win.

Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau lamented, "This was a total collapse by 20 guys. I don't know how to sugarcoat it. We had total control of the game after two periods. They didn't even want to be a part of it. They looked like they wanted to go home."

The Senators scored twice in the third for the tie -- and then Mike Fisher got a puck past Semyon Varlamov in overtime to seal the win for his team.

The Caps had outshot Ottawa 25-15 in the first two periods, but then the Senators stepped up and took control with 18-3.

So what might have been an evening to celebrate -- with Jay Beagle scoring his first careeer NHL goal, turned into an evening with heads lowered and the repeated questioning of how they had let the third period beat them again.

The other Capitals goals were scored by Chris Clark and Brendan Morrison.

WEARY CAPS LOSE TO MAPLE LEAFS, BUT GOALTENDER VARLAMOV IMPRESSES

2009-11-22T11:56:00.001-08:00

The Washington Capitals were skating weary last night -- and handed the lowly Maple Leafs a 2-1 victory.

Caps goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who stopped 38 of 39 shots, was a bright spot in the game, -- and Alex Ovechkin moved into a tie for second place in the NHL in goals by scoring his 16th.

"We looked pretty tired," coach Bruce Boudreau lamented to the Washington Times. "Sometimes it is a bad one point and sometimes there is a good one point. I thought we were lucky to come away with one."

The team was missing seven regular skaters -- Alexander Semin, Mike Knuble, Boyd Gordon, Tom Poti, Shaone Morrisonn,Quintin Laing, Milan Jurcina. And they were playing the second in-a-row night.

But the Maple Leafs were in control during much of the playing time, and the score might have been worse for the Caps if Varlamov had not been so impressively sharp.

And even though Ovechkin scored the Cap's lone goal, he opined that he was not happy with how he played. "We didn't move our legs [including] me," he explained. "I'm not happy how I play today. I'm not happy how my line play today. We score one goal, but we have to score more. We have more ice time than everybody, so we have to use it. We had a couple of chances on the power play, we don't score."

This was the Maple Leafs first in six games. Niklas Hagman, who had scored in regulation, beat Semyon Varlamov with a back-hander.

With a day off, the Capitals next play the Senators on Monday.

OVECHKIN "FEELING A LOT BETTER TODAY"

2009-11-04T14:11:00.001-08:00

What better gift could the Washington Capitals give injured Alex Ovechkin than a higher number in the team's win column?

And it seems obvious that this is just the 'get well gift' that Coach Bruce Boudreau and Ovi's teammates want to give to him.

Ovechkin, who suffered an upper-body strain -- definitely will not be playing when the Caps face the New Jersey Devils Wednesday.

But, still, Boudreau thinks that the team can win despite Ovi being sidelined. It will just require his teammates to think smart and play hard -- will require some good defense. With Ovi on the sidelines, Boudreau explained that is like giving up one goal in a game.

"He's feeling better today, feeling a whole lot better," said Boudreau. "I was really excited about that. I don't know how much better a lot better is, but when he's telling me he felt a lot better today that's a positive sign. I think he's getting bored not practicing already."

Of course, Ovechkin is listed as week to week, and it is unknown when he will be well enough to be cleared to return to the ice and game play.

"We want to make certain that when he does step on the ice, there is no chance that he will hurt that same injury again," said Boudreau.

CAPITALS' COACH HOPES OVECHKIN WILL NOT BE SIDELINED FOR MORE THAN TWO WEEKS

2009-11-03T13:09:00.000-08:00

After practice on Tuesday, Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau expressed hope that his team's star winger Alex Ovechkin will not be sidelined for more than two weeks.

Ovechkin was listed as week to week after being checked out following an upper-body strain, it was reported. And he is definitely not expected to play on Wednesday in NJ.

While Capitals management and Ovi's teammates lament playing without Ovechkin, they are adamant that they can win without him on the ice.

"Offensively, you cannot rely on one guy all the time," said Boudreau, "but you are taking a full goal a game out of your lineup. There is no getting around the fact that we're going to miss him. He is the best in the world." Ovechkin has scored 14 goals in 14 games.

In order to win without Ovechkin, Boudreau said that the team will need to shore up their defense.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS' LAING SUFFERING FROM SWINE FLU

2009-10-29T12:08:00.001-07:00

The Washington Capitals forward Quintin Laing has been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, according to a team spokesman.

"He's currently at home being treated and is isolated," Nate Ewell, speaking for the Capitals, told the Washington Times. "No one else on the team is currently showing any symptoms. The proper terminology is that he was diagnosed but not tested. He was tested for the seasonal flu. That turned up negative, but he was showing symptoms for H1N1, so he's being treated as such."

It is not known when Laing will be able to return to the Caps, but it has been reported that he will be out at least for five days from when he became sick.

At a team meeting, players were cautioned to wash their hands often, avoid shaking hands as much as is possible and to make certain to eat healthy foods and to get the proper amount of sleep.

"We're taking all the precautions we can to be hygienic," explained defenseman Brian Pothier. "I don't think we're sitting here as a team panicking that other guys are going to get it. I think we just have to take care of ourselves, and if you get it, just take care of it."

WASHING CAPITALS WORKING OUT THE KINKS

2009-10-12T02:04:00.001-07:00

The Detroit Red Wings' Tomas Holmstrom scored a power-play goal with just under 7 minutes left to play, handing his team a 3-2 victory over the talented, blue-blooded Washington Capitals on Saturday night. The goal was scored after a hooking penalty on Caps' Mike Green.

"If we don't address our penalties it's difficult because it ruins the whole flow of our game," said Caps defenseman Brian Pothier.

Going into that game, the Capitals had followed their initial two victories with two losses in a row, and they had been leading in both with about 10 minutes to go in the third perid.

The team that has had its collective eye on and is more than hungry for a Stanley Cup win has been plagued by penalties and the kind of little mistakes that can haunt.

"You can't be doing that. You can't be giving up third-period leads,' said defenseman Tom Toti to USA Today. "You've got to hold onto it, somehow, some way. We have to tighten up as a team and play team defense. Can't be looking for that extra goal."

"I've never been around a group that cared so much about winning and how every loss affects them," coach Bruce Boudreau has said of his team. "It's just that we're making mistakes that teams make, and we want to correct it in Game 4 rather than Game 44."

And while the Caps are loaded with dream-team talent, avoiding penalties and avoiding little mistakes can be critical for getting to hoist the Stanley Cup.

In discussing penalties after the loss to Detroit, Boudreau opined, "If we hadn't taken penalties in this game or in other games, we could easily be 5-0. Instead, we're .500. It's back to the drawing board."

PENALTIES COST CAPITALS AS FLYERS WIN

2009-10-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

The Flyers defeated the Capitals in their home opener -- but it took an extra time goal for them to get the job done.

A good night for the Flyers -- Mike Richards was the first Flyer to score a hat trick in 42 home openers, and teammate Matt Carle tied an NHL record for defensemen by garnering four assists in a single period. And this also proved a time for celebration for Danny Briere who celebrated turning 32 years old with the overtime goal. He scored on a rebound with just over a minute left in overtime play, giving the Flyers 3-0.

Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin each scored two goals -- and another was scored by Brendan Morrison which had given the Capitals a 5-4 lead with 10:28 remaining in the third period.

Flyers goalie Ray Emery stopped a shot by Matt Bradley, but the rebound flew off Morrison's skate and into the net. After a video review, the ruling was that Morrison had not intentionally kicked the puck in -- so the goal stood.

Then with a man advantage, winger Scott Hartnell poked a rebound past goalie Jose Theodore with 4:15 remaining in the third period, evening the score at 5.

Theodore stopped an original shot by Briere, but was sprawled and unable to prevent the rebound.

"Tonight we were our worst enemy," Morrison explained to The Washington Post. "We came back and took the lead in the third, and that's a game we should have seal down and win. Tonight it was our penalties. We just couldn't stay out of the box. We have to learn this lesson quickly if we want to be a good team, not a great team."

WASHINGTON CAPS' ALEX OVECHKIN, ALONG WITH ANDERSON AND TKACHUK, NAMED NHL STARS OF THE WEEK

2009-10-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

The Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin was named first star of the week on Monday.

Ovechkin posted two goals and an assist in the Capitals win over the Boston Bruins -- the team's regular season opener. And he followed that with a goal and two assista in a 6-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

Colorado Avalanche's Craig Anderson, a goaltender, was announced as the second star, and St. Louis Blues' center Keith Takchuk captured the third star.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS -- A TERRIFIC SEASON START!

2009-10-02T09:49:00.001-07:00

Watching the Capitals win is always a great thrill -- and reading about the team's win is simply icing on the cake!

At the Washington Capitals website, the Caps-Bruins game recap began:

"Strong Start – The Capitals struggled through the first few minutes of Thursday’s season opener against the Bruins in Boston, but goaltender Jose Theodore was sharp between the pipes He made several strong stops early to keep the Bruins at bay until Washington could find its legs and get its offense on track."

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In other Capitals coverage:
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CAPITALS OPEN WITH A BANG -- BY COREY MASISAK, The Washington Times

"BOSTON | Sign up Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau for 81 more of those.

The Caps opened the 2009-10 campaign Thursday night with a 4-1 throttling of the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on the strength of a stout defensive effort and a pair of goals from both Alex Ovechkin and Brooks Laich.

"If you could bottle that game up, we'd take it every time," Boudreau said. "We weathered the storm in the first six or seven minutes, and"

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THEODORE REDEEMS SELF -- The Baltimore Sun, BY TARIK EL-BASHIR, The Washington Post

"José Theodore waited more than five months for the chance to redeem himself after his shaky performance in the playoff opener last April.

On Thursday in the Washington Capitals' season opener at TD Garden, the veteran goaltender made up for lost time. Theodore made 19 saves, including 10 during a frantic first period, and Alex Ovechkin"

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ALEX OVECHKIN SEALS SPOTLIGHT -- BY STEVE CONROY, Boston Herald

"The Bruins [team stats] opened their season last night to great fanfare and incredibly lofty expectations, from Stanley Cup-starved fans as well as puck pundits throughout North America.

But it didn’t take long for Alexander Ovechkin to steal the show."

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Final: Capitals 4, Bruins 1 -- BY FLUTO SHINZAWA, Boston Globe

"At least there are 81 games remaining, right? Because it can't get much worse than Game No. 1, which saw Brooks Laich and Alex Ovechkin score a pair of goals and the Bruins commit mistake after mistake."

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THEY BARELY GOT STARTED -- BY KEVIN PAUL DUPONT, Boston Globe

"It’s much too early to issue a wake-up call, but the Bruins definitely didn’t hear the alarm clock go off on the opening night of the season, when they showed up at the Garden ill-prepared to play 60 minutes - and ripe to be embarrassed by the Washington Capitals."

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NHL OPENING-DAY ROSTERS

2009-10-01T13:58:00.001-07:00

Washington Capitals Opening-Day Rosters

Nicklas Backstrom, F; Matt Bradley, F; Chris Clark, F; John Erskine, D; Boyd Gordon, F; Mike Green, D; Milan Jurcina, D; Boyd Kane, F; Mike Knuble, F; Brooks Laich, F; Quintin Laing, F; Brendan Morrison, F; Shaone Morrisonn, D; Michael Nylander, F; Alex Ovechkin, F; Brian Pothier, D; Tom Poti, D; Jeff Schultz, D; Alexander Semin, F; Tyler Sloan, D; David Steckel, F; Jose Theodore, G; Semyon Varlamov, G.

Injured reserve: None.

CLICK HERE TO SEE COMPLETE LIST

EXCITEMENT IS IN THE AIR -- FOR THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS AND OVECHKIN!

2009-09-30T16:17:00.001-07:00

As the Washington Capitals forge into the regular season opener for 2009-10 season, news outlets have highlighted the excitement with numerous articles devoted to the Caps, their management and their players.

But Caps fans -- and, of course, Ovi fans -- had to especially love an article in The Washington Times titled, "Is Ovechkin the next Great One?"

The article, written by Corey Masisak, reads: " Wayne Gretzky's career total of 894 goals is supposed to be unreachable, but if Alex Ovechkin were to duplicate what he has accomplished in his first four seasons three more times, he would begin the first year of his new contract within reach of the Great One's hallowed achievement. "

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Team fans obviously think that they know the answer -- Of course, Ovi is the next "Great One!"

At The Washington Post, Tarik El-Bashir had his own article asking, "Is This the Year for the Caps?" And a secondary title reads, Ovechkin Leads Core of Talentedd Players Who May Have Their Best Shot at the Cup.

This article begins: "For the past four seasons, the world's best hockey player has performed in Washington. As a member of the Capitals, Alex Ovechkin has won a scoring title, led the National Hockey League in goals twice and been named MVP two years in a row." And it goes on to say that the prize that Ovi is expected to deliver has eluded him so far.

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And Reuters also posted a captivating headline: "Caps' Boudreau thinks Ovechkin's best is yet to come" The article, written by Steve Ginsburg, begins: "Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau believes he has yet to see the best of two-time MVP Alex Ovechkin.
"He can get a lot better and I think he will," Boudreau told Reuters. "Offensively, I don't know. But we need to see him do it both offensively and defensively. There's a lot of room for improvement in his game. And that's something because he's really, really good right now."

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The Winnipeg Sun asked their panel of hockey experts from across the country to name the top 50 players -- and the result was, "One area where there was little debate was the NHL's best player. Alex Ovechkin. Electricity on ice. The Washington Capitals star was close to a unanimous choice as the NHL's No. 1 player, with Pittburgh Penguins' Sid "The Kid" Crosby getting the only other first-place votes. "

Those experts once again answered the often-asked question of who is best, Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby -- and the experts, it appears, did it decisively!

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Throughout the U.S. and Canada, excitement is in the air -- and this year let's hope that the excitement lasts all the way to hoisting the Stanley Cup!

FIRST WASHINGTON CAPITALS CONVENTION -- A WHOLE LOT OF FUN!

2009-09-29T17:50:00.001-07:00

The first ever Washington Capitals Convention this past weekend was a roaring success -- an all-day extravaganza for fans of the entire Caps team and individual players.

My daughter and I attended together -- a wonderful mother-daughter bonding day. But in saying that, it sounds like the two of us are Caps fans -- and in actuality, every member of our family follows and roots for the team. In fact, my first game was with son, Stuart. At the time I was completing a media analysis for the Capitals as my college internship, and Director of Public Relations Lou Corletto offered two prime-location tickets. Stu and I had the time of our lives watching the Capitals win -- and we were hooked! In fact, it was such fun that it became a tradition that Stu gave me Capitals tickets as a Christmas gift each year. And later it became a tradition for the whole family to go to a game during the holiday season.

But to get back to the convention. Right off the bat, Drew and I stood in line for an assigned time and table in order to collect autographs -- and, as we were standing there, we glanced up to see owner Ted Leonsis walking by us. Thrill number one for the day! Since our time was limited, we opted for the earliest autograph time slot -- each taking a different table so that our autographs would not be identical.

Next, we scoped out the Convention Hall -- joining the large crowd gathered for the Opening Ceremonies and later searching though the used hockey equipment for some "gem" used jerseys. And then it was on to the shop where we stood in line with other excited fans to buy Capitals sweatshirts and jerseys. Drew bought a Clark t-shirt, and, while I wanted one for each player -- there was no way to bypass the Ovechkin one! Everyone loves Ovi!

And the Capitals' trophies were numerous and amazing! Our race horses have won quite a few stakes level trophies -- but none of the trophies in our sport could compare with those awarded to the Capitals!

But I had just one "absolutely must do" item on my convention list -- attending the Let's Make A Deal session with panelists George McPhee and Dick Patrick. The event was to provide a glimpse into "how a trade is constructed and how it progresses, who is involved and what actually is in the Caps 'war room.'"

Now for what might be a stunning confession -- as much as I enjoy watching the Capitals play and was eager to see favorite players, most of all I wanted to attend vice president and general manager George McPhee's session! No question -- I must be his biggest fan! I have admired him for the excellent decisions he has made in structuring his career, his talent on the ice as a player and also for his brilliance at the helm of the Capitals. It seems incredible to be so skilled and talented on so many levels. So nothing could have been more exciting than his glimpse inside the Capitals operation -- a chance to hear his beliefs and thoughts on the trading process.

The session was everything that I expected -- enjoyable and instructive. I've never heard GMGM speak without learning something. The only disappointment was that occasionally, at least were we were sitting, the sound system was not perfect so that we could not always decipher what was being said. Still, it was a minor point -- and the session lived up to expectations as the highlight of the day! In fact, it was so enjoyable that we regretted that we could not stay for all of the sessions throughout the day. But that will be the plan for next year!

Collecting autographs was the final event in our plans -- but the lines were long so that we didn't have the time -- so simply walked around the convention hall for a glimpse at the players who were there to sign. That actually was a whole lot of fun -- especially for my daughter who saw her long-time favorite Peter Bondra. Once she had snapped a few photos of the Capitals' once superstar, she quickly phoned her older sister, and exclaimed, "Guess who I saw! Peter Bondra!" She knew that would stir up a bit of envy!

It was a terrific day -- one that we will never forget! And you can count on the fact that we'll be back there again next year, hopefully with more time than we had this year!

CAPITALS WIN FINAL PRESEASON GAME WITH A 4-3 WIN OVER RANGERS

2009-09-28T14:03:00.001-07:00

The Washington Capitals capped preseason play with a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers.

Brooks Laich had a goal and an assist, while goals were also scored by Alexander Semin, Chris Bourque and Mike Knuble. And the Caps' goaltender Semyon Varlamov stopped 28 shots.

Scoring for the Rangers were Artem Anisimov, Evgeny Grachev and Donald Brashear.

The Capitals' finished the preseason play at 4-2-0.

After Laich's initial goal, Semin added another giving the Caps a two-score lead. Then they added two more goals at early in the second period, giving the Capitals a 4-0 lead. But New York got on the board when Anisimov scored on a power play in the third period. Grachev next scored -- followed by Brashear with just four minutes left to play.

The Rangers garnered only 11 shots in the first two periods, but upped that to 20 in the third. Lundqvist faced 24 shots during two periods, then was replaced by Stephen Valiquette.

The Capitals open the regular season in Boston on Thursday night.

OLIE THE GOALIE HAS RETIRED!

2009-09-24T05:11:00.000-07:00

Awww, it sort of tugs at the heart -- the end of an era, even though it ended with the Washington Capitals before today. Still, there is a bit of -- actually, let's face it, a whole lot of -- once a Capitals player, always in our minds and hearts. And Godzilla was so incredibly great -- so totally amazing!

"South African-born German international goaltender Olaf Kolzig, best known for his years with the Washington Capitals in the NHL, announced his retirement on Wednesday," according to Reuters. "Kolzig, an NHL All-Star in 1998 and 2000, played most of his career with the Capitals who drafted him in 1989."

Yep, of course he was known for his years -- heck, his career -- with the Caps! Those of us who are long-time Caps fans could never forget our own Olie the Goalie -- Olie the Great! -- and can still hear the chant, O-lie, O-lie, O-lie!

"The 39-year-old goaltender made eight appearances last year for Tampa Bay Lightning before injury cut short his season and although he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs he did not feature for them."

Wow! Olie is 39! How quickly the years do pass. And if he's 39, how old does that make us?

"It was in the U.S. capital, though, where Kolzig made his name after several years learning his trade in the minor leagues," reported Reuters. "He won the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender after posting 41 wins in 1999-2000, and also helped the Capitals reach the 1998 Stanley Cup finals."

It's a record to be proud of. Olie will certainly never forget the Caps -- nor will we forget him. He was one of the best, and seemingly one of the most underrated.

"While I appreciate everything the game has given me and certainly will miss it, I am looking forward to spending more time with my family and remaining involved in hockey in some capacity," Kolzig said in a statement released through the NHL Players' Association, the news release concluded.

There is no doubt, Olie was and remains very respected and loved by his Caps teammates and fans, and always will be a part of the Caps family!

Olie, thanks for the good times and the memories. Best of luck -- have a healthy and happy retirement!
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Statement from Capitals chairman and majority owner Ted Leonsis:

“Olie was the face of the Capitals franchise for years, on the ice, in the locker room and around Washington, D.C. He was a great Capital and the organization and our fans will always have fond memories of ‘Olie the Goalie.’ We wish him and his wonderful family all the best in his retirement.”

Kolzig retires with a number of Capitals goaltending records, including:

- Career games played (711), minutes (41,259), wins (301), save percentage (.906), saves (18,013) and shutouts (35)

- Single season games played (73, 1999-00), minutes (4,371, 1999-00), wins (41, 1999-00) and save percentage (.920, 1997-98)

OVECHKIN AND KNUBLE EACH SCORE TWO GOALS -- CAPS WIN OVER BLACKHAWKS 6-2

2009-09-24T05:10:00.000-07:00

Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin and Mike Knuble each scored two goals and an assist in the Washington Capitals' 6-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in exhibition play on Wednesday night.

GUSTAFSSON WON'T GET HIS SHOT WITH CAPS YET -- By Stephen Shyno, Washington Times

2009-09-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

His father, Bengt, starred for the Washington Capitals for nine seasons, but Anton Gustafsson's NHL odyssey will have to wait.

The former first-round pick was among 15 players the Caps cut Sunday in advance of the start of the Hershey Bears' camp Monday.

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CAPITALS WIN OVER BLACKHAWKS -- PERREAULT SCORES WINNING GOAL, NEUVIRTH IMPRESSES

2009-09-20T05:42:00.000-07:00

Washington Capitals' Mathieu Perreault scored the game-winning goal 4:48 into overtime, as the Caps won over the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-2, in preseason play.

Kyle Wilson and Chris Clark each secured a goal and an assist for the Caps -- and rookie goaltender Michal Neuvirth turned aside 24-of-26 shots, tremendously impressing in both penalty kill and overtime and keeping the Caps in the game until Wilson scored the tie with 2:47 left in the third period. Perreault stepped up with a rebound off a shot by Shaone Morrison to capture the Capitals win in overtime.

The Blackhawks sent many of last season's regular players onto the ice, while the Caps chose to give experience to the team's younger players.

For the Blackhawks, Patrick Sharp and Jack Skille each scored a goal, and goalie Cristobal Huet saved 27-of-30 shots.

The win gave the Caps 2-0-0 in preseason play -- with both wins earned during extra time. Washington's star Alex Ovechkin is among several Capitals players who yet to be seen on the ice in preseason play.

OVECHKIN CHOSEN D.C. SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR

2009-09-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

Washington Capitals left wing Alexander Ovechkin was for the consecutive year named Washington D.C. Sportsman of the Year. The award was presented in a ceremony held on Tuesday.

"Ovechkin was honored for leading the League with 56 goals, finishing second with 110 points and helping the Caps win their second straight Southeast Division title," it was announced. "He added 11 goals and 21 points in 14 playoff games as the Caps advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs."

At the NHL Awards Ceremony in June, Ovechkin garnered quite a collection of trophies -- repeating as winner of the Hart Trophy, Lester B. Pearson Award and Rocket Richard Trophy. And he became the first player to repeat as League MVP since Dominik Hasek in 1997-98.

Ovechkin also was honored for having the best play of the year for his incredible goal in Game 5 of the first round of playoffs against the New York Rangers.

Also honored was Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee who was chosen sports executive of the year.

SneakerBall, a black tie and sneakers event, celebrates the best of sports in the Greater Washington, D.C., region. The event is organized to benefit the Greater Washington Sports Alliance Foundation, comprised of six local charities.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS' QUINTIN LAING IS BACK AFTER SPLEEN SCARE

2009-09-17T21:10:00.000-07:00

Tarik El-Bashir, Washington Post, provided an excellent article on Quintin Laing -- well worth reading. He starts:

Quintin Laing is tough, like most hockey players. He's missing most of his front teeth and he routinely sacrifices his body by throwing himself in front of 90-plus mph slap shots.

So when the checking-line winger began feeling lightheaded last March in his first game back from a knee injury, he stayed on the ice. A dull pain spread across his abdomen and his shoulder went completely numb, but he finished the game, skating 15 shifts in the Washington Capitals' 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

(Click below to read remainder of article)

CLICK HERE TO READ REMAINDER OF ARTICLE BY TARIK EL-BASHIR, The Washington Post

WASHINGTON CAPITALS TRAINING CAMP DAY 4 SHOOT-OUT

2009-09-15T22:01:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON CAPITALS COACH BRUCE BOUDREAU -- TALKS FOOD

2009-09-15T21:56:00.000-07:00

Find out some of the foods that the coach doesn't like -- sure to surprise you!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH WASHINGTON CAPITALS COACH BRUCE BOUDREAU TALKING ABOUT FOOD

CAPITALS TEAM C CAPTURED SCRIMMAGE 4-3 WIN

2009-09-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

At Kettler Capitals Iceplex today, Team C (coached by Caps assistant Blaine Forsyth and goalie coach Arturs Irbe) captured a 4-3 victory over Team B (coached by Caps assistants Dean Evason and Bob Woods).

Semyon Varlamov started in goal for Team B, while Team C was represented by Michal Neuvirth.

"Matt Bradley and Brooks Laich lit the lamp for Team C as they took a 2-0 lead after the first stanza," described the Capitals' senior writer Mike Vogel. "Varlamov made a pair of dazzling stops prior to Laich’s goal, but was unable to corral the rebound on the second one, enabling Laich to tap the shrapnel into the open cage.

"Team B authored a second period comeback, evening the score at 2-2 on goals from Anton Gustafsson and Andrew Gordon. Gordon was the beneficiary of a terrific set-up pass from Mathieu Perreault, and he beat Neuvirth with a sharp wrist shot from the left circle."

But with only 66 seconds remaining in the middle frame, Team C moved back into the lead. "Defenseman Vladimir Denisov sprung Keith Aucoin on a breakaway with a brilliant home run pass and Aucoin tucked the puck through Varlamov’s five-hole," described Vogel. "Jason Bacashihua took over in goal for Team B and Todd Ford manned the nets for Team C as the third period got underway. Team B had a great chance for an early equalizer when perreault set up Steve Pinizzotto on a 2-on-1 early in the period. Pinizzotto got a shot off, but Bacashihua was able to get a piece of it with his glove.

"Team C picked up an insurance goal when David Steckel banged one past Ford off the post to make it 4-2. Team B pulled to within a goal later in the third. A strong shift by the line of Gordon, Perreault and Boyd Kane resulted in a goal when Gordon was able to lift a rebound past Bacashihua on his backhand.

"A late power play gave Team B a chance to even it up, but strong penalty killing by Bradley, Laich and Jay Beagle preserved the lead. A late rush by Team B’s Alexandre Giroux was snuffed by Team C blueliner Sean Collins, and the first two points of the tournament went to Team C."

Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau opined that Mathieu Perreault, Andrew Gordon, Patrick McNeill and Quintin Laing all performed extremely well for a first scrimmage, adding, "Usually the younger guys are the guys that stand out early. As much as we as coaches would love everybody to be at the top of their game right off the bat, the veterans take their time a little bit more.

“System-wise, they were really good,” said Boudreau of the two teams that scrimmaged on Monday. “I thought they were overly cautious with the systems in the first period. I thought they both did the neutral zone and the controlled breakout and forecheck and things like that – the only two things we worked on this week – really well. The other stuff will come, but that stuff was good.”

OVECHKIN ABOARD ZAMBONI TO NHL STORE IN NYC

2009-09-10T16:47:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK -- Can you imagine the shock at seeing Alex "Ovi" Ovechkin tooling around midtown Manhattan on a Zamboni! The Washington Capitals superstar was in the Big Apple on Wednesday -- enjoying the Zamboni ride that was to promote the new video game, NHL 2K10, for which Ovechkin is the cover athlete. He drove a block up Sixth Avenue to the NHL Store Powered by Reebok.

When Ovi pulled up, there to meet him were cheering fans -- and Ovi waved to them all before entering the store.

"It's nice when people want to see you," Ovechkin told NHL writer Dan Rosen.

Ovechkin was at the store to promote the video game and play the Wii version against a series of competitors.

"To have one of the great hockey players of all time come out to play your video game and play the fans it's just a special time and a special day," Chris Snyder, the Director of Marketing for 2K Sports, told NHL.com. "It's great for the fans, great for Ovi and it's also great for 2K Sports."

Ovi said that he really enjoyed his Zamboni trek, but that he might have preferred that it went a little faster. "It's an unbelievable feeling," Ovechkin said, according to NHL. "It's something new for me and something new for the fans. Lots of guys don't know hockey, they just see me around on a Zamboni and the police stopping the cars. It was pretty cool."

"At 2K Sports we make some noise and there's only one NHL guy that can do it," Snyder told NHL, "and that's Alexander Ovechkin."

Ovechkin autographed copies of the games which was being sold for the very first time here. Ovi, so awesome on the ice, needs to get used to the game because a local kid beat him 2-0.

When the day was drawing to a close, he repeated a line that fans have often heard. "It's another good day to be Alex Ovechkin," he told NHL!

ALL WASHINGTON CAPITALS GAMES WILL BE TELEVISED DURING 2009-10 SEASON

2009-09-10T16:45:00.000-07:00

The Washington Capitals will have all of their 82 regular-season games televised during the 2009-10 season, the Capitals announced today in conjunction with boardcast partner Comcast SportsNet. Comcast SportsNet will televise 75 games, with 49 games available in high definition.

Coverage plans include 62 games on Comcast SportsNet and 12 games on CSN+, it was reported. Comcast SportsNet will open its coverage with Washington’s first home game of the year on Saturday, Oct. 3 against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Verizon Center at 7 p.m. The game will be complimented by extensive pre- and postgame coverage on the network.

Joe Beninati and former Capital Craig Laughlin return to provide play-by-play and color commentary, respectively, on the local broadcasts, with Al Koken reporting rinkside. Lisa Hillary will also join the broadcast as a reporter.

CSN+ is widely carried by cable and satellite carriers throughout the Comcast SportsNet viewing area -- all channels listed on www.csnwashington.com. One game will be carried on The Comcast Network, which is also available to cable and satellite providers in the area.

Versus will broadcast seven games nationally, including Washington’s season opening game on Thursday, Oct. 1 against the Boston Bruins. Versus will also broadcast on Oct. 6 and Oct. 27 vs. Philadelphia, Nov. 17 at N.Y. Rangers, March 8 vs. Dallas and April 5 vs. Boston. On April 6 when Washington plays at Pittsburgh, Versus will broadcast nationally, while CSN will broadcast locally.

October
Thurs., Oct. 1 at Boston 7 p.m. VERSUS
Sat., Oct. 3 Toronto 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Tues., Oct. 6 at Philadelphia 7 p.m. VERSUS
Thurs., Oct. 8 N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Sat., Oct. 10 at Detroit 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Mon., Oct. 12 New Jersey 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Thurs., Oct. 15 San Jose 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Sat., Oct. 17 Nashville 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Thurs., Oct. 22 at Atlanta 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Sat., Oct. 24 at N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m. CSN
Tues., Oct. 27 Philadelphia 7 p.m. VERSUS
Thurs., Oct. 29 at Atlanta 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Fri., Oct. 30 N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m. CSN+

November
Sun., Nov. 1 Columbus 5 p.m. CSN (HD)
Wed., Nov. 4 at New Jersey 7 p.m. CSN
Fri., Nov. 6 at Florida 7:30 p.m. CSN+
Sat., Nov. 7 Florida 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Wed., Nov. 11 N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Fri., Nov. 13 Minnesota 7 p.m. CSN+
Sat., Nov. 14 at New Jersey 7 p.m. CSN+
Tues., Nov. 17 at N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m. VERSUS
Fri., Nov. 20 Montreal 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Sat., Nov. 21 at Toronto 7 p.m. CSN+
Mon., Nov. 23 at Ottawa 7:30 p.m. CSN
Wed., Nov. 25 Buffalo 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Sat., Nov. 28 at Montreal 7 p.m. CSN+
Mon., Nov. 30 at Carolina 7 p.m. CSN (HD)

December
Thurs., Dec. 3 Florida 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Sat., Dec. 5 at Philadelphia 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Mon., Dec. 7 at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m. CSN
Wed., Dec. 9 at Buffalo 7 p.m. CSN
Fri., Dec. 11 Carolina 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Sat., Dec. 12 at Toronto 7 p.m. CSN+
Tues., Dec. 15 at Colorado 9:30 p.m. CSN
Fri., Dec. 18 at Vancouver 10 p.m. CSN
Sat., Dec. 19 at Edmonton 10 p.m. CSN+
Wed., Dec. 23 Buffalo 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Sat., Dec. 26 New Jersey 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Mon., Dec. 28 Carolina 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Wed., Dec. 30 at San Jose 10 p.m. CSN (HD)

January
Sat., Jan. 2 at Los Angeles 4 p.m. CSN (HD)
Tues., Jan. 5 Montreal 7 p.m. CSN+
Thurs., Jan. 7 Ottawa 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Sat., Jan. 9 at Atlanta 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Tues., Jan. 12 at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m. CSN+
Wed., Jan. 13 at Florida 7:30 p.m. CSN (HD)
Fri., Jan. 15 Toronto 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Sun., Jan. 17 Philadelphia 3 p.m. CSN (HD)
Tues., Jan. 19 Detroit 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Thurs., Jan. 21 at Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m. CSN (HD)
Sat., Jan. 23 Phoenix 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Tues., Jan. 26 at N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m. CSN+
Wed., Jan. 27 Anaheim 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Fri., Jan. 29 Florida 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Sun., Jan. 31 Tampa Bay 3 p.m. CSN (HD)

February
Tues., Feb. 2 at Boston 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Thurs., Feb. 4 at N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m. CSN
Fri., Feb. 5 Atlanta 7 p.m. CSN+
Sun., Feb. 7 Pittsburgh TBD NBC
Wed., Feb. 10 at Montreal 7:30 p.m. CSN
Thurs., Feb. 11 at Ottawa 7 p.m. CSN
Sat., Feb. 13 at St. Louis 8 p.m. CSN (HD)
Olympic Break
March
Wed., March 3 at Buffalo 7 p.m. CSN
Thurs., March 4 Tampa Bay 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Sat., March 6 N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Mon., March 8 Dallas 7 p.m. VERSUS
Wed., March 10 Carolina 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Fri., March 12 Tampa Bay 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Sun., March 14 at Chicago TBD CSN
Tues., March 16 at Florida 7:30 p.m. CSN
Thurs., March 18 at Carolina 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Sat., March 20 at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m. CSN (HD)
Wed., March 24 Pittsburgh 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Thurs., March 25 at Carolina 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Sun., March 28 Calgary 3 p.m. CSN (HD)
Tues., March 30 Ottawa 7 p.m. CSN (HD)

April
Thurs., April 1 Atlanta 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Sat., April 3 at Columbus 7 p.m. CSN (HD)
Mon., April 5 Boston 7 p.m. VERSUS
Tues., April 6 at Pittsburgh 7 p.m. CSN/VS
Fri., April 9 Atlanta 7 p.m. TCN
Sun., April 11 Boston 3 p.m. CSN (HD)

All Times Eastern

CAPITALS ROOKIE CAMP ON LABOR DAY

2009-09-08T04:31:00.000-07:00

“Every coach has some sort of barometer to see who worked hard in the summer and who took it easier than they should have,” said Washington Capitals' coach Bruce Boudreau after the opening session of the Capitals rookie camp. “I thought most of our guys were really good today. A couple of the guys who were late additions probably didn’t skate as much.”

During this initial session, the young players faced a hard-working practice that concluded with a lengthy conditioning skate.

The rookie camp roster is comprised of 23 players -- 19 members of the Capitals’ organization, together with forward Ryan Jasinsky and defensemen Aaron Dawson, Ryan Kerr and Kevin Schmidt who are free-agent invitees.

The most recent first-round picks on the ice this week are center Anton Gustafsson (pictured) and defenseman John Carlson, both first-round selections in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Carlson impressed at last fall’s rookie and regular training camps, and was a standout during the 2008-09 season, playing with the Hershey Bears for the Calder Cup championship.

Gustafsson, on the other hand, faced a season that was plagued by injuries. So he opted for a jump-start on the season, by arriving in Arlington weeks ago to prepare for his bid for a nice spot on the team. When asked whether the early arrival was helpful, he responded, "Last time in development camp I did not feel half as good as I feel now. It feels very good. Those three weeks made a huge difference.”

Gustafsson understands the importance of making a strong showing. "I am going to stay [in North America] all year,” he said. "It’s a pretty big thing for me. The last three weeks I have been looking forward to this all the time, just getting in here and getting started working.”

Carlson, who has already been attracting considerable attention, said, "I wanted to take a lot of time off after the season. I played I think 110 games [in 2008-09] or something crazy like that, so I did that and I thought in summer [development] camp, maybe I wasn’t as ready as I should have been. I got onto the ice a lot after that and after that really started my summer training on the ice. I felt good out there today and just look forward to the game on Friday.”

Boudreau, who coached the 2005-06 Bears to a Calder Cup title, is hoping that some of last season's Hershey standouts will come along to be strong for the Capitals.

“If you look at the history of teams that win the Calder Cup, they always have four or five guys playing in the NHL in the next year or next year and a half at least,” Boudreau opined. “They’re going to push some of these guys that think they’ve been safe for years to make sure they play some of their best hockey.

“I think we’ve got three good goalies. I think we have NHL defensemen. We have a multitude of forwards that are ready to make the next step. I think there are battles all over the ice. It should make for good stories everywhere.”

After the Rookies, some of the team's veterans took to the ice -- and Boudreau watched for a bit. "I don’t know if I pay that much attention to what they accomplish,” he said, "but you certainly look at all the players and see what their summer conditioning was like. And they all look like they are in tremendous shape, so it makes the coach smile.”

Some notes from the Capitals on Monday: Forward Stefan Della Rovere “got his bell rung” last week according to Boudreau, and he was held off the ice for the first day’s work as a result … Defenseman-turned-forward Joe Finley was impressive but he left the ice early with some soreness … Boudreau’s sons Andy and Ben participated in the first day’s on-ice activities, wearing white sweaters sans nameplates ... Braden Holtby and Semyon Varlamov were the goaltenders for today's rookie session. Michal Neuvirth and Brett Leonhardt were the afternoon netminders in the veterans' informal session. Varlamov and Neuvirth will trade places for Tuesday's on-ice sessions.

THE FIRST EVER WASHINGTON CAPITALS CONVENTION IS "SOLD OUT"

2009-09-08T03:12:00.000-07:00

Washington Capitals fans, eager for the coming hockey season, will be having a whole different kind of fun at the Capitals first ever Convention on Saturday, Sept. 26 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD.

A "sold out" crowd of more than 5,000 fans will gather with the Capitals players and management for meeting and greeting -- a day that promises to be a season-highlight and memorable affair for everyone! During the 2008-09 hockey season, the team was on the ice in front of a club-record 29 sellouts crowds last season -- but at the convention the Capitals and fans will have a unique opportunity to mingle for discussions, autograph sessions and other events.

"Capitals fans have responded with characteristic enthusiasm, purchasing all available tickets three weeks in advance of the all-day event," said a team spokeman. Attending for the Capitals will be the entire 2009-10 Capitals team, Capitals alumni and other special guests.

There will be panel discussions, skill sessions, autographs and photo opportunities -- a first-time look at behind-the-scenes operations as well as an insight into the lives of NHL players, detailed the Capitals. There also will be interactive activities for adults and children, a display containing many of the NHL’s most prominent trophies, a locker-room store featuring game-used authentic memorabilia and the team’s annual equipment sale.

Head lining the event will be NHL commissioner Gary Bettman who will join chairman and majority owner Ted Leonsis to address fans and field questions on the state of the league. In addition, fans will be able to sit in on panel discussions that feature general manager George McPhee and head coach Bruce Boudreau and a number of current and former Capitals players, including Hall of Famer Rod Langway, Al Iafrate, Dennis Maruk and Kelly Miller.

The Sept. 26 festivities begin at 9 a.m. for season-ticket holders and 10 a.m. for the general public and will conclude at 8 p.m. Fans who are unable to attend will be able to find post-event coverage on WashingtonCaps.com.

BEHIND THE BENCH, Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau (9/7/09)

2009-09-08T02:57:00.000-07:00

Coach Bruce Boudreau this week offered his thoughts on having players back on the ice for the Rookie Camp and Training Camp.

"Today is the day we have all been waiting for," exclaimed Boudreau. "I love the summer, but today is the day when hockey returns, the day when we get the skates back on and get on the ice. It is where we are supposed to be. We circle this date on the calendar and look forward to it all summer because it is when we are able to do what we love again, and that is coach hockey.

"I was so excited yesterday that I got to the rink at 7:30 a.m. That might have been a little too early because I was in my office looking for something to do. So I watched some film and waited for the day to really begin when the rookies showed up at 10 a.m. I was here at 6:30 a.m. today and am ready to get on the ice."

And Boudreau spoke of the importance of this week to the Capitals' young players. "This is a special time of year because for a lot of guys this week," said Boudreau. "This is their first professional training camp. My first pro camp was in 1975 and was a little bit different than what camps are like today. I was the first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Fighting Saints in the WHA. The league was only a few years old then and was trying to rival the NHL. I had always been one of the better players on every team I played on and everything had been so easy for me up to that point. I had broken every scoring record, and thought I would do well in camp.

"Boy was I surprised. I was 21 and went to my first camp 10-15 pounds overweight and at that age the weight kind of begins to stick with you. I went to camp and there were some tremendous veterans there, like Dave Keon and John McKenzie. These guys were icons in the ’60s and ’70s, and I went in there thinking I was all that, but really I was all nothing. The problem with me is that I had no idea how to work to become a professional hockey player. I was picked on unmercifully because I was the first-round pick, who was a little overweight and who did not take it as seriously as I should have."

Boudreau continued, "Those are memories that stay with you and every other camp that I went into, I was in really good shape. I learned a great deal about what you have to do to become a pro hockey player from that camp, and I incorporate that into my coaching philosophy today. Everything I pretty much do as a coach is drawn from experiences because young kids don’t know what to do. They have no idea how hard they have to work because they are only used to working as hard as they need to at their current level. In no way does that prepare you for being NHL conditioned.

"That is why we will push them really hard today. You have to have a barometer of seeing how hard they worked during the summer and you have to let them know that this is the pace you want to keep during the year. If they are not at that pace, then they need to get there in a hurry."

But these days when the players arrive for training camp, they are ready, said Boudreau. "Young guys today come to camp and are not even close to being out of shape. If one of them is then it is definitely something I can talk to them about and identify with them and help them get going in the right direction. If a player is in the proper condition then they can pat themselves on the back knowing that they worked hard all summer and made it through today’s practice.

And then Boudreau addressed expectations for the camps. "One of our main goals this week is to get the group to band together as a team really quickly. We want them to think they are all Washington Capitals and to work hard and to do things the right way. We have a game Friday in Philadelphia and we want to do everything we are capable of doing this week to prepare for that game. We also want them to have a feeling that they know what it takes to play for this club, so when they come back to development camp next summer or to camp next year that they are ready to go. If they do that then any mistake they made this year won’t be made again next year."

THE CAPITALS ROSTERS FOR ROOKIE CAMP AND TRAINING CAMP

2009-09-08T02:55:00.000-07:00

The Kettler Capitals Iceplex will be bustling with activity as 71 players are on the ice for the 2009 Washington Capitals rookie camp and training camp, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

Twenty-three players are in the midst of the rookie camp, which commences on Monday, Sept. 6, with a 10:30 a.m. practice and runs through Friday, Sept. 11, when the rookies visit Vorhees, N.J., for a scrimmage against the Flyers’ rookies at Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone.

On Sunday, Sept. 13, the Capitals switch gears as the training camp welcomes back 48 veterans, 32 of whom saw action for the Capitals last season, who will join the rookies to prepare for the upcoming 2009-10 NHL season. In between practices and off-ice workout sessions, the Capitals will play seven preseason games in preparation for the regular-season opener Oct. 1 at Boston.

The public is welcome to attend every practice, free of charge, beginning Sunday, Sept. 13.

2009 Washington Capitals Rookie Camp Roster

FORWARDS

79 BRODA, Joel 6’1” 203 Left 11/24/89 Yorkton, Saskatchewan Moose Jaw/Calgary WHL
88 BRUESS, Trevor 6’0” 209 Right 1/6/86 Minneapolis, Minnesota Minnesota State-Mankato WCHA
67 CASAVANT, Benjamin 6’1” 200 Left 1/21/91 St-Hyacinthe, Quebec Prince Edward Island QMJHL
84 DELLA ROVERE, Stefan 5’11” 196 Left 2/25/90 Richmond Hill, Ontario Barrie/South Carolina OHL/ECHL
72 DUBUC, Michael 6’3” 170 Right 6/29/88 Granby, Quebec Hershey/South Carolina AHL/ECHL
50 EAKIN, Cody 5’11” 187 Left 5/24/91 Winnipeg, Manitoba Swift Current WHL
59 FINLEY, Joe 6’7” 245 Left 6/29/87 Edina, Minnesota North Dakota/Hershey WCHA/AHL
94 GUSTAFSSON, Anton 6’2” 195 Left 2/25/90 Karlskoga, Sweden Bofors Sweden
77 HAUSWIRTH, Jake 6’5” 200 Left 2/16/88 Merrill, Wisconsin Omaha USHL
65 JASINSKY, Ryan 6’2” 205 Right 1/13/90 Richmond, Virginia Victoriaville QMJHL
93 KUGRYSHEV, Dmitri 5’11” 192 Right 1/18/90 Moscow, Russia Quebec QMJHL
76 MITCHELL, Garrett 5’11 185 Right 9/2/91 Regina, Saskatchewan Regina WHL

DEFENSEMEN
74 CARLSON, John 6’3” 211 Right 1/10/90 Natick, Massachusetts London/Hershey OHL/AHL
38 DAWSON, Aaron 6’5” 220 Left 3/11/85 Peoria, Illinois Univ. of Prince Edward Island AUS
66 FLEMMING, Brett 5’11” 178 Right 2/26/91 Regina, Saskatchewan Mississauga St. Michael’s OHL
73 GODFREY, Josh 6’1” 199 Right 1/15/88 Collingwood, Ontario Hershey/South Carolina AHL/ECHL
96 KERR, Ryan 6’2” 208 Left 3/4/89 Lions Bay, British Columbia Portland WHL
86 MESTERY, Eric 6’5” 203 Left 5/28/90 Winnipeg, Manitoba Tri-City/Lethbridge WHL
68 MISKOVIC, Zach 6’0” 198 Right 5/8/85 River Forest, Illinois St. Lawrence ECAC
54 SCHMIDT, Kevin 6’1” 176 Left 2/14/86 Markham, Ontario Bowling Green CCHA

GOALTENDERS
70 HOLTBY, Braden 6’1” 206 Left 9/16/89 Lloydminster, Saskatchewan Saskatoon WHL
30 NEUVIRTH, Michal 6’1” 197 Left 3/23/88 Usi Labem, Czech Republic CAPITALS/Hershey/South Car.NHL/AHL/ECHL
40 VARLAMOV, Semyon 6’1” 183 Left 4/27/88 Samara, Russia CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL

==================================================================
2009 WASHINGTON CAPITALS TRAINING CAMP ROSTER

FORWARDS

20 AUCOIN, Keith 5’8” 165 Right 11/6/78 Waltham, Massachusetts CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL
19 BACKSTROM, Nicklas 6’1” 210 Left 11/23/87 Gavle, Sweden CAPITALS NHL
83 BEAGLE, Jay 6’3” 208 Right 10/16/85 Calgary, Alberta CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL
36 BOUCHARD, Francois 6’1” 190 Left 4/26/88 Sherbrooke, Quebec Hershey AHL
56 BOURQUE, Chris 5’8” 181 Left 1/29/86 Boston, Massachusetts CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL
10 BRADLEY, Matt 6’3” 201 Right 6/13/78 Stittsville, Ontario CAPITALS NHL
17 CLARK, Chris 6’0” 196 Right 3/8/76 South Windsor, Connecticut CAPITALS NHL
16 FEHR, Eric 6’4” 212 Right 9/7/85 Winkler, Manitoba CAPITALS NHL
14 FLEISCHMANN, Tomas 6’1” 190 Left 5/16/84 Koprivnice, Czech Republic CAPITALS NHL
33 GIROUX, Alexandre 6’3” 201 Left 6/16/81 Quebec City, Quebec CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL
63 GORDON, Andrew 5’11” 180 Right 12/13/85 Halifax, Nova Scotia CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL
15 GORDON, Boyd 6’1” 201 Right 10/19/83 Unity, Saskatchewan CAPITALS NHL
61 JOUDREY, Andrew 5’11” 185 Left 7/15/84 Bedford, Nova Scotia Hershey AHL
34 KANE, Boyd 6’2” 225 Left 4/18/78 Swift Current, Saskatchewan Philadelphia/Philadelphia NHL/AHL
22 KNUBLE, Mike 6’3” 230 Right 7/7/72 Toronto, Ontario Philadelphia NHL
21 LAICH, Brooks 6’2” 210 Left 6/23/83 Wawota, Saskatchewan CAPITALS NHL
53 LAING, Quintin 6’2” 210 Left 6/8/79 Rosetown, Saskatchewan CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL
9 MORRISON, Brendan 5’11” 181 Left 8/15/75 Pitt Meadows, British Columbia Anaheim/Dallas NHL
92 NYLANDER, Michael 6’1” 195 Left 10/3/72 Stockholm, Sweden CAPITALS NHL
48 OSALA, Oskar 6’4” 217 Left 12/26/87 Vaasa, Finland CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL
8 OVECHKIN, Alex 6’2” 220 Right 9/17/85 Moscow, Russia CAPITALS NHL
85 PERREAULT, Mathieu 5’9” 166 Left 1/5/88 Drummondville, Quebec Hershey AHL
90 PINIZZOTTO, Steve 6’2” 196 Right 4/26/84 Mississauga, Ontario Hershey/South Carolina AHL/ECHL
45 REID, Darren 6’2” 202 Right 5/8/83 Lac La Biche, Alberta Hershey AHL
28 SEMIN, Alexander 6’2” 205 Right 3/3/84 Krasnojarsk, Russia CAPITALS NHL
39 STECKEL, David 6’5” 222 Left 3/15/82 Westbend, Wisconsin CAPITALS NHL
25 SUGDEN, Brandon 6’4” 233 Right 6/23/78 Toronto, Ontario Hartford AHL
57 WILSON, Kyle 6'0" 200 Right
12/15/84 Oakville, Ontario Hershey AHL

DEFENSEMEN

27 ALZNER, Karl 6’2” 205 Left 9/24/88 Burnaby, British Columbia CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL
44 AMADIO, Greg 6’2” 232 Left 5/13/81 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Hershey AHL
62 COLLINS, Sean 6'1" 208 Right
10/20/83 Troy, Michigan CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL
47 DENISOV, Vladimir 5’11” 207 Left 6/29/84 Novopolotzk, Belarus Hartford AHL
4 ERSKINE, John 6’4” 216 Left 6/26/80 Kingston, Ontario CAPITALS NHL
52 GREEN, Mike 6’2” 208 Right 10/12/85 Calgary, Alberta CAPITALS NHL
43 HELMER, Brian 6’2” 208 Right 6/15/72 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL
23 JURCINA, Milan 6’4” 233 Right 6/7/83 Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia CAPITALS NHL
75 McNEILL, Grant 6’2” 220 Left 5/8/83 Vermilion, Alberta Hershey AHL
46 McNEILL, Patrick 6’0” 195 Left 3/17/87 Strathroy, Ontario Hershey AHL
26 MORRISONN, Shaone 6’4” 210 Left 12/23/82 Vancouver, British Columbia CAPITALS NHL
2 POTHIER, Brian 6’0” 200 Left 4/15/77 New Bedford, Mass. CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL
3 POTI, Tom 6’3” 210 Left 3/22/77 Worcester, Mass. CAPITALS NHL
55 SCHULTZ, Jeff 6’6” 221 Left 2/25/86 Calgary, Alberta CAPITALS NHL
89 SLOAN, Tyler 6’3” 190 Left 3/15/81 Calgary, Alberta CAPITALS/Hershey NHL/AHL
41 WELLAR, Patrick 6’3” 210 Left 12/4/83 Carrot River, Saskatchewan Hershey/South Carolina AHL/ECHL
24 YEO, Dylan 5’11” 210 Left 6/16/86 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Manitoba/Victoria

GOALTENDERS

31 BACASHIHUA, Jason 5’11” 175 Left 9/20/82 Garden City, Michigan Lake Erie AHL
35 FORD, Todd 6’4” 176 Right 5/1/84 Calgary, Alberta Victoria ECHL
60 THEODORE, Jose 5’11” 182 Right 9/13/76 Laval, Quebec CAPITALS NHL

Rosters as of Sept. 5, 2009.
Select rookies will participate in training camp as well.
======================================================================

2009 WASHINGTON CAPITALS PRESEASON SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Location Time
Fri., Sept. 11 at Philadelphia* Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ 3 p.m.
Thurs., Sept. 17 at Buffalo HSBC Arena, Buffalo, N.Y. 7 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 19 at Chicago United Center, Chicago, Ill. 8:30 p.m.
Mon., Sept. 21 Buffalo Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 7 p.m.
Wed., Sept. 23 Chicago Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 7 p.m.
Thurs., Sept. 24 at NY Rangers Madison Square Garden, New York, N. Y. 7 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 27 NY Rangers Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 12 p.m.
* Rookie Game All Times Eastern

MARK YOUR CALENDARS BECAUSE WASHINGTON CAPITALS SINGLE-GAME TICKETS GO ON SALE SATURDAY, SEPT 12

2009-09-04T04:48:00.001-07:00

Washington Capitals 2009-10 single-game tickets will be available for purchase on Saturday, September 12.

Included in the schedule are a variety special events, ticket promotions and giveaway items, the Capitals announced.

Tickets for both preseason and regular-season games will go on sale at 10 a.m. at 202-397-SEAT, on WashingtonCaps.com, at Kettler Capitals Iceplex and at all local Ticketmaster outlets, including the Verizon Center box office.

Thanks to significant demand for season tickets and partial plans as well as presale single-game ticket purchases by season-ticket holders, there will be some games with a limited number of tickets available when individual tickets go on sale Sept. 12.

The home season begins with Opening Night at Verizon Center presented by Geico on Saturday, Oct. 3, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Capitals will unveil their 2008-09 Southeast Division championship banner prior to the game, and the first 15,000 fans will receive a Mike Green bobblehead, courtesy of Geico, the Capitals announced.

Additional giveaways during the season will include a 2009-10 schedule magnet presented by Comcast SportsNet on Saturday, Oct. 17; Upper Deck trading cards on Friday, March 12; and an umbrella presented by Verizon on Sunday, April 11. There will also be a giveaway on Saturday, Jan. 23.

And the Capitals will host two special Kids Days for children between the ages of two and 14, and will have activities set up on the concourse of the 400 level. Kids Club members will be able to enter an hour before the gates open to the general public. The first Kids Day is scheduled on Friday, Dec. 11, and will also feature a mascot hockey game during an intermission. The second Kids Day is on Sunday, Jan. 31.

The Capitals are also proud to once again host Hockey Fights Cancer Night (Oct. 27), Hockey is for Everyone Night (Feb. 5) and Military Night (March 4). The team’s popular Courage Caps presented by Microsoft will also return for a third year, and the program launch will coincide with Veterans Day on Nov. 11. The team’s inaugural Club Scarlet Night will take place on April 1.

Among the ticket options available is the Washington Capitals Pregame All-Inclusive Package, which starts at $99 per package and includes a game ticket, a pregame all-you-can-eat buffet in the Dewar’s 12 Club, unlimited beer, wine and soda, a Caps New Era hat and a Caps rally towel.

2009-10 Washington Capitals Home Schedule

Date Opponent Time Promotion/Event
Mon., Sept. 21 Buffalo (Preseason) 7 p.m.
Wed., Sept. 23 Chicago (Preseason) 7 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 27 N.Y. Rangers (Preseason) 12 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 3 Toronto 7 p.m. Mike Green bobblehead presented by Geico*
Thurs., Oct. 8 N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m.
Mon., Oct. 12 New Jersey 7 p.m.
Thurs., Oct. 15 San Jose 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 17 Nashville 7 p.m. 2009-10 schedule magnet giveaway sponsored by Comcast SportsNet
Hockey Fights Cancer Auction
Tues., Oct. 27 Philadelphia 7 p.m. Hockey Fights Cancer Night and Auction
Fri., Oct. 30 N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 1 Columbus 5 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 7 Florida 7 p.m. Fall Puck Surprise
Wed., Nov. 11 N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m. Courage Caps presented by Microsoft launch and Veterans Day
Fri., Nov. 13 Minnesota 7 p.m. Singles Night
Fri., Nov. 20 Montreal 7 p.m. Canned Food Drive presented by Tires Plus/Bridgestone
Wed., Nov. 25 Buffalo 7 p.m.
Thurs., Dec. 3 Florida 7 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 11 Carolina 7 p.m. Kids Day and Toy Drive presented by Geico
Wed., Dec. 23 Buffalo 7 p.m. Wives Gift Basket Auction
Sat., Dec. 26 New Jersey 7 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 28 Carolina 7 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 5 Montreal 7 p.m.
Thurs., Jan. 7 Ottawa 7 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 15 Toronto 7 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 17 Philadelphia 3 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 19 Detroit 7 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 23 Phoenix 7 p.m. Giveaway courtesy of Chevy Chase Bank
Wed., Jan. 27 Anaheim 7 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 29 Florida 7 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 31 Tampa Bay 3 p.m. Kids Day
Fri., Feb. 5 Atlanta 7 p.m. Hockey is for Everyone Night
Sun., Feb. 7 Pittsburgh 12:30 p.m.
Thurs., March 4 Tampa Bay 7 p.m. Military Night
Sat., March 6 N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m. Pick-A-Stick
Mon., March 8 Dallas 7 p.m.
Wed., March 10 Carolina 7 p.m.
Fri., March 12 Tampa Bay 7 p.m. Upper Deck trading card giveaway#
Wed., March 24 Pittsburgh 7 p.m.
Sun., March 28 Calgary 3 p.m.
Tues., March 30 Ottawa 7 p.m.
Thurs., April 1 Atlanta 7 p.m. Club Scarlet Night
Mon., April 5 Boston 7 p.m. Spring Puck Surprise
Fri., April 9 Atlanta 7 p.m.
Sun., April 11 Boston 3 p.m. Fan Appreciation Day; Umbrella giveaway sponsored by Verizon

* First 15,000 fans # First 10,000 fans

WHO IS THE BETTER PLAYER, OVECHKIN OR CROSBY?

2009-09-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

PensBurgh.com carries an article today that asks "the eternal question" -- who is better, Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby or the Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin? To the credit of the writer, Hooks Orpik, the article clearly opines that both hockey greats are -- well, simply great.

"Personally, I don't see why Crosby needs to score 115 points (which he's done) and go to the Stanley Cup finals (which he's done...twice) to be considered the best player all of a sudden," writes Orpik. "Does he really have to do it all again to conclusively prove he's the best?

"By the same token, Ovechkin supporters will rightly point to all his individual hardware and skills as evidence to his stand-alone greatness. Does he have to win the gold medal to prove that?"

Orpik continues, "No matter how you slice it the debate will continue and rage on for most, if not all of their respective great careers. The bottom line is both are uniquely gifted and incredible hockey players - their styles on and off the ice may be polar opposites, but that doesn't mean one is clearly superior to the other. On any given night either can make a compelling case that he is the best player in the world."

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE -- AND/OR TO RESPOND WITH YOUR OWN THOUGHTS

(Of course, we have to admit to a bit of prejudice in considering that question! It's probably pretty obvious who we would be voting for!)

"CAPITALS CAN FILL HOLES FROM WITHIN ORGANIZATION" IS A GOOD READ

2009-08-30T10:20:00.001-07:00

"Capitals can fill holes from within organization," is a terrific article from NHL Staff Writer, Mike G. Morreale. It is detailed as "the 18th installment of our 30 Teams in 30 Days feature."

After recounting Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee's long-understood belief in building the team from within, Morreale opined that he was not surprised when McPhee hesitated from asked who would fill in as second-line center behind Nicklas Backstrom.

"We think Brooks Laich can play that position, and he might be able to play it very well," McPhee is quoted by Morreale. "We certainly like doing stuff like that within the organization, and we're ready to do that if needed. Brooks played that position last year when Sergei was injured."

The following is a link to reading the complete article.

OVI TRADES SKATES FOR AN APRON -- at least for one night!

2009-08-28T15:15:00.001-07:00

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin will be turning in his skates -- at least for an evening -- when he puts on an apron and assumes the role of guest chef at Mari Vanna, a Russian restaurant based in New York, according to Washington Business Journal.

On a restaurant profile of Mari Vanna, it reads, "Once upon a time in Moscow & St. Petersburg, a mythical woman named Mari Vanna welcomed diners into her home with open arms, feeding them traditional Russian fare on her finest china and linens."

Now, instead of Mari Vanna, it wil be the Caps' own Ovi teaching diners "what true Russian hospitality means."

But Ovi will not be the only celebrity at Mari Vanna. The restaurant, which began a "Who's the host?" series in which celebrities get to enjoy a change in roles and titles, also has scheduled Milla Jovovich, it is reported.

And the "hot spot" with "imperial opulence," Mari Vanna has not only attracted celebrity guest chefs, but has also attracted celebrity diners. Actor Nico Tortorella of the show "The Beautiful Life" celebrated his 21st birthday at the restaurant.

Ovechkin is expected to appear at the restaurant early next month, likely on September 8 or 9th.

CAPS INVITE 19-YEAR-OLD RYAN JASINSKY TO ROOKIE CAMP

2009-08-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

"I saw Ryan play in Victoriaville and knew that he was big and tough," said Washington Capitals Director of Player Development Steve Richmond in speaking of Youngstown Phantoms' 19-year old Ryan Jasinsky.

The Capitals, recognizing Jasinsky's talent, have invited him to participate in the team's rookie camp early next month.

"We're lacking in young toughness in our organization because those types of guys are hard to find," explained Richmond. "It's a difficult job, but what we want to find out about Ryan is his level of skill and hockey sense. We decided to bring him in and get a close look at what he can do."

The 6 ft 3, 215 pound Jasinsky looked at Youngstown a real chance to improve his skills. Previously he spent two seasons with the Victoriaville Tigres of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

"Being in Youngstown is a great opportunity for me," Jasinsky told oursportscentral after a practice at the Ice Zone in Boardman. "I'm not here to play a limited role or go out once or twice a period and drop [the gloves]. I'm going to get more ice time and I'm working on becoming a better all-around player."

Phantoms Head Coach/General Manager Bob Mainhardt said of Jasinsky, "Ryan's a big, strong, committed guy who's not afraid to get his nose dirty and do what it takes. But we see something much more than that. We see someone who can score goals, be an offensive threat and play a role in all areas of the game. We're trying to show him we have confidence he can be that well-rounded power forward who plays with a chip on his shoulder."

Jasinsky and other camp invitees will report to the Kettler Capitals Complex in Arlington, Va. on Monday, Sept. 6. A highlight of the camp experience will come on Saturday, Sept. 11 when they will play a game against the Philadelphia Flyers' rookies.

"Hopefully I show up and do really well," Jaskinsky said. "Then maybe I can play on one of their farm teams or even with the big club in the next few years."

As for Mainhardt, he thinks, "He's got the potential [to go to the NHL. Obviously, he's willing to work hard and sacrifice the body, which is the biggest thing. If he can prove himself this year, I think the sky's the limit, but these next couple of years are really important."

BRODA AWAITS OFFER FROM NHL CAPITALS

2009-08-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

Trying to earn spot in organization, but P.A. product might return to WHL after all

JOHN MACNEIL
The Prince Albert Daily Herald

After leading the Western Hockey League with 53 goals last season, Joel Broda appeared to be a lock to graduate to pro ranks this fall.

That might still happen, but for now the Prince Albert resident is waiting to sign an NHL contract with the Washington Capitals, who drafted the forward in the fifth round in 2008.

"Maybe at the start of the off-season, I certainly thought it would happen sooner," Broda said this week from Calgary, where the Hitmen begin their main training camp Friday.

"But, every team is different. (The Capitals) have a really deep organization, so they've had the time to wait with me. They're just taking their time, and they have the right to do so.

"I've just got to make sure that I do what's best for my future."

Lesser talents and lower-profile players have signed pro contracts, but Broda still believes his time will come with Washington. He made his case at the Caps' development camp in July, and he'll try to do likewise at their rookie camp beginning Sept. 6.

"I always think I can do better, but I think did pretty well down there (at the summer camp)," Broda said. "And I think they're happy.

"It's going to come down to (training) camp. They'll see how I've improved over the summer, and that I've gotten better. I'll just go down to camp and try to make the squad."

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REMAINDER OF THE ARTICLE IN THE PRINCE ALBERT DAILY HERALD

CAPITALS ANNOUNCE DATES FOR ROOKIE AND TRAINING CAMP

2009-08-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

The Washington Capitals have announced that the 2009 rookie camp and training camp will again be held at at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va.

Rookie camp will kick off on Monday, Sept. 7. And it will end with a road game against the Philadelphia Flyers rookies at 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, at Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, N.J. This is the third straight year that Washington rookies will play Philadelphia rookies prior to training camp. The game is open to the public and free of charge.

Veterans will report to training camp on Saturday, Sept. 12, and will be available for interviews and photographs at Kettler Capitals Iceplex that day. On-ice training camp activities will begin on Sunday, Sept. 13.

CANADIANS TO HOST CAPS AT BELL CENTER INSTEAD OF OLYMPIC STADIUM

2009-08-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

When the Montreal Canadiens host the Washington Capitals on Nov. 28, the game will be played at the Bell Centre, not at 70,000-seat Olympic Stadium.

A plan to move the Nov. 28 game against the Washington Capitals from the Bell Centre as part of the Canadiens' centenary celebrations received approval from the National Hockey League's competition committee at the June entry draft in Montreal. But with the Montreal Alouettes anticipated to make a deep run in the Canadian Football League playoffs, the Canadiens decided that there was not enough time to set up the Big O for a hockey game, according to canada.com.

"The NHL requires at least seven days to construct a rink and build up the ice surface," according to a report in cbcsports.ca.

The last possible home game the Alouettes could play at Olympic Stadium would be on Nov. 22 in an Eastern final.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS CONTINUE EFFORTS TO SUPPORT AREA COMMUNITIES

2009-08-24T10:19:00.001-07:00

Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau, defenseman Brian Pithier and members of the Caps front office all participated in the annual D.C. Public Schools Beautification Day project on Aug. 22. And the team announced that they will continue, for the third straight year, a Capitals Hockey School program with sessions for groups of 100 to 150 fifth to eighth graders.

On Beautification Day, the Capitals, their fans and other volunteers helped spruce up schools for the upcoming school year -- and planted flowers, mulched, painted, cleaned out old books and assembled goody bags for students.

"This is important for kids to see that people care about them and their schools," explained Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau.

And the Capitals, through the Hockey School Program, in the past two years have hosted 20 clinics that reached 2,500 students in the Washington, D.C. area. This year, between September and May, Caps coaches, players, Slapshot and team representatives will continue the program -- which includes an interactive floor hockey clinic and a question and answer session with Caps representatives.

INFANT SON OF CAPITALS' GOALTENDER DIES

2009-08-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

The 2-month-old son of Washington Capitals' goaltender Jose Theodore had died, the Washington Capitals confirmed on Thursday.

"We are aware of the heartbreaking news," said general manager George McPhee in a statement. "At this time we ask that everyone respects the privacy of Jose and his family."

The goalie's sister-in-law, Veronique Cloutier, made the announcement during her show on a Montreal radio station, but did not provide details. Veronique Cloutier's sister, Stephanie, is married to Theodore.

Theodore's son was believed to have been born two months premature, The Washington Post reports, citing that the information was revealed by a friend of Theodore's. The boy had been hospitalized with respiratory complications since birth and died last week, the Post revealed.

Theodore and Stephanie Cloutier also have a three-year-old daughter, Romy.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN D.C. PUBLIC SCHOOLS BEAUTIFICATION DAY

2009-08-20T07:52:00.001-07:00

Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau, defenseman Brian Pothier and members of the Capitals front office will participate in D.C. Public Schools Beautification Day on Saturday, Aug 22.

The DCPS Beautification Day is part of a nationwide United We Serve program which is a joint initiative between the White House and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Fans are encouraged to volunteer along with the Capitals and to participate in the event. The Capitals will be hosting projects at Emery Education Campus in Northeast Washington and King Elementary School in Southeast Washington.

The Capitals and volunteers "will help spruce up the schools for the upcoming school year and will be planting flowers, mulching, painting, cleaning and assembling goody bags for students," it is detailed on the team's website.

Volunteers can register by following a link on the Capitals website, and the team reports that each fan who signs up to help will receive a free Caps t-shirt. Also, the team reports that volunteers will receive additional information about the project after they register and select either the Emery Education Campus or King Elementary School as their service location.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS COACH BOUDREAU MAKING A PITCH

2009-08-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau will throw out the first pitch for the Nationals Thursday.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS -- CLICK TO WIN IS BACK FOR ITS THIRD SEASON

2009-08-19T12:00:00.001-07:00

The Washington Capitals have always been known a team devoted to its fans and always eager to help raise money for charities.

Now comes word that Caps Care Click to Win is back again for its third season.

Click to win is an initiative that gives local schools the chance to win a Capitals player visit, a team mascot visit, cash prizes and Caps autographed memorabilia.

Last year the Washington Capitals Charities granted $27,000 to 36 local schools. And during the 2009-10 season that amount was increased to $31,500 will be donated to 45 schools throughout the Washington Metropolitan area.

The Capitals say that schools can register online at WashingtonCaps.com by submitting a photo with a descriptive caption of their students “Rocking the Red” and showing their Caps spirit. Each month between September and May, five schools will have their photos posted on WashingtonCaps.com. Those schools each will receive a $500 grant from Washington Capitals Charities. Students, school faculty and fans will then be able to vote for the school they think is most deserving of an additional $1,000 grant. The school with the most votes each month will win a total of $1,500.

Also, the school with the most votes overall at the end of the program will get a player visit and a Capitals team-signed jersey to display at the school.

Further details are available at the Capitals website.

AHL Names Rod Pasma New Executive Vice-President of Hockey Operations

2009-08-18T08:08:00.001-07:00

The American Hockey League named Rod Pasma as Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations on Monday.

"We are very excited to be able to bring someone of Rod's experience and background in to lead our hockey operations department," said AHL president David Andrews in a prepared statement.

Pasma was selected in the second round, 30th overall, by the Washington Capitals back in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft.

UPPER DECK SIGNS CAPITALS' ALEX OVECHKIN TO EXCLUSIVE AUTOGRAPH DEAL

2009-08-16T12:56:00.000-07:00

Upper Deck, exclusive provider of NHL licensed hockey cards, has launched their 2009-10 campaign with the announcement that they have signed Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin to an exclusive autograph deal!

A likeness of two-time Hart Trophy winner Ovechckin will be on Upper Deck packages and exclusive autographs will be inserted into all sets release, revealed Upper Deck. Ovechkin, who was the number 1 overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, was named the NHL Rookie of the Year for the 2005-06 season, and has earned back-to-back league MVP trophies for the past two seasons.

“Alexander has distinguished himself as a proven superstar in the NHL in just a few short years,” said Upper Deck Chief Operating Officer Bernd Becker. “The sky is the limit with a player of his caliber in terms of what his legacy will be and hockey fans realize that. To be able to deliver exclusive content of this international icon is a coup for Upper Deck and something our collectors can get excited about.”

Upper Deck produces some spectacular looking cards – and Ovechkin cards will likely become favorites with collectors

CAPITALS SELLING COURAGE CAPS TO HELP CHILDREN WHO ARE FIGHTING CANCER

2009-08-14T19:52:00.001-07:00

The Washington Capitals are reminding folks just what true courage is -- and are asking for fan help as they raise funds to help children who are fighting cancer.

During the upcoming season the team will sell Courage Caps and "100% of the sale price will benefit CureSearch, a non-profit based in Bethesda that unites the Children's Oncology Group and the National Childhood Cancer Foundation through a shared mission to cure and prevent childhood and adolescent cancer through scientific discovery and compassionate care."

Courage Caps can be purchased for $20 at the community relations table at Capitals home games and online at WashingtonCaps.com. The team says that a limited number of autographed Courage Caps will be available. And for $50 fans can buy a hat signed by Olie Kolzig or Alex Ovechkin -- and for $30 buy a hat signed by any other individual Capitals player.

JOSE THEODORE IS NUMBER 1 GOALTENDER GOING INTO TRAINING CAMP SAYS CAPITALS' COACH BOUDREAU

2009-08-14T08:54:00.000-07:00

“Right now, Jose (Theodore) is the No. 1 guy, and the other two young men have got to come in and play the way they did last year and try to push him out,” Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau.

“Jose won (32) games for us last year, and like the year before when Cristobal Huet got hot down the stretch, Varly (Semyon Varlamov) came in and did a great job where we just couldn’t take him out.”

When Boudreau referred to “the other two young men,” he was speaking of Varlamov and also Michal Neuvirth.

The question on folks’ minds has been how Semyon Varlamov, who excelled in 2009 NHL playoffs and ended the season as the number one goaltender, would be ranked going into training camp. But unless things change, it appears that Theordore has nailed the top spot -- at least for now.

Varlamov had replaced Theodore in the first round of the playoffs and impressed during the Capitals’ come-from-behind victory over the New York Rangers.

When Quebec native Theodore heard Boudreau's remarks, he appeared not surprised according to The Washington Post. "I don’t see myself as a backup,” Theodore was quoted. “My frame of mind was to enter the season as the number one guy. (Whether) or not that was the case, that was going to be my approach. We all know in hockey, number one is only a title. It’s still on the ice that you have to earn your points

CAPITALS' ERIC FEHR BACK ON THE ICE

2009-08-13T12:12:00.000-07:00

There is an article in the Winnipeg Sun today, written by Paul Friesen, that strikes a cord, touches the heart.

A bit of the article is here, and the remainder of it can be read at the Sun site -- a link provided below. It is well worth reading.

Eric Fehr felt like a kid in a candy store yesterday, all because he was allowed to strap on the blades and hit the ice -- for the first time in four months.

It was a far cry from not being able to feed or dress himself, which is where the 23-year-old was in May.

"It was awful," Fehr told the Sun yesterday. "I was lucky I had my wife, who's a nurse. So she was able to take care of me 24 hours a day."

Back then, both of Fehr's shoulders were in slings, after surgery to repair torn labrums, the tissue that helps keep the shoulder joint stable.

The product of Winkler suffered the injuries in separate games with the NHL's Washington Capitals last season -- his left shoulder in January, the right one in the second round of the playoffs.

The former first-round draft pick still managed to record career highs of 12 goals and 13 assists in 61 games, finally finding his range after three seasons split between the NHL and AHL.

But after the Caps fell to Pittsburgh in Game 7 of Round 2, Fehr had a decision to make: have surgery on one shoulder this year, another next summer -- or bite the bullet and do both.

He bit.

And in the middle of May, Fehr reverted to being a baby again.

At least, that's what his wife said.

"You really can't use your arms for anything," he said. "I couldn't feed myself or do anything for the first two or three days. You need your arms for everything. Just opening a door, I couldn't do."

The link below will take you to the entire article.

Shouldering the load

ARTURS IRBE NEW GOALTENDING COACH FOR WASHINGTON CAPITALS

2009-08-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

The Washington Capitals have hired Arturs Irbe as goaltending coach, according to vice president and general manager George McPhee today.

Irbe replaces Dave Prior, a 12-year veteran with the team, who resigned to spend more time with his family. This will be Irbe's first stint as an NHL assistant.

The 42-year-old Irbe, a native of Riga, Latvia, was goaltending coach for his hometown Dinamo Riga last season in the Kontinental Hockey League. He also has experience with the Latvian national team which he represented in the 2002 and 2006 Olympics.

In fact, Irbe has a connection to the Capitals in that he is a former teammate of assistant coach Dean Evason when both were players with the San Jose Sharks from 1991-93.

Irbe is a 13-year NHL veteran, having played for San Jose, Dallas, Vancouver and Carolina. He played in 568 games and compiled a career record of 218-236-79 while appearing in NHL All-Star Games in 1994 and 1999.

His final NHL season came in 2003-04, and he wound up his career with a 2.83 goals-against average and an .899 save percentage.

After leaving the NHL, Irbe played professionally in Europe and retired completely after appearing in six games with Slovakia's HK Nitra in 2006-07.

Irbe, who is fluent in English, Latvian, Russian and also speaks some German, was selected in the 10th round, 196 overall, in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota North Stars. He completed five years with the San Jose organization and made his NHL debut in the 1991-92 season when he appeared in 13 games.

Irbe playedd in 74 games for the Sharks during 1993-94 and set an NHL record, since broken, by playing 4,412 minutes in the regular season. He spent the 1996-97 season with Dallas and the 1997-98 season with Vancouver before joining Carolina for the final six years of his career.

Irbe also played more than 50 games in each of his firsst four seasons with the Hurricanes. He posted career-best marks in GAA (2.22) and in save percentage (.923) during the 1998-99 season, his first with Carolina. He played a career high 77 games during the 2000-01 season, and a year later he helped lead Carolina to the Stanley Cup final.

JOE FINLEY PLEADS NOT GUILY TO DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND GIVING FALSE INFORMATION TO OFFICERS

2009-08-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

Joe Finley, just days after leaving the Washington Capitals development camp, was charged with disorderly conduct and giving false information to officers. And on Tuesday Finley answered those misdemeanor charges by pleading not guilty, according to StarTribune.com.

The incident allegedly involved Finley and a friend throwing items, including a lawnmower, kitchen table, glassware and other items into a street -- which disrupted traffic flow while clean-up crews cleared the items from the street.

Finley, a first-round NHL draft pick of the Washington Capitals in 2005, in April signed a two-year contract with Washington and was assigned to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League.

Matt Frattin, Finley's friend, earlier pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in connection with the incident and was given aa 10-day suspended sentence, wrote startribune. He was handed a two-game suspension next season, and University of North Dakota reduced his student aid and ordered him to get counseling. Frattin was a draft choice of the Toronto Maple Leafs and was North Dakota's third-leading scorer last season as a sophomore with 13 goals.

NATIONALS' NYJER MORGAN THINKS SMART

2009-08-11T12:38:00.000-07:00

The Washington Nationals are doing okay -- and there are some fans who give a lot of credit for this to Nyjer Morgan. This was the subject of an article by Tracee Hamilton, The Washington Post -- which called attention to the fact that before Morgan joined the team, the Nats were 21st in the majors in runs scored, but since Morgan arrived they have escalated to third.

Impressive -- but what does this have to do with hockey -- and the Capitals?

Well, the connection is that Morgan loves hockey -- has since back in the days when he was a youngster watching the U.S. hockey team at the Calgary Games. He even took a stab at playing hockey before settling with the Pirates' minor-league team.

But what is particularly endearing about Morgan is his answer when asked who is the better player -- the Capitals' Alex Ovechkin or the Penguins' Sidney Crosby.

Morgan will be forgiven for diplomatically answering, "They're both good, two different players."

It is the rest of Morgan's answer that impresses!

Morgan, in continuing with his response, said, "One's more exciting than the other."

Which one?

His reply, "Ovechkin. He gives something that the fans like to see!"

Now that sounds like the correct answer, at least to Capitals and Ovi fans!

MIKE GREER GOES TO SABRES

2009-08-11T12:01:00.001-07:00

Mike Greer, a 34-year-old unrestricted free agent who was once on the Washington Capitals team, has agreed to a one-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres, according to Canada.com.

Grier was a member of the Sabres from 2004-06 after being acquired in a trade from the Washington Capitals. Last season in San Jose, Grier missed twenty games with a knee injury, but still recorded 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 62 games.

In 914 career games with the Capitals, Edmonton Oilers, Sabres and Sharks, Grier posted a record of 147 goals and 198 assists for 345 points.

CAPS FRANCHISE OWNER TED LEONSIS TELLS BARRONS THAT HE EXPECTS NUMBERS OF REVOLUTION CARDHOLDERS TO INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY

2009-08-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

Washington Capitals franchise owner Ted Leonsis says that Revolution, a new player in “plastic land”, is on track to escalate its number of cardholders from the current 700,000 cardholders to about 11 million by 2011, according to Barrons.com.

The RevolutionCard, which may someday rival Visa, MasterCard, American Express and PayPal, is attempting to attract merchants with dramatically low transaction fees. Merchants generally pay about 4 percent of each transation, but Revolution charges a significantly lower 0.5 percent, explained Leonsis to Barrons. And merchants are said to be offering cardholders instant rebates and free merchandise.

While Leonsis is listed as a company founder, also associated with Revolution is Leonsis’ America Online buddy Steve Case who sits on the Revolution Board.

“Case and I are accustomed to attacking entrenched, older, tech-oriented businesses,” Leonsis told Barrons.

Other board members include former American Express CEO James Robinson, along with Franklin Raines who about five years ago took an “early retirement” from Fannie Moe. Barrons lists Revolution “bankrollers” as including such heavyweights as Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup.”

Company president Jason Hogg also revealed that the RevolutionCard contains no visible customer information on it.

Although many major retailers do accept RevolutionCard, Barrons did explain that currently it is not possible to rent a car or buy an airline ticket with it. Of course, that could change as the card gains wider acceptance and popularity.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS' OWN "SURVIVORMAN" BRENDAN MORRISON

2009-08-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

Washington Capitals Brendan Morrison is an expert in survival skills on the ice, but soon he will be face an entirely new and daunting survival challenge.

Capitals center Morrison will be among a group of current and former NHL players who trade hockey sticks and their relatively plush living to face a three-day "torture test" in wilderness surrounding Ontario's Hornepayne. The challenge is the brainchild of Survivorman television star Les Strout. The 33-year old Morrison is a native of Pitt Meadows in British Columbia, Canada.

The Survivorman Challenge will be filmed and is expected to raise money to refurbish the Hornepayne arena, where King learned to skate.

"He just thinks the fact that we're spoiled hockey players, that he's going to have a heck of a lot of fun with us," said Kris King, a Hornepayne native who spent 14 seasons playing in the NHL.

Strout will provide players with a brief survival class in the Hornepayne High School gym, toss them a copy of his book "Survive!" and cut them loose for two nights and much of three days. Among the items that will not be provided to the participants for their Aug. 14-16 endeavor are food or water.

"We're going to have to make our own shelter, make our own fires, find our own food," said King. "When you leave Hornepayne and you move to the Muskokas your bones tend to forget how cold things can really get."

"Hockey players are a tough crew," said free agent and participant Brad May. "I am sure they will do well in the challenges that Les dishes up for them. I've told the other players that this will be the ultimate camping experience, so everyone is excited for it. We hope corporations will get on board and people will join us at the event -- and they may see themselves on the TV special."

Besides Morrison and King, other participants will be free agents Brad May and Andrew Peters, Alex Ponikarovsky of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Steve Montador of the Buffalo Sabres and Avalanche strength coach Chris Butler.

King, who is senior vice-president of hockey operations in Toronto, has for several years been involved in fund-raising efforts to benefit the Hornepayne area. He feels that the event will give the Hornepayne (population 1,200) "that proverbial little shot in the arm that sometimes these little towns need that sort of get lost in the shuffle because they're just so far away and so small."

King hails from Bracebridge, but spent his formative years in Hornepayne.

The 43-year-old King explained that while he was in Hornepayne several years ago with some hockey buddies, he realized the plight of the arena where he learned to skate. "The kids were having to go to White River and Hearst and Mattice to rent ice for the hockey season because their dehumidifier conked out and they couldn't make ice," he explained.

"Being in Toronto and being 14 hours away by car, it was kind of hard to get things going initially," he continued. "But we got a real caring group of locals who got on board and we were able to get a grant from Trillium for some improvements and more money from Hydro One. With those two grants, we were able to purchase a new dehumidifier an have it installed."

The final challenge of the event "should see them emerge into the town of Hornepayne for a celebratory BBQ." No doubt, the hockey players will arrive hungry and ready for some really good eating!

"This is about testing peoples' limits while raising money for a community in need," said Stroud. "We hope to make this an annual event."

WASHINGTON RED ROCKERS AUDITIONS

2009-08-08T11:43:00.001-07:00

Day One of Red Rockers Auditions

Day Two of Auditions

Day Three of Auditions

SIMEON IS NOW SEMYON

2009-08-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

"Fun notification just received from the Caps:," Tweeted USA Today hockey writer Kevin Allen earlier this week. "Simeon Varlamov now wants his first name spelled 'Semyon.'" (End of message)

At first blush, the thought came to mind that Varlamov might want the name change to hide from the American ladies he offended in an interview with Ok! Magazine -- an interview in which, according to japersrink, he was quoted as saying, "It's difficult to look at a lot of the local women. You get the feeling that (they) just don't take care of themselves! There are an awful lot of heavyset ones. But Russian girls have nice trim figures. I couldn't imagine myself being with an American girl."

But it seems that Semyon, formerly known in America as Simeon, indeed wanted the spelling change prior to the Ok! interview since there was an additional video of Varlamov with his Russian girlfriend -- carrying the printed words, "Semyon Varlamov and Girlfriend Dasha."

Anyway, at his tender age of 21, perhaps the American ladies can cut Varlamov some slack and consider him misguided in his judgment of local ladies. Hopefully he will learn that there are many wonderful American girls.

No matter -- the topic today is Varlamov's name. It is now "Semyon" -- no longer Simeon.

RUMOR -- ARE CAPITALS INTERESTED IN NIKOLAI ZHERDEV?

2009-08-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

"Despite all the speculation that the Toronto Maple Leafs have interest in signing the offensively gifted Nikolai Zherdev, USA Today's Kevin Allen is reporting that Toronto GM Brian Burke has told him that he has 'no interest' in signing Zherdev," reports Jack Porter of bleacherreport.

On Twitter Allen posted, "Talked to Brian Burke and he said he has no interest in signing Zherdev. Also, I have the impression he won't be dealing Kaberle."

But the Washington Capitals are rumored to be interested in Zherdev reports Porter.

"The Rangers have walked -- no, run -- away from the $3.9 million an arbiter awarded Nikolai Zherdev, granting the Ukrainian winger unrestricted free agency and freeing the Rangers to devote that money toward other positions of need -- like, say, center," reported nydailynews on Wednesday. Zherdev rejected the Rangers' $3.5 million qualifying offer a couple of months ago and instead reportedly wanted something closer to $4.5 million.

Porter opined, "The Caps are looking to make a move that would open up the necessary salary cap space to ink Zherdev. One can see this as a very good opportunity for GM Brian Burke to convert his excess of defensemen into some picks and prospects and maybe a little offense. Washington's primary goal is to shed salary, but you'd have to think they would love the shed salary and pick up some much needed help on the backend."

Zherdev--RW ... "is an unbelievable talent," opined senior writer Bryan Thiel also of bleacher. "The unfortunate thing is that he's also got an unbelievable attitude. Known as one of the biggest non-injury related underachievers in the NHL today. Zherdev has all of the tools needed to be a great player and his attitude towards the game overall has hurt himself in the eyes of a lot of NHL management and coaches. Many think that a hard-nose, defensive coach would solve Zherdev's problems, but I'm not so sure. If the over/under on him going to KHL is 3 1/2 seasons, I'll take the under."

There have also circulated rumors that Zherdev might head back to Russia to play for the KHL, but thoughts are that he would rather play in the NHL.

CAPITAL AREA CAREER FAIR -- COME WATCH CAPITALS PROSPECTS PRACTICE WHILE YOU ARE THERE!

2009-08-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

The Capital Area Career Fair is scheduled to be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex, according to a notice on the Washington Capitals website.

But apparently the event is not only a chance for job-seekers to place their resumes with some area companies, but the notice highlights that attendees, who must register to ensure space, can also "watch the Capitals prospects" while they are there!

ALEXANDRE GIROUX RETURNS TO HERSHEY!

2009-08-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

Left wing Alexandre Giroux has signed for the coming season with 2009 Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears, it was announced by the club today. No doubt Bears fans will applaud the return of their superstar!

Giroux was an unrestricted free agent and signed a one-year, two-way deal, according to sources. His NHL salary will reportedly be $500,000.

The 28-year-old Giroux returns to Chocolatetown after what has been hailed as "the greatest goal-scoring season in American Hockey League history!" Giroux established a Hershey club record in 2008-09 by scoring 60 goals in a single season, and then he followed that with 15 additional goals in 22 postseason games enroute to the 10th Calder Cup championship. The 75 goals scored are the most ever scored by a single AHL player in one regular season and postseason combined.

Giroux additionally logged the longest goal scoring streak in league history on January 18th of last season when he garnered at least one goal in 15 consecutive games, breaking the previous record of 14 straight that was held by NHL giant Brett Hull.

Overall, Giroux scored 60 goals in 69 games for Hershey, adding 37 assists for a total of 97 points, winning the league's scoring title. In addition, he played in 12 games for the Washington Capitals during 2008-09, scoring one goal and assisting on another. The 15 goals scored during the 2009 postseason stands as another Hershey record, as the most goals scored by a single player in one playoff year. Three of those 15 goals came on May 30th when he capped off a hat trick in Game 1 of Calder Cup Finals by scoring the game-winning marker in sudden-death overtime. His final goal of the 2009 postseason was in the first period of Hershey's Game 6 when he scored a breakaway against Moose goaltender Cory Schneider.

"Alexandre Giroux was so important to our team's success last year both on and off the ice," enthused Bears President/GM Doug Yingst. "For our organization, for our fans and for this region, we could not be happier that he chose to return next season."

Giroux, a Quebec City native, brings 22 games of NHL experience to Hershey in the fall -- with stints both in Washington and with the New York Rangers. Dating back to his Bears debut during the 2006-07 season, Giroux has scored 116 goals while wearing a Hershey uniform in just 160 games played, capturing 24th rank all-time in franchise history.

CAPITALS' VARLAMOV HAS A "TRUE LOVE", HAPPY NEWS -- BUT HIS COMMENTS ABOUT AMERICAN LADIES WILL LIKELY NOT WIN HIM ANY OF THEIR HEARTS

2009-08-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

Generally, American ladies take special pleasure in reading romantic love stories. And they might very well smile upon learning that Washington Capitals' goalie Russian Simeon Varlamov feels "extremely fortunate" to have met a Russian girl who is his one "true love."

But the smile of those American ladies is likely to turn upside down when they read what the 21-year old goalie, born in Samara, Russia, told Ok! Magazine about American women, a translation of which is provided by Japersrink.

When asked whether he had admirers, Varlamov answered, "I have a true love, so I don't look at any other women. You know, I'm extremely fortunate that I met a Russian girl in America. It's difficult to look at a lot of the local women. You get the feeling that (they) just don't take care of themselves! There are an awful lot of heavyset ones. But Russian girls have nice trim figures. I couldn't imagine myself being with an American girl."

A video of Varlamov with his Russian girlfriend Dasha.

OVI REVEALS A SECRET TO HIS SUCCESS -- SEX BEFORE AND AFTER GAMES

2009-08-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

Washington Capitals' superstar Alex Ovechkin has confided what he believes is a help to his game. His answer -- sex, before and after.

Ovechkin was asked by Russia Today reporter Sophie Shevardnadze what he missed most in playing so many miles from home. Ovechkin, not one to dodge questions, responded, "I miss my friends, of course; the Russian language and surely our beauties. There are pretty girls (in America), but still ... Russians are Russians."

Then, when questioned as to whether sex before a game is a good idea, he continued with his candid response. "Sex really helps actually," he said -- and then added, "Before and after."

COACH BOUDREAU DENIES NYLANDER'S REMARKS

2009-08-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

Coach Bruce Boudreau has denied telling center Michael Nylander that he "wasn't good enough" to play for the Capitals, reports the Washington Post's Capitals Insider.

"I didn't speak to Boudreau directly -- he's running his Golden Horseshoe hockey school in St. Catherines, Ontario, this week -- but he issued a brief statement through a team spokesman," the Post article related. And then Boudreau is then quoted as stating, "I do not have any recollection of saying that to Michael. That's not my style, and not something I would say."

But Nylander, according to an article from Aftonbladet quoted on Jaspersrink, said, "He (Boudreau) told me he didn't think I was good enough. That's pretty straight-forward to me." The Russian translation, according to the article, reads similarly -- "He has told me that I am not good enough. A pretty clear message.")

Nylander is further quoted: "I want to switch teams, but it's not exactly easy. My deal is signed, I can't lower my salary. It'll be hard to fit in within the salary cap of some teams, and I want to make sure I'd fit in with the team as well. We'll see what happens, but at this point, I don't know."

Boudreau Disputes Nylander's Comments

Nylander: Boudreau "Told me I Wasn't Good enough

OVECHKIN AMONG NHL STARS INVITED TO RUSSIAN OLYMPIC CAMP -- ALSO AMONG INVITEES ARE CAPITALS' SIMEON VARLAMOV AND ALEX SEMIN

2009-08-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

Nineteen NHL players and an equal number from the Continental Hockey League (KHL) are expected to attend Russia's Olympic summer orientation camp scheduled to open later this month in Moscow, according to the Russian Ice Hockey Federation on Monday.

Among the hopefuls for Russia are Washington Capitals megastar Alex Ovechkin, along with Capitals teammates Alexander Semin and Simeon Varlamov. Ovechkin and Semin are expected to easily make the team, but Varlamov will have to overtake more experienced goalies to capture a spot. (Also announced, Capitals' Milan Jurcina has been invited to Slovakia's camp.)

In addition to Ovechkin, other headliners at the camp are expected to include Atlanta Thrashers' Ilya Kovalchuk and Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin.

Three of four goaltenders invited hail from NHL -- Capitals' Varlamov, along with Phoenix Coyotes Ilya Bryzgalov and San Jose Sharks' Evgeni Nabokov. And Capitals' Alexander Semin is among forward invitees.

Also on the Russian list are Canadian NHL defensemen expected to participate are Edmonton Oilers' Denis Grebeshkov, Ottawa Senators' Anton Volchenkov and Montreal Canadiens' Andrei Markov; along with forwards Senator' Alex Kovalev and Toronto's Nikolai Kulemin.

Russian summer camp invitees:

Goalkeepers: Ilya Bryzgalov (Phoenix Coyotes, NHL), Alexander Eremenko (Salavat Yulayev Ufa, RUS), Evgeni Nabokov (San Jose Sharks, NHL), Simeon Varlamov (Washington Capitals, NHL).

Defencemen: Vitali Atyushov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk, RUS), Sergei Gonchar (Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL), Denis Grebeshkov (Edmonton Oilers, NHL), Dmitri Kalinin (Salavat Yulayev Ufa, RUS), Maxim Kondratiev (Salavat Yulayev Ufa, RUS), Konstantin Korneyev (CSKA Moscow, RUS), Andrei Markov (Montreal Canadiens, NHL), Ilya Nikulin (Ak Bars Kazan, RUS), Vitali Proshkin (Salavat Yulayev Ufa, RUS), Oleg Tverdovsky (Salavat Yulayev Ufa, RUS), Fedor Tyutin (Columbus Blue Jackets, NHL), Vitali Vishnevsky (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, RUS), Anton Volchenkov (Ottawa Senators, NHL), Alexei Zhitnik (Dynamo Moscow, RUS), Sergei Zubov (SKA St. Petersburg, KHL),

Forwards: Evgeny Artyukhin (Tampa Bay Lightning, NHL), Maxim Afinogenov (Buffalo Sabres, NHL), Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings, NHL), Sergei Fedorov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk, RUS), Alexander Frolov (Los Angeles Kings, NHL), Konstantin Gorovikov (SKA St. Petersburg, RUS), Ilya Kovalchuk (Atlanta Thrashers, NHL), Alexei Kovalev (Ottawa Senators, NHL), Viktor Kozlov (Salavat Yulayev Ufa, RUS), Nikolai Kulemin (Toronto Maple Leafs, NHL), Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL), Alexei Morozov (Ak Bars Kazan, RUS), Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals, NHL), Alexander Radulov (Salavat Yulayev Ufa, RUS), Oleg Saprykin (Dynamo Moscow, RUS), Alexander Semin (Washington Capitals, NHL), Alexei Tereschenko (Ak Bars Kazan, RUS), Danis Zaripov (Ak Bars Kazan, RUS), Sergei Zinoviev (Salavat Yulayev Ufa, RUS).

DAVE FAY MEMORIAL GAME RAISED NEARLY $10,000

2009-08-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

The third annual Dave Fay Memorial hockey game, held on Saturday, July 25th, raised almost $10,000 for the NHL's Hockey Fights Cancer program, the Washington Capitals announced today. The game is held annually in honor of Dave Fay, a Washington Times beat reporter who died of cancer.

Capitals defenseman Brian Pothier dropped the ceremonial first puck in the game held at Kettler Capitals Iceplex.

Sponsored in part by The Front Page restaurant and Sports Page deli, together with annual Put Cancer on Ice (PCOI) sponsor Mirant Mid-Atlantic, this year's game featured Capitals alumni Yvon Labre, Gary Rissling and Ken Sabourin, along with Capitals mascot Slapshot who guest refereed the first period duel between celebrity guest goalies, Miss Virginia Tara Wheeler and Capitals radio broadcaster Steve Kolbe. Kolbe won the head-to-head contest, giving up two goals to Wheeler's three during the first period. However, the Virginia squad prevailed by winning 9-7 and claiming Lord Brown's boot.

The event's silent auction featured a Washington Capitals autographed team jersey that sold for $475, along with an Alexander Semin autographed puck that fetched $120 and a Mike Green autographed puck that brought $100.

PCOI is a grass-roots group comprised of Washington Capitals hockey fans who get together for monthly pick-up hockey games in a Maryland vs. Virginia format.

WASHINGTON CAPS FRONT PAGE NEWS ON ONE-WEEK HIATUS

2009-07-24T10:08:00.001-07:00

Our children have planned a vacation with us so that for the next week we will be spending time here with them -- will be back blogging on August 3rd. See you then!

BRIAN POTHIER WILL DROP FIRST PUCK AT DAVE FAY MEMORIAL HOCKEY GAME ON SATURDAY

2009-07-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

Washington Capitals defenseman Brian Pothier will be on hand to drop the first puck at the third annual Dave Fay Memorial hockey game at 4:30 p.m. this Saturday, July 25th, at Kettler Capitals Iceplex.

Team alum Granny Grant, Yvon Labre, Gord Lane, Gary Rissling and Blair Stewart, as well as Caps radio broadcaster Steve Kolbe, are tapped to play in the game with players across Maryland and Virginia as they battle for Lord Brown's Boot in the charity hockey competiton.

The game, played annually in memory of Washington Times reporter Dave Fay who died from cancer, is open to the public, and there is no admission fee to watch the game. Money raised at the event is donated to NHL's Hockey Fights Cancer program.

Put Cancer On Ice (PCOI) will hold a silent auction of NHL and Capitals items, including a jersey signed by the entire 2008-09 team, an Alex Ovechkin signed collectible and Mike Gartner tribute signed collectibles.

Sponsored in part by The Front Page restaurant and Sports Page deli, together with annual Put Cancer on Ice sponsor Mirant Mid-Atlantic, the event will include Capitals mascot Slapshot who will guest referee the first period -- along with a duel between celebrity guest goalies, Miss Virginia Tara Wheeler and Kolbe. PCOI is a grass-roots organization comprised of Capitals hockey fans who meet monthly for pick-up hockey games in a Maryland vs Virginia format.

CAPITALS RENEW AFFILIATION AGREEMENT WITH SOUTH CAROLINA STINGRAYS

2009-07-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

The Washington Capitals have renewed their affiliation agreement with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL for the coming season, announced Capitals vice president and general manager George McPhee today.

“We have a lot of pride in our affiliation with South Carolina, highlighted by the Stringrays’ run to the Kelly Cup this spring” McPhee exclaimed. “It has been an outstanding proving ground for our prospects.”

During the 2008-09 season, seven Capitals prospects spent some time with South Carolina as the Stingrays finished 42-23-6 and captured Kelly Cup as champions of the ECHL.

Goaltender Michal Neuvirth played for South Carolina, Hershey and Washington last season. He began with the Stingrays, earned a spot in the ECHL All-Star Game before being called up by Hershey at the end of December. Two months later he was called up to Washington and went 2-1-0 with a 3.00 goals-against average before heading back to Hershey where he reigned as MVP of the Calder Cup playoffs.

Nine players who have played for South Carolina are currently under contract with Washington – Sean Collins, Stefan Della Rovere, Viktor Dovgan, Josh Godfrey, Andrew Gordon, Patrick McNeill, Neuvirth, Steve Pinizzotto and Kyle Wilson. Among those players, Collins, Gordon and Neuvirth all have appeared at the NHL level with the Capitals.

“We are very excited to be affiliated with the Capitals again next season,” said South Carolina head coach Cail MacLean. “It’s a great situation when you can work with an NHL team that believes in the value of development at the AA level.”

WASHINGTON'S JOE FINLEY MAY HAVE TAKEN 'BOYS WILL BE BOYS' A BIT TOO FAR

2009-07-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

Former Capitals first round draft pick (2005) Joe Finley left Development Camp this past weekend and headed to the University of North Dakota where campus police observed him and another man throwing items -- including cups, plates, a kitchen table and a lawnmower -- onto a Grand Forks street, according to Grandforksherald.

Finley, 22, who was formerly a hockey star for the UND and before that Edina High School, and Matt Frattin, 21, were charged with disorderly conduct. Finley was also charged with providing false information to officers. And Frattin was charged with fleeing. All charges, according to Grandforksherald, are misdemeanors.

"It was their own property, so there was nobody's property that was damaged other than their own," explained UND Police Lt. Dan Lund. But the antics apparently did create a real mess.

"There was glass from curb to curb from the dinnerware that they threw," Lund added. The pair apparently threw so many objects from a garage into the street that traffic had to be haulted while a street cleaning crew cleaned the mess up.

Lund said that when Finley was first approached by police, he ran around a house, but stopped when officers instructed to halt. However, Frattin did not stop when asked so was charged with fleeing.

Finley pulled out a credit card with someone else's name on it -- and when asked if his name was on the card, which apparently belonged to a friend, he said that it was his name, Lund said. However, at the jail, Finley provided his own real name.

UND Police Capt. Wayne Onger said that "alcohol was involved", according to the startribune.com And when the pair was asked why they littered the street, Onger said that their explanation was that "they routinely destroy each other's property."

Both men were booked at the Grand Forks County jail and released on cash bond (Finley, $300; Frattin, $600) just before 10 a.m. Tuesday, the Star Tribute reported.

Finley is a 6 ft 7 defenseman who suffered a couple of injuries that found him instead a standout as left wing in the Development Camp's final scrimmage on Saturday. In April he signed a two-year contract with Washington and was then assigned to the Hershey Bears.

Two UND players cited, GrandForksHerald.com

Ex-UND hockey star Finley arrested, accused of trashing street, Star Tribune

BRENT JOHNSON SIGNS WITH THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

2009-07-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

Washington Capitals goalie Brent Johnson, a free agent, has signed a one-year contract to play with the Pittsburgh Penguins, that team announced this week.

Johnson, 32, played 21 games with the Capitals before a hip injury sidelined him for the season. He finished with a record of 12-6-2, a .908 save percentage and a 2.81 goals-against average.

In Pittsburgh, the 6 ft 3 Johnson is expected to be the backup to Marc-Andre Fleury.

CAPITALS' DEVELOPMENT CAMP ENDS -- HOPEFULS LEAVE WITH TRAINING, EXPERIENCE, NEW FRIENDS AND MEMORIES OF AN "AWESOME EXPERIENCE"

2009-07-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

The Washington Capitals Development came to a close on Saturday. It is now wrapped up. The prospects, who gained considerable knowledge and experience, headed off in separate directions, their descriptive stories now memories to be posted in diaries and into development camp annals.

On Saturday the two prospects who were recounting their Development Camp experiences, Braden Holtby and Trevor Bruess, posted their final messages.

In chronological order:
“An excellent camp – a lot of talent here, lots of fun, and we’re all real tired. You can train so much, but it’s not the same. – Braden”
“It sucks to end on a loss but we battle all the way thru. – Trevor Bruess”
“Personally I was dead after 25-30 secs of each shift – I know I’ve got to come back to camp in better shape. – Trevor”
“Now I’m headed to the airport for a flight back to MN. This has been fun – thanks for following. – Trevor”

The final scrimmage saw the White Team win, capturing all three scrimmages.

And then Coach Bruce Boudreau enthused that the camp had not only been a whole lot of fun, but that he was thrilled with the work that he had seen from the about three-dozen hopefuls.
“You can’t overlook the fact that Dubuc got seven goals in three games,” he said, “or eight or whatever it was. It was a lot. Those things stand out. You have to like at the end when the going got tough – John Carlson and Cody Eakin, Bruess and (Dmitri) Orlov, the whole group. Mathieu Perreault looked so much better than he did at this time last year – a lot of good things from a lot of guys. It bodes well for the Capitals’ future.”

Holtby, described as a standout, was interviewed. What did he gain from the week at camp? “Obviously, the experience thing. I even felt more comfortable at this camp than last year. You know, your first one you are kind of nervous and whatnot. You are kind of starstruck – all of the guys and being on the ice with them. This year I’m trying to prove a point an show that I can be at this level. Throughout the rest of summer, it’s going to consist of training. This is when the serious stuff stars – a lot of work with my goalie coach back at Edmonton. And hopefully I’ll come in in the best shape that I can.”

Right wing Francois Bouchard, who spent last season with the Calder Cup winning Hershey Bears, said, “It was a great year for us at Hershey. … I couldn’t ask for a better year. I hope I’m going to do it again next year because it was so much fun.” And what is he planning to work on now? “I just want to be more consistent. I hope I’ll have more ice time next year so that I can play the game more. I’m going to work hard this summer to try to get ready for next September.”

Joe Finley, a 6 ft 7 defenseman, suffered a couple of injuries that found him instead shining as left wing in Saturday’s scrimmage, offered, “Hey, I’ll play goalie if you need me to. I just want to get every opportunity to get on the ice. Any way that I can help the team and get myself to the next level, I’m willing to do it.”

Defenseman John Carlton, touted as a camp standout who will be heading to Team USA camp, said, “I don’t know if I played my best. I didn’t really expect to. I kind of took a little time off after we made the run at Hershey. I’m going to get on the ice a lot more come August. I thought I did well, but I know I can do a lot better.”

And center Cody Eakin summed up what all of the prospects were saying on the final day. “It was nice to get introduced to the organization, to come to Washington where – look at these exhibition games – they completely filled the stands. It’s a great organization, and the trainers are treating us awesomely.”

As to his own camp experience, Eakin said, “It’s a lot of thinking, a lot of concentrating. … They want to see who can take it all in and doesn’t have to be asked twice. You work on things that they ask you, have a little fun and do what you are here for. You meet a lot of guys from everywhere, down south and across the seas. Everyone is in the same position so you become friends real fast.

“You look at some of the older guys, and you want to pick up what they provide. It’s kind of a stepping stone, to base your game and see how it completes against other guys that are older and fighting for the same position. You go in with an open mind and hopefully come out with a lot of things to learn.

“It has been awesome. We have been treated awesomely. Walking through this facility and complex – it is awesome to be in this organization, and I’m enjoying it. You see some of the bigger guys who you see on tv , and for them to be a part of my first training camp is exciting.
As to what Eakin will do now – “I need to work to improve everything because I’ve got to compete at the next level. You want to compete with the guys that are older, bigger, stronger. I’ve learned little things, like don’t over commit, puck control. … You’ve got to get bigger and stronger every day.”

So the young men move on to work on honing their skills – happy for the education and experience, and full of anticipation that someday they’ll be playing at the very top of the game with the Capitals. And, no doubt, there are a few Stanley Cup aspirations included too.

CAPITALS EXPECT CONVENTION TICKETS TO SELL OUT

2009-07-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

The Washington Capitals' popularity has rocketed so high that tickets to their first-ever Capitals Convention have been selling like hotcakes. The tickets went on July 9th -- and within a week more than half were sold, according to a team update.

The Capitals tout the festive Convention as "the best Capitals event ever to hit the D.C. area." An update on the team's website reads, "This event will be the most immersive Capitals and hockey experience ever. You don't want to miss it."

The Convention, which is likely to become an annual event, will be held on Sept. 26th at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD.

There will be a full day of activities geared to both adults and children, including interactive sessions for fans and the chance to collect player's autographs. In fact, the number of tickets being sold has been limited to 5,000 because team officials said that they want to guarantee that every fan admitted is able to garner at least two autographs from players.

Team alumni and management will also be there -- along with many of the team's most prominent trophies.

"It's one thing to sell out the event," said Capitals' Tim McDermott, "but it's another to make sure everyone has an awesome experience. We just decided to make sure we put on a first-class event. We'll probably have more demand for tickets than we'll have tickets, but we want to make sure everyone has a great, great time, and maybe next year we'll consider doing it over several days."

CAPS FANS TREATED TO A 'DEVELOPMENT CAMP EXPERIENCE'

2009-07-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

Washington Capitals Development Camp hopefuls have throughout this week treated fans to an imaginary journey into the world of prepping for a professional hockey career.

The camp draws to a close on tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon, following intrasquad scrimmage and media interviews. But from the get-go, prospects Trevor Bruess and Braden Holtby have held nothing back in sending Twitter messages allowing fans to get into their heads – to know just what has been happening in camp and even their thoughts and feelings. And their counterparts have likewise been forthcoming in interviews.

Coach Bruce Boudreau has spoken of what Capitals expects from these young players – and of the opportunities open to them. “This year there are probably two or three in the camp that we are looking at that could make an immediate impact,” he said. “Other than that, we’ve got guys who are going to make an impact in the American Hockey League. We want to show them what it takes to be a Capital – this is how hard you have to work to be in the NHL – this is what we expect as an organization.

"And we want them going away saying, ‘Holy smokes! I’ve got to pick it up – saying this is where I want to be. I mean, they’ve got the best facility in the League. They are close to winning the Stanley Cup. This is what I want to see. … John Carlson, who was a first round draft pick last year, has the potential to crack our line-up if things go his way. We’ve got goaltending in Branden Holtby. They are young, but they are all so good. A lot of guys have the ability to open our eyes.”

On Thursday, July 9th, the first Twitter message arrived for fans. Goalie Holtby -- who was a fourth round pick last year and went to Hershey where he practiced with the Bears – wrote, “I’m looking forward to coming and working hard at camp. I’m really excited to meet the guys and see Washington.”

Four days later, the first day of work, Holtby signed again, "Doesn't feel like we’ve been away from hockey long for the guys who were with Hershey. Still, can’t wait to get on the ice.” Then he wrote, “We were supposed to be at the rink at 8:45. I think everybody was here before 8.” Later that day he added, “I was rusty out there. It’s a feeling-out process for most of us on the first day. And the first bag skate always hurts.” And still later, “Today went pretty quick. We didn’t have much time for lunch – then a nutrition talk that made me feel bad about lunch.”

Bruess jumped in, “Braden mentioned the nutritionist – that’ll have us all thinking a little more at team dinner tonight.” And -- “All in all, a good afternoon. Off-ice workouts, they wanted to make sure we had the right form for now and the rest of the summer.” Bruess, a center, signed with Washington as a free agent in March of this year.

On day two of camp, Bruess was back Tweeting at early 6:46 a.m. “Got a good night’s rest and feel good. Our group starts with an upper body workout today. We did lower body yesterday,” he wrote – later adding, “We got the nerves out in the first day. Today was still tough, but better. The drills really let you show what you can do.” And Holtby added, “A good day at the rink. Everything was more crisp and had a better pace. Easier workout this morning too.”

There was a D.C. city tour, and the next morning Holtby checked in with fans again – “Guys were pretty jealous of goalies today – they all had to do skating testing but we didn’t do a thing.”

Thursday, again around 6 a.m., Holtby described breakfast – and Bruess chimed in, “We went to track this morning, worked on proper form for sprinting. Getting in the sun was nice, but it was hot and humid.” And later, “The skate was mostly special teams. We should look like more of a team tonight, we’re getting the systems down.”

So Capitals fans following the young men’s progress got a sense of how things were shaping up in camp. With the expected desire to shine on the ice, though, some fans might have wondered whether these players, so competitive on the ice, could also be friends. That question was frequently posed by reporters, and the response, very convincingly, was always the same – these prospects did play hard on ice, but off the ice they were a great bunch of guys having fun and enjoying getting to know each other.

The 6’ 7” defenseman Joe Finley was actually asked by media to provide a scouting report on Trevor Bruess. It was perhaps his chance to offer a tepid response, but what he did instead was tout Bruess – and describe a budding friendship.

Finley's scouting report on Bruess: “Trevor is a guy who shows up with his hardhat every day and just goes to work. You could see it tonight. He went out there and worked -- worked his tail off -- and ended up getting a nice goal. You know what you are going to get from him every night, and his best attribute is his work ethic. He’s a guy who’s going to compete. You know what you get when he straps his skates on. He’s a great guy to have on your team. And it has been real nice getting to know him on another level off the ice -- and just realize what a humble, genuine kid he is and start developing a good friendship."

Bruess was also asked about his relationship with other players – and he mentioned Finley. “You can compete on the ice really hard,” he said. “Then once you get off, you are back to being men instead of warriors. So it’s totally fine. There’s no hard feelings or anything like that. Actually, all of the guys are really nice. I got to meet Joe Finley personally – he’s actually a great guy, and I like him a lot. We’ve competed a lot against each other … so we talk about that a little bit too, competing against each other. But he’s really a nice guy, and the other guys are super too.”

And then Bruess -- who said that he has work ethic and speed -- was asked about his hit on John Carlson, a first round draft pick who has been a standout at camp. Does it feel good to take down some of the big guys? “It does,” he answered. “It’s a good thing to throw your weight around – it’s like an accomplishment when you knock them on their butt and feel good about yourself. And more importantly, you eliminate them from the play for a little bit so that you have like a short little power play.”

When asked what camp had done for him, Bruess replied, “I was going to work hard anyway, but it gives you something to look forward to. … It has been nice to meet the coaches, the people that manage the team and everyone else in the organization. And it’s nice to meet some of the past players who played here before – and to meet some of the newer guys coming in. And all of the guys are pretty cool – so it’s kind of a cool thing for me to get in and get my feet wet.”

Capitals vice president and general manager George McPhee would likely be happy with Bruess’ remarks. McPhee has said that a primary goal of the camp is to allow the young players to meet everyone in the organization and become comfortable.

The Capitals team genuinely cares about its young players. Winning is the team’s job, but the individual players are not compromised. As an example, McPhee has stressed that the team likes to bring young players along slowly -- not rush them before they are ready. Also, McPhee has said that if players want to finish their college education before playing pro hockey, the team has never discouraged that.

And coach Boudreau has gone so far as to say that these are young guys -- that the team expects and wants them to enjoy themselves and to being young.

The days have flown by -- and the Twitter messages have continued. Fans have not only become acquainted with what it is like to attend hockey camp, but they now also feel a connection with these young hockey Tweeters. “It’s amazing," said one regular follower of Holtby and Bruess' posts, "but I have never met these guys and still feel like I know them. And I like them. I feel more connected to the team -- and now I really care about these two guys."

And becoming acquainted with them has exceeded just playing hockey. The Capitals provided access to an interview of right wing Dmitry Kugryshev. At this time last year, he spoke no English, but we got to root for him as he tried out his new English language skills in an interview – and spoke amazingly well. Kugryshev explained, "Now I can give some interviews.” When he was asked what he thought was the best part of camp, he replied, “I think scrimmage because … it’s like a game. In first scrimmage, I scored first goal of season so that’s pretty cool.” And this very warm and likeable young man was asked how he felt about the fact that Alex Ovechkin, also a native of Russia, was taking an interest in him. “I think it feels unbelievable,” he said – and then predicted that Ovi will play even better hockey this next season than last season. Kugryshev's English was amazing!

Moving toward week’s end, Bruess continued on Twitter, “It was a good game for the White Team today. We felt we outplayed them the entire game, but we had a great third quarter.” Then, “Our transition game was really working. The crowd was awesome again as well. The fans are really good here.”

Braden jumped in on Friday, “We’re waiting on 1-on-1 meetings with coaches after a pretty good short practice and workout. Can’t wait for baseball game tonight—I’m a big baseball fan. In the meantime, I promised to share some of the toughest shooters here … “

Then he continued with that message, “Perreault, Bouchard. Dubuc’s been great. Broda’s got a great wrist shot. Godfrey can bring it. I better mention Carlson, too.”

There were two final messages. First, “Got results from our on- and off-ice testing today. If you’re a good sprinter you should be a good skater – that’s usually true.” And then, “I screw up that theory. I am a good skater but a horrible sprinter – I run like I’m carrying a refrigerator. –“

So tomorrow Development Camp ends -- and, unfortunately, probably the Twitter messages will end too.

But most certainly each of these young men will leave Development Camp with a greater knowledge of how to take care of themselves and how to become better hockey players. And they will also likely leave with greater confidence in themselves -- and feeling comfortable and proud of the Capitals organization.

Twitter and interview followers will look forward to seeing these guys on the ice in Hershey Bears uniforms -- or even at some point the Caps' red, white and blue!

CAPITALS TRADE KEITH SEABROOK TO CALGARY FLAMES

2009-07-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

Defenseman Keith Seabrook has been traded to the Calgary Flames for future considerations, according to Capitals vice president and general manager George McPhee today.

Seabrook was a second-round Capitals selection (52nd overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. For the past two seasons Seabrook, a native of Canada, played with the Western Hockey League's Calgary Hitmen.

CAPITALS DEVELOPMENT CAMP SATURDAY SCRIMMAGE WILL BE AT 10 a.m.

2009-07-17T08:38:00.001-07:00

The Washington Capitals final Development Camp scrimmage will be held at 10 a.m., not 10:30 as has been been reported in some locations, according to a Twitter message.

CAPITALS SIGN MORRISONN, FEHR, SCHULTZ, BOURQUE, WILSON AND PINIZZOTTO

2009-07-16T14:04:00.001-07:00

The Washington Capitals have been busy -- making certain that there are no empty or weak slots in their upcoming season line-up.

The team has signed defensemen Shaone Morrisonn, forwards Eric Fehr, Chris Bourque and Kyle Wilson to one year contracts and forward Steve Pinizzotto to a two year contract, according to vice president and general manager George McPhee. And defenseman Jeff Schultz, who has been with the team for three years, was added to the list late Thursday morning.

SUMMER CAMP FOR YOUNG WASHINGTON CAPITALS HOPEFULS

2009-07-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

The Washington Capitals Development camp, like most summer camps, offers a chance to form new friendships. But instead of swims in a tree-shaded, cool lake during lazy, hazy, hot summer days, these young men feel the pressure to use on- an off-ice workouts and scrimmages to show their mettle, sparkle in a crowd of some of the world's most talented and skilled young athletes -- and basically prove to the Capitals that the team really needs them.

Two Development camp hopefuls, goalie Braden Holtby and center Trevor Bruess, have been recounting their experiences on Twitter.

Holtby, who practiced with the Hershey Bears throughout their playoff run this past season, recounted the very beginning of camp sessions. "We were supposed to be at the rink at 8:45. I think everybody was here before 8," he revealed.

And later Bruess, who signed with the Capitals as a free agent in March, opined, "That was real competitive. Coach Boudreau is a really good coach. You better have your thinking cap on and make sure you listen.”

They recounted a quick lunch, following by a meeting with a nutritionist. And later Bruess opined, “All in all a good afternoon. Off-ice workouts, they wanted to make sure we had the right form for now and the rest of the summer.” And Holtby added, “Guys seemed more comfortable this afternoon and it’ll probably be even better tomorrow after a good night’s sleep.”

On Tuesday, day two, Bruess began, “We got the nerves out in the first day. Today was still tough, but better. The drills really let you show what you can do.”

But the day was not all work and no play. The young players were treated to a tour of Washington, D.C. – including the Capitol and the White House. And hopefully, they managed a close-up look at the White House. Prior to the start of the tour, Canadian native Holtby enthused, "Last year we didn’t get a good view of the front of the White House, so hopefully we get that. For a lot of us Canadians, the White House is all we know about D.C. – so that’s what we are looking forward to.”

Among the young men invited to attend the camp, which began on Monday, were Capitals prospects who are under contract, as well as recent Capitals draft picks who have not signed yet. First-round draft picks are Anton Gustafsson (2008), John Carlson (2008) and Joe Finley (2005).

It seems that on the first day of camp, about three dozen hopefuls ranging in age from 17 to 24-years-old spent time on the ice and in the weight room. Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreay, from his early-in-the-week look at the young players, hailed defenseman John Carlson and forwards Cody Eakin and Trevor Bruess as standouts.

Easily the most talked about player at the Development camp was Carlson, selected by the Capitals in the first round of the 2008 draft.

Coach Beaudreau described Carlson as “polished for a 19-year-old. He’s way ahead of the curve, I think.” And he added that he was impressed by Carlson’s “puck movement, the way he closes gaps.

Last year Carlson played in two preseason games for Washington and had two assists before being assigned to the OHL’s London Knights. In London, playing for former Cap Dale Hunter, he tallied 76 points in 59 games and then racked up 22 points in 14 playoff games. He joined Hershey in the AHL playoffs” -- and scored two goals and one assist in 16 games as Hershey went on to win the Calder Cup. Carlson has also been invited to the U.S. national junior evaluation camp to be held in August in Lake Placid, N.Y.

“Going to training camp is a stepping stone to your final goal,” explained the 6 ft 2, 218 pound Carlson during an interview, “So you take it pretty seriously – and you can definitely learn some stuff out there.”

The young defenseman also spoke of his time with the Capitals' affiliate Hershey Bears. "Hershey was an unbelievable experience," he said. "I didn’t know what to expect going in and then I kind of got thrown in the fire and, you know, it took me a little while to get used to it. It was a big jump, but I thought I did pretty well -- and looking back now, how many 19-year-olds can say they have a AHL championship under their belt. So it was unbelievable."

"I think that (Hershey) will definitely help me out coming into training camp this year," he added, "having that experience and knowing what it’s like down there. It’s professional hockey, and it’s the second best league in the world. It’s definitely going to help.”

Cody Eakin, also high on the coach’s list of standouts, was selected by the team in the third round of the 2009 Draft. He is described by the Caps as “a tremendous skater (who) had 48 points in 54 games with the Swift Current Broncos in the WHL last season. His stock skyrocketed after he was invited to the CHL-NHL Prospects Games last January. He played on the wing next to No. 1 pick John Tavares and did not disappoint. Eakin scored two goals and was +2 enroute to being named his team’s most outstanding player.”

And center Bruess, the Capitals detailed, “spent the past three seasons with Minnesota State in the WCHA and was an assistant captain for the Mavericks in 2008-09. He had 12 goals, 17 points and 117 penalty minutes in 35 games last season, leading the team in penalty minutes and finishing tied for third in goals. He was a two-time recipient of MSU’s Hardest Worker Award and his 117 penalty minutes last season represented 15 percent of the team’s total.”

In camp there was the expected buzz about which of the hopefuls were already starting to make their presence known. Among some of the additional names mentioned included center Mathieu Perreault, right wing Dmitry Kugryshev, left wing Stefan Della Rovere and Holtby.

Coach was eager to tell that he considered the camp a whole lot of fun. And then he described a bit of what he will be looking for this week. “I personally look at guys who can get it and retain stuff. And, you know, you’ve got the guys that the coaches end up loving … where you tell them once and they know what they are doing. I see a couple of guys out there like that. … Those are the really coachable players, and I don’t want to have to explain everything in so much detail that it takes away from everybody else doing it.”

General Manager George McPhee expressed the Capitals' major goal for the week. "We want (the young athletes) to feel comfortable here. We want them to know our personnel. And it’s all about giving them as much experience as we can give them. We don’t have experience pills to give them. So we just like to get them in and really fast-track the experience – and that’s a hard thing to do. But the more they are around good players and the more they’re at our facility, we’re hoping the more comfortable they are. And maybe that translates to being more effective on the ice.”

Early on Wednesday, Holtby wrote on Twitter, "Guys were pretty jealous of the goalies today -- they all had to do skating testing but we didn't do a thing." Then he added, "Actually Dan and I talked with Dave Prior a bit about how things are going, but that's all." Prior is the team's goaltending coach.

General manager George McPhee had plenty of positive comments about the camp, and detailed, "That's one of the nice things about this camp. You get a better read on the players because sometimes you can't get out to see all of them during the season. It's just impossible to do that sometimes and so you bring them here and you get a good look at them and get a feel for them, and it helps you make better decisions."

In speaking the health of the sport as these young players are just beginning to make their mark, McPhee expressed, "Hockey overall is as good as it has ever been. The NHL is as good as it has ever been. The American League is a strong league. We've got all kinds of kids playing the game now and coming from everywhere -- all over the world and different places in the U.S. than we've been accustomed to. So the game's in great shape at all levels and the players that are coming along -- we've had Ovechkin -- it's just exceptional talent. Every year we seem to have some terrific young kids coming into the league."

And in further discussing the Capitals' strategy with young players, possibly including Carlson, McPhee added, "We've always tried to take our time with players and build a great base so they've got a great foundation and have success at every level -- so their frame of reference is that if they struggle at this level, they can always think, well, I had success in junior or I had success in Hershey. We like to build that kind of confidence. That's the way we like to work. But the salary cap sometimes, at least with some other clubs to this point, has forced young guys to play earlier. They're cheaper, and they seem to be able to handle it so that may change our thinking. Some of these kids are ready to go."

When Saturday arrives and camp draws to a close, most likely the Capitals and the players will have a better sense of where each player stands -- where each player excelled, and the areas to work on for improvement. But thus far, judging by messages from the two representatives on Twitter, this summer camp is not quite as different from other camps as might be imagined. It appears that there are friendships being formed, some fun times -- and the young hopefuls will head out of camp with an added level of independence, confidence and maturity.

It seems that all is very well with the young hockey hopefuls at the Capitals Development Camp.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS ANNOUNCE 2009-10 REGULAR-SEASON SCHEDULE

2009-07-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

Capitals Announce 2009-10 Regular-Season Schedule Season begins Oct. 1 at Boston, with home opener set for Oct. 3 vs. TorontoJul 15, 2009, 3:02 PM EDT ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals’ 82-game regular-season schedule for 2009-10 begins on Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Boston Bruins, a matchup of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference from last season. The Capitals will make their Verizon Center debut on Saturday, Oct. 3, when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second game of the season.

The 2009-10 NHL schedule format, similar to last season’s, has the Capitals facing the other teams in the Southeast Division six times each and the remaining Eastern Conference opponents four times each. Washington plays each team in the Western Conference at least once, with two games each against Columbus, Detroit and San Jose. Nine Western Conference teams will visit Verizon Center.

The 2009-10 schedule includes a two-week break for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, which will feature NHL players. The Capitals will be off for 17 days from Feb. 14-March 2. They play the first game after the break on the road (March 3 at Buffalo) but are home for the next five games, the longest homestand of the season. That is one of seven homestands of at least three games on the schedule.

Washington has only three stretches of four straight games on the road, one of which is interrupted by the Olympic break and another where the team will return home between games. The team has 13 sets of games on consecutive days, the same number as 2008-09.

More than half of the Capitals’ 41 home games at Verizon Center fall on weekends, including nine Friday games, six Saturday games and six Sunday games. The schedule features holiday home games on the day before Thanksgiving (Nov. 25 vs. Buffalo), the day after Christmas (Dec. 26 vs. New Jersey) and Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 7 vs. Pittsburgh).

All but six of Washington’s home games are scheduled to start at 7 p.m., with the exceptions all falling on Sunday afternoons.

Television and radio broadcast plans will be released at a later date.

2009-10 Washington Capitals Schedule

October
Thurs., Oct. 1 at Boston 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 3 Toronto 7 p.m.
Tues., Oct. 6 at Philadelphia 7 p.m.
Thurs., Oct. 8 N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 10 at Detroit 7 p.m.
Mon., Oct. 12 New Jersey 7 p.m.
Thurs., Oct. 15 San Jose 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 17 Nashville 7 p.m.
Thurs., Oct. 22 at Atlanta 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 24 at N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m.
Tues., Oct. 27 Philadelphia 7 p.m.
Thurs., Oct. 29 at Atlanta 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 30 N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m.

November
Sun., Nov. 1 Columbus 5 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 4 at New Jersey 7 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 6 at Florida 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 7 Florida 7 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 11 N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 13 Minnesota 7 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 14 at New Jersey 7 p.m.
Tues., Nov. 17 at N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 20 Montreal 7 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 21 at Toronto 7 p.m.
Mon., Nov. 23 at Ottawa 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 25 Buffalo 7 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 28 at Montreal 7 p.m.
Mon., Nov. 30 at Carolina 7 p.m.

December
Thurs., Dec. 3 Florida 7 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 5 at Philadelphia 7 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 7 at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 9 at Buffalo 7 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 11 Carolina 7 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 12 at Toronto 7 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 15 at Colorado 9:30 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 18 at Vancouver 10 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 19 at Edmonton 10 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 23 Buffalo 7 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 26 New Jersey 7 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 28 Carolina 7 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 30 at San Jose 10:30 p.m.

January
Sat., Jan. 2 at Los Angeles 4 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 5 Montreal 7 p.m.
Thurs., Jan. 7 Ottawa 7 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 9 at Atlanta 7 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 12 at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 13 at Florida 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 15 Toronto 7 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 17 Philadelphia 3 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 19 Detroit 7 p.m.
Thurs., Jan. 21 at Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 23 Phoenix 7 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 26 at N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 27 Anaheim 7 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 29 Florida 7 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 31 Tampa Bay 3 p.m.

February
Tues., Feb. 2 at Boston 7 p.m.
Thurs., Feb. 4 at N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 5 Atlanta 7 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 7 Pittsburgh 12:30 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 10 at Montreal 7:30 p.m.
Thurs., Feb. 11 at Ottawa 7 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 13 at St. Louis 8 p.m.
Olympic Break

March
Wed., March 3 at Buffalo 7 p.m.
Thurs., March 4 Tampa Bay 7 p.m.
Sat., March 6 N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m.
Mon., March 8 Dallas 7 p.m.
Wed., March 10 Carolina 7 p.m.
Fri., March 12 Tampa Bay 7 p.m.
Sun., March 14 at Chicago 7 p.m.
Tues., March 16 at Florida 7:30 p.m.
Thurs., March 18 at Carolina 7 p.m.
Sat., March 20 at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Wed., March 24 Pittsburgh 7 p.m.
Thurs., March 25 at Carolina 7 p.m.
Sun., March 28 Calgary 3 p.m.
Tues., March 30 Ottawa 7 p.m.

April
Thurs., April 1 Atlanta 7 p.m.
Sat., April 3 at Columbus 7 p.m.
Mon., April 5 Boston 7 p.m.
Tues., April 6 at Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m.
Fri., April 9 Atlanta 7 p.m.
Sun., April 11 Boston 3 p.m.

All Times Eastern

WASHINGTON CAPITALS 2009 PRESEASON SCHEDULE

2009-07-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

Capitals Announce 2009 Preseason Schedule 2009-10 regular season schedule to be announced at 3 p.m. on July 15 Washington Capitals Jul 14, 2009, 4:39 PM EDT ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals 2009 preseason schedule features six games against three opponents and includes three games at Verizon Center.

The Caps play their first preseason game on the road at the Buffalo Sabres (date and time TBA). The team’s preseason home opener at Verizon Center is Monday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. against Buffalo.

In addition to playing Buffalo twice, the Caps also have home-and-home series with the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers.

The Capitals were 5-1-1 in the preseason last year, and their all-time preseason record is 131-109-29-9.

Audio from every preseason game will be broadcast live on WashingtonCaps.com.

2009 Washington Capitals Preseason Schedule

2009 Washington Capitals Preseason Schedule

Date
Opponent
Location
Time

TBA
at Buffalo
HSBC Arena, Buffalo, N.Y.
TBA
Sat., Sept. 19
at Chicago
United Center, Chicago, Ill.
8:30 p.m.

Mon., Sept. 21
Buffalo
Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
7 p.m.

Wed., Sept. 23
Chicago
Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
7 p.m.

Thurs., Sept. 24
at NY Rangers
Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y.
7 p.m.

Sun., Sept. 27
NY Rangers
Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
Noon

CAPITALS SIGN BOYD GORDON TO ONE-YEAR CONTRACT

2009-07-14T07:17:00.001-07:00

Boyd Gordon, a restricted free agent, has signed a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals, according to vice president and general manager George McPhee.

The $760,000 contract will keep the 25-year-old Gordon on the team where he scored five goals and nine assists in 63 games last season. This represents a slight raise over the $650,000 that he reportedly earned last season.

Gordon, a center/right wing who is recognized for his faceoff talent ,was third on the team with a 56.1 faceoff percentage and led the team in the playoffs at 63.3 percent. And he was third on the team in shorthanded ice time, playing an average of 3:39 per game. His penalty minutes tied Viktor Kozlov for the fewest on the team for anyone who played more than 30 games.

A native of Saskatchewan, Gordon was a Capitals’ first-round choice, 17th overall, in the 2002 Entry Draft. He has played in 267 career games, recording 66 points and 54 penalty minutes.

Gordon was a member of the 2006 Calder Cup winning Hershey Bears in the NHL, playing all 21 playoff games. And he was a recipient of the Memorial Cup in 2000-01.

MARK FRENCH PROMOTED TO HEAD COACH OF HERSHEY BEARS

2009-07-13T07:40:00.001-07:00

Mark French, assistant coach of the Hershey Bears, has been promoted to head coach of the Washington Capitals’ American Hockey League affiliate, according to Capitals vice president and general manager George McPhee on Monday morning. In addition, McPhee announced that Troy Mann will become the Bears' assistant coach.

French steps into the very big shoes that were left empty when Bob Woods, who led the Bears to their Calder Cup victory this season, moved on to an assistant coach position with the Capitals team.

From 2005-07 French held the position of head coach and director of hockey operations for the Wichita Thunder (Central Hockey League). As such, he was responsible for player recruitment and contract negotiations and managed the team’s operating budget.

French also previously served as assistant coach of the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies of the ECHL during the 2004-05 season when that team attained a 42-21-9 record. Earlier, before joining the professional ranks, he was head coach at Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada, and prior to that was assistant coach and assistant general manager of the North Bay Centennials in the Canadian Hockey League.

Mann has been with the ECHL's Columbia Inferno for the past four years -- with three of those years as head coach and director of hockey operations. He led the Inferno to the South Division final in 2007-08. And last season, while the team suspended operations as a new arena was being constructed, he was associate head coach of the ECHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Mann began his coaching career as player/assistant coach in the United Hockey League prior to becoming assistant coach and interim head coach of the Central Hockey League’s Topeka Tarantulas in 2004-05.

A 1993 graduate of the University of Toronto where he played for the Varsity Bears, Mann’s 11-year professional career included a stint with the Mississippi SeaWolves in the ECHL where he was the first player to sign with the franchise in 1996 and won the Kelly Cup while playing for Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau in 1999. Woods was both a player and assistant coach of the 1999 SeaWolves.

Mark French, assistant coach of the Hershey Bears, has been promoted to head coach of the Washington Capitals’ American Hockey League affiliate, according to Capitals vice president and general manager George McPhee on Monday morning. In addition, McPhee announced that Troy Mann will become the Bears' assistant coach.

French steps into the very big shoes that were left empty when Bob Woods, who led the Bears to their Calder Cup victory this season, moved on to an assistant coach position with the Capitals team.

From 2005-07 French held the position of head coach and director of hockey operations for the Wichita Thunder (Central Hockey League). As such, he was responsible for player recruitment and contract negotiations and managed the team’s operating budget.

French also previously served as assistant coach of the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies of the ECHL during the 2004-05 season when that team attained a 42-21-9 record. Earlier, before joining the professional ranks, he was head coach at Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada, and prior to that was assistant coach and assistant general manager of the North Bay Centennials in the Canadian Hockey League.

Mann has been with the ECHL's Columbia Inferno for the past four years -- with three of those years as head coach and director of hockey operations. He led the Inferno to the South Division final in 2007-08. And last season, while the team suspended operations as a new arena was being constructed, he was associate head coach of the ECHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Mann began his coaching career as player/assistant coach in the United Hockey League prior to becoming assistant coach and interim head coach of the Central Hockey League’s Topeka Tarantulas in 2004-05.

A 1993 graduate of the University of Toronto where he played for the Varsity Bears, Mann’s 11-year professional career included a stint with the Mississippi SeaWolves in the ECHL where he was the first player to sign with the franchise in 1996 and won the Kelly Cup while playing for Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau in 1999. Woods was both a player and assistant coach of the 1999 SeaWolves.

BOYD KANE RETURNS TO HERSHEY BEARS-WASHINGTON CAPITALS

2009-07-12T12:36:00.001-07:00

Boyd Kane, a free agent winger at the helm of the Hershey Bears when they won the Calder Cup in 2005-06, has signed with the Washing Capitals-Hershey Bears, according to the teams on Saturday. He returns to Hershey after three seasons with Philadelphia Phantoms where he scored 45 goals.

“He was very excited to come back,”said Bears president /GM Doug Yingst told the Patriot News . “And we’re happy to have him back in Hershey and Washington. (He’s) one player that we targeted at the close of the season, knowing we couldn’t have everybody returning after winning the Calder Cup. We again wanted to add experience and leadership to our lineup.”

Kane, 31, was captain of the Phantoms when they won the Calder Cup in 2004-05, and then repeated the feat for Hershey the following season. He is one of two players in AHL history to have captained two different clubs to Calder Cup victories in consecutive season. Dave Fenyves led the Bears and Rochester Americans to championships back in 1987 and 1988.

CAPITALS SIGN VETERAN CENTER BRENDAN MORRISON

2009-07-10T22:37:00.000-07:00

Veteran center Brendan Morrison, 33, an unrestricted free agent, has been signed to a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals, according to vice president and general manager George McPhee on Friday.

The price of acquiring Morrison has been reported as $1.5 million – a tremendous bargain for the Capitals if Morrison can avoid the injuries that have plagued him during the past couple of years and can return to the offensive weapon that he was when playing for Vancouver.

And Morrison this week said that he is completely healthy and believes that he still has a lot of his career in front of him.

The expectation is that the 5 ft 11, 181 pound Morrison will play second-line center, replacing Sergei Fedorov who left at the end of the season to play in the KHL in Russia.

“I sure hope so,” he told NHL staff writer Brian Hunter. “In the initial talks we had, that’s what we’ve discussed. Obviously I know nothing is guaranteed and they don’t just hand out positions, but if I can get my game back, that’s the role I hope to play.”

And Morrison revealed that he has really wanted to play on the Capitals team, saying, “This is a team I wanted to be a part of. I feel like they’re right on the cusp of some real good playoff success.”

Last year Morrison reportedly earned $2.75 million between the Anaheim Ducks and the Dallas Stars who acquired him on waivers in March. He scored 16 goals and 31 points in 81 games.

Between 2000 and 2007, Morrison played in 542 consecutive games -- and scored over 50 points in each of his first six full seasons -- with Vancouver, but eventually he was plagued by injuries that resulted in four surgical procedures. During the 2007-08 season he only managed 39 games with the team, and then moved on to the Ducks in 2008-09, being waived in March and picked up by the Stars.

“I think initially the opportunity was there in Anaheim,” Morrison told the NHL, “but I couldn’t take advantage. I could barely get up and down the ice. When you don’t perform for a few games, they move on to the next guy. When I moved to Dallas, I got a lot of minutes right away. That, coupled with the fact I felt a lot better physically, helped me get back to being an offensive threat.”
Morrison said healthy and ready for summer camp.

“He has a clean bill of health and is committed to coming to camp in great shape,”explained McPhee. “We think he could really flourish here.”

A native of British Columbia, Morrison began his career with the New Jersey Devils and has played a total of 12 seasons with Dallas, Anaheim, Vancouver and New Jersey. In 755 career games, he scored 175 goals and 505 points. And he has eight goals and 28 points in 53 career playoff games.

Morrison, who will turn 34 next month, is actually the second “thirty-something” player added to the Capitals team this month. On July 1st, the first day of free agency, 37-year-old winger Mike Knuble was signed by the Capitals. And, in fact, Morrison, winner of the Hobey Baker Award as the country’s top college player, actually played with Knuble for two years at the University of Michigan.

“Mike and I are good friends,” said Morrison. “We played on the same line for two years at Michigan, and we actually played together in Sweden the lockout year. We’re familiar with each other. I haven’t spoken to him yet, but I told him I was coming to Washington for a visit and he was excited about that.”

Morrison said that he is skating well and feeling strong – “I’m back now. I feel ready.”

KNUBLE ANXIOUS TO PLAY WITH OVECHKIN, BACKSTROM AND ENTIRE CAPITALS TEAM

2009-07-09T13:26:00.001-07:00

“(Ovechkin) is our MVP, and he’s one of the most exciting guys in the league,” said right wing Mike Knuble in expressing his eagerness to begin regular season play with Alex Ovechkin on the Washington Capitals team. “He’s intense and works extremely hard, and I can’t help but believe that is going to be contagious.”

Knuble said that he is very happy that he will get to play with Ovechkin and Backstrom -- and also happy to become a player with the entire Capitals team. Having recently signed a two-year, $5.6 million contract with the Washington Capitals, he said that he is anxious to show that his talents and assets will be a real benefit to them. “I knew they needed a guy like me – a guy that can go out in front of the net and score goals, get goals off my skate, my stock, my rear end, whatever,” he explained.

Knuble will replace Viktor Kozlov as a first-line forward alongside left wing Ovechkin and center Nicklas Backstrom. “What we did is replace a 13-goal scorer (Kozlov) with a 27-goal scorer – and the team is better as a result,” explained Capitals general manager George McPhee.

“Backstrom and Ovechkin are going to have the puck a lot,” McPhee explained, “and we needed someone to be around the net to do some of the dirty work. Mike’s made his living there. He has done a real good job in that regard. He has been remarkably consistent in the number of games he has played and the number of goals he has scored in the past five or six years.”

The 6 ft 3, 230-pound Knuble said that shortly after the free-agent process began, four teams had offered him a contract, but that he was very happy to be heading for Washington. With the Philadelphia Flyers he had played in 820 career games – and last year scored 27 goals and 20 assists in 82 games.

“Washington is everything that I wanted in a team,” Knuble enthused, making it perfectly clear that he is delighted to be joining the Capitals. “I think the team is on the verge of something good, something great.” Knuble also said that he thinks the area will be a good place for his family to live.

While Knuble, who recently turned 37, understands that he is closer to the twilight of his career than to the dawn, he also believes that since he has taken good care of himself and avoided serious injury, he still has a few more years of serious playing ahead before he will need to think about hanging up his skates for good.

FIRST CAPITALS CONVENTION SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER

2009-07-08T14:36:00.001-07:00

Sometimes there is an event that is just so exciting, so completely amazing that it seems like a dream come true! And what could possibly fit that description more perfectly than an entire day with the Washington Capitals -- meeting favorite players, having photos taken with them and even getting to ask them a question or two!

Washington Capitals fans will be treated to a lot of fun and an entire day with the team and players when the team holds its first Capitals Convention on Saturday, Sept. 26 at the Gaylord Convention Center at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md.

“This is a unique opportunity for our organization to engage our fans on a variety of levels,” said Capitals majority owner Ted Leonsis. “It’s an opportunity for our players, coaches, alumni and front office to provide insights as well as the intricacies of our organization and our great sport.”

The day-long event will feature the coming season’s entire team, as well as some Capitals alumni, coaches and team executives. Breakout sessions and panel discussions will give fans a peek at behind the scenes operations, as well as an insight into the lives of NHL players.

There will be interactive games for adults and children, a display of many of the most significant NHL trophies and a locker-room store with game-used authentic memorabilia and the team’s annual equipment sale.

Panel discussions will feature Leonsis, general manager George McPhee and head coach Bruce Boudreau and will focus on such topics as the day-to-day responsibilities of operating a professional hockey club. And Capitals players will offer a glimpse into the life of a professional athlete.

While some panel topics are planned, fans will soon have the chance to vote at WashingtonCaps.com on other topics of interest to them.

Current panel discussions, which are subject to change, include:

• Ask the Coaches – Sit down with members of the coaching staff and pick their brains. See what differentiates their roles and responsibilities and how that impacts the team.
• Covering the Caps – Ever wondered what it was like to be a reporter covering the Capitals? This session will let fans see what it is like to be a member of the media. Learn what transpires before, during and after games.
• Managing the Salary Cap – Negotiating player contracts and managing the nuances of the NHL’s salary cap have profound impacts on every team. Get a look into how assistant general manager Don Fishman deals with these issues.
• Caps on the Rise – The Washington Capitals swiftly have ascended to one of the elite teams in the NHL and the architect is general manager George McPhee. Hear the firsthand account from the GM on how the plan came together and what is on the horizon.
• Kids-Only Press Conference – Players have to deal with media every day during the season, but this time the Caps are shaking things up and turning the mics over to the kids. In this press-conference atmosphere, kids have free reign to ask Caps players today’s burning questions.
• Work in Sports – Panelists from the area’s sports teams will discuss their career paths and advice for those looking to break into the sports business.

The Sept. 26 festivities begin at 9 a.m. for season-ticket holders and 10 a.m. for the general public and will conclude at 8 p.m. Tickets, priced at $40 for adults and $25 for children 14 and younger, go on sale July 9 to season-ticket holders and July 14 to the general public. There are a limited number of “Golden Tickets” available for $350, which guarantees all player autographs with access to a special fast-pass autograph line and priority seating for panel discussions. Tickets will be available at WashingtonCaps.com.

First Capitals Convention details

RAIDERS' GARRETT ZEMLAK WILL ATTEND WASHINGTON CAPITALS ROOKIE CAMP

2009-07-08T10:34:00.001-07:00

Garrett Zemlak, a goaltender with the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Raiders who was not selected in the 2009 NHL draft, will have the chance to show his talents at the Washington Capitals rookie camp beginning next week in Arlington, VA.

"It's something I've been really working towards," Zemlak, 20, told the Prince Albert Daily Herald. "To be invited as a free agent is an honor considering they only have a few spots at the camp for players other than their draft picks.

"They have an intense itinerary, but that's something I've been preparing for through my off-season training. It's nice that they have spotted something in you and feel you're worth a look at. In the end, it's up to me to prove that I belong and hope for an invite to the main camp."

The 6 ft 1 Zemlak appeared in 33 games last season with the Raiders. He posted a 16-12-1 record with a 3.65 GGA and 0.896 save percentage.

PRESIDENT OBAMA PRAISES OVECHKIN IN RUSSIA

2009-07-07T07:35:00.001-07:00

The Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin has been named by President Obama as one of the great Russian contributors to the world.

"As a resident of Washington, DC, I continue to benefit from the contributions of Russians -- specifically from Alexander Ovechkin," said Obama, apparently garnering a cheery chuckle from the graduating class at the New Economic School in Moscow on Tuesday. "I'm very pleased to have him in Washington, DC."

Mr. Obama praised Russian culture and science, called for greater cooperation between the two countries and then pointed out that Washington, DC residents appreciate the talent and hard work of Russian native Ovechkin who is a superstar on the local hockey team.

Ovechkin, a Capitals left wing, seems to be quite a man of the world -- clearly a fan favorite on both sides of the ocean. There is no doubt that he is loved and admired by Capitals and US hockey fans -- and he is also admired in his native Russia where he was recently selected to be "official ambassador" for the 2014 Sochi Games.

The guardian.co.uk website on Monday hailed Ovechkin as "widely considered the world's best player ...."

The Capitals superstar helped Russia win the gold medal at last year's world championship, beating the Canadian team.

And last month the Capitals' Ovechkin was a repeat winner of the Hart Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player, along with the Rocket Richard Trophy as the league's leading goal-scorer, the Art Ross Trophy for most points and the Lester B Pearson Award as the top player in a vote by NHL players.

OVECHKIN TO BE AMBASSADOR OF 2014 SOCHI GAMES

2009-07-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

Washington Capitals MVP Alex Ovechkin, who has stepped forward and offered his assistance to the organizers of the first winter Olympics to be held in his native Russia, will be an “official ambassador” for the 2014 Sochi Games, according to game officials on Monday.

“As an ice hockey player, it is truly an honor to become an ambassador of the Winter Games being held in my home country,” explained Ovechkin. “When Sochi won its bid in Guatemala, we were delighted that in 2014 we will be playing at home on a brand-new modern hockey arena beside the beautiful seaside. As an athlete, I’ll try to do everything possible (to) bring the Olympic gold to the Russian team.”

Ovechkin also said, "For me it's now hard to imagine a summer without a trip to Sochi. I was here same time last year. The city is changing rapidly, and I am especially glad that the construction of the hockey arenas is already underway."

Ovechkin, a true Capitals star, led his team in goals this past season with 56 – and at season’s end collected a boatload of awards including the prestigious Hart Trophy as league MVP. The left wing has not only won the Hart Trophy for the past two years, but he is the only repeat MVP since Buffalo’s Dominik Hasek back in 1997-98. He also was honored with the Rocket Richard Trophy as the league’s leading goal-scorer, the Art Ross Trophy for most points and the Lester B Pearson Award as the top player as voted by NHL players.

Ovechkin played for Russia in the 2006 Olympics and will likely lead the team at the Winter Games in Vancouver next year. And he also helped Russia win the gold medal at the world championships last year when the team defeated the team from Canada.

DEFENSEMAN MILAR JURCINA FILES FOR ARBITRATION

2009-07-06T04:51:00.000-07:00

Defenseman Milan Jurcina has filed for salary arbitration, according to The Washington Post's Capitals Insider.

Defenseman Milan Jurcina is the only Cap who has filed for salary arbitration, I'm told.

Jurcina led Washington's defensemen in hits (157), the team in blocked shots (131) and raised his level of play in the playoffs. He earned $912,500 last season, the third-lowest salary among the regulars on the blueline.

Jurcina can negotiate an extension with the Caps up until the date of his hearing, which will be held between July 20-Aug. 4 (an exact date will be set soon). The deadline for rulings is Aug. 6.

Defenseman Shaone Morrisonn and forwards Eric Fehr and Boyd Gordon were also eligible for arbitration but did not file. They have until July 15 to accept their qualifying offers.

Jurcina Files for Arbitration

CAPITALS DEVELOPMENT CAMP -- JULY 13-18

2009-07-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

The Washington Capitals annual development camp has been scheduled for July 13-18 at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, VA, the team has announced.

Coach Bruce Boudreau will gather the team's new draft picks, some rookie players and other prospects for both on ice and off ice workouts.

The on-ice exercises, which will include scrimmages, will be open to the public and media -- while off ice workouts are not.

While the camp roster is not yet finalized, some confirmed participants are: Capitals first-round draft picks Anton Gustafsson, 2008; John Carlson, 2008 and Joe Finley, 2005. Also confirmed are Francois Bouchard, a 2006 second round pick, and Mathieu Perreault, 2006 six-round pick, from the 2009 AHL Calder Cup winning Hershey Bears.

In addition, the 2009 ECHL Kelly Cup South Carolina Stingrays will be represented by Josh Godfrey, 2007 second-round selection. And seventh-round selection in 2007 Stefan Della Rovere, who was a member of Canada's gold medal winning World Junior Championship team will attend. Certain selections from the recent 2009 NHL Entry Draft are also expected to join this group.

Capitals Summer Development Camp On Ice Schedule

Sunday, July 12 Players arrive

Monday, July 13 Group A on ice at 10 a.m.; Group B on ice at 2:30 p.m.

Tuesday, July 14 Group B on ice at 10 a.m.; Group A on ice at 2:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 15 Group A on ice at 10 a.m.; Group B on ice at 11:15 a.m.; scrimmage from 3:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 16 Group B on ice at 10 a.m.; Group A on ice at 11:15 a.m.; scrimmage from 3:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Friday, July 17 Group A on ice at 10 a.m.; Group B on ice at 11:45 a.m.

Saturday, July 18 Scrimmage from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.; players depart

CAPITALS SCORE HIGH IN GIVING BACK TO THEIR FANS

2009-07-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

The Washington Capitals – gaining attention as a force to be reckoned with on the ice – are also getting recognized off the ice as a team with an incredibly high level of interest, appreciation and concern for their fans.

The Capitals soared into sixth place in the recently released ESPN The Magazine’s 2009 Ultimate Standings that compared "how much MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL franchises give back to their fans in exchange for all of the time, money and emotion the fans invest in them." In total 122 individual sports teams were evaluated -- and the Capitals' high sixth place ranking is a 39 position leap over last year.

And no doubt a particular source of pride to the Capitals is their top Number One ranking in responsiveness to fan feedback – which probably also helped toward its 11th place finish in the fans relations category.

“It is great to be recognized by ESPN The Magazine,” said Capitals owner Ted Leonsis. “I am proud that our organization continues to deliver great value to our fans. Our fan base is one of the most passionate in all of sports. We had a great season, and we shared it with great fans. The Verizon Center was electric and promises to be in the future as Caps fans continue to rock the red.”

The Capitals escalated 54 spots to rank 11th in “bang for the buck” and improved in all categories. Their other rankings were fifth in ownership (honesty and loyalty to core players and local community), 10th in coaching (strength of on-field leadership), 12th in players (effort on the field and likability off it) and 15th in stadium experience (quality of arena and game-day promotions, as well as friendliness of environment).

The analysis was completed by ESPN The Magazine and the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center – and centered highly on about 50,000 fan responses collected by consulting firm Maddock Douglas, ESPN.com and GMI NetReflector.

ESPN The Magazine in total rated 122 Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Football League and National Hockey League franchises.

The Washington team enjoyed a club-record 29 sellouts in the regular season, sold out every playoff game at Verizon Center and the average attendance was 99 percent of capacity. And the team sold out season tickets for the coming 2009-10 hockey season.

BRASHEAR TO RANGERS

2009-07-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

Donald Brashear, who appeared in 63 Washington Capitals games last season, will be moving to the New York Rangers, according to Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather.

During this past season Brashear's one goal was a game-winning one against the New York Islanders December, and he logged three assists and a team-leading 121 penalty minutes.

CAPITALS SIGN WINGER MIKE KNUBLE

2009-07-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

The Washington Capitals did it – they stepped up and got themselves a tough winger, Mike Knuble, who can offer a net-front presence and help the team to score goals!

Within hours of the beginning of the free agency, Knuble, 36, a power play specialist, agreed to move to the Capitals with a two-year contract worth $2.8 million a year.

Knuble, who was one of three Flyers to play in all 82 games last season -- posted 27 goals and 20 assists. "I feel like I'm no risk because I've been healthy," he said. "I feel like I have a lot more mileage left."

The 6 ft 3 in, 228 pound Canadian-born Knuble has played the last four seasons with the Flyers, scoring 114 goals, including 49 in power play situations, and 221 points in 310 games. Knuble’s career best was 34 goals during 2005-06. Previously Knuble played with Detroit, the New York Rangers and Boston.

ATTENTION TURNS TO FREE AGENTS

2009-07-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

Today is the day -- July 1st! The NHL draft is over -- and attention has turned to the group of free agent players.

As to what, if anything, to expect from the Capitals, general manager George McPhee has issued a few recent signals.

First, he has expressed that he thinks that the current Capitals team is a good one – the team can get by fine as it is without any changes. His philosophy is, he said, “No deal is better than a bad deal.”

But he also said that the Capitals will pick up players if the right deal is there. "We're looking for the right player at the right price," he explained. "If it is not there, we will just pass." And he added, "Don't look for us to spend big money on anyone."

In discussing long-term deals, McPhee thinks that long-term deals can be made “as long as you do the right deal with the right player. And that's the key in the business now. We (Capitals) have options. We're not locked into too many long-term deals, which is nice. We will do long-term deals for the right people, but you have to have some options."

However, in a more recent statement, appearing on the Capitals website, McPhee is quoted as saying, “Don’t expect us to do big money deals or long-term deals. … We’ll be prudent, and we’ll see.” So it seems that long-term deals may not be a part of McPhee’s plan.

And as for the Capitals’ needs, McPhee also revealed, “At the forward position, if we could add some more talent or depth we would. On defense we’re fine. Goaltending, we’re fine.”

At the time of the NHL draft, McPhee opined that there are some teams that are “already committed to a lot of contracts and a lot of money and don’t have a lot of room to participate. There will be three or four teams as we have every summer that are desperate, and they’re going to spend a lot of money, but those teams – and it is getting to be less and less every year – this may be the start of some of the salary escalation leveling off.”

Where McPhee did express confidence was in the team’s Hershey Bears affiliate, winners of the 2009 Calder Cup. "We have, I believe, some guys who can come up and make our team on a full-time basis. That will be determined in training camp, obviously, but we've done a pretty good job there. ... We're fortunate to have the guys who could come up and contribute and help us win, so we'll keep leaning on Hershey and promoting the kids that are ready to go."

CAPITALS EXTEND QUALIFYING OFFERS TO EIGHT PLAYERS

2009-06-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

The Washington Capitals have though qualifying offers extended their rights for the 2009-10 NHL season to eight players -- Chris Bourque, Eric Fehr, Boyd Gordon, Milan Jurcina, Shaone Morrisonn, Steve Pinizzotto, Jeff Schultz and Kyle Wilson.

While these players are now restricted free agents and an able to negotiate with other teams, the Capitals can either match any offer or collect compensation if they sign with another team.

The Capitals report that among the group, Fehr, Gordon, Jurcina, Morrisonn and Wilson have arbitration rights. They can choose to have their salary for the coming season determined by salary arbitration, in which case hearings would reportedly be scheduled for late next month or early in August. Players and clubs have the option to elect arbitration by July 5th or 6th respectively, the team detailed.

Also, the Capitals did not extend qualifying offers to Andrew Joudrey, Daren Machesney, Travis Morin and Sasha Pokulok. These players will become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday and are free to sign with any team, including the Capitals.

Caps Extend Qualifying Offers to Eight Players

CAPITALS GENERAL MANAGER McPHEE HAPPY WITH DRAFT PICKS

2009-06-28T05:18:00.000-07:00

General Manager George McPhee thinks that the Capitals made terrific use of their picks in the NHL draft in Montreal this weekend.

“We really went for talent,” said McPhee. “And for the most part we drafted guys that are real good skaters, have hockey sense and are competitive. Talent, Talent, Talent – just trying to get the best.”

McPhee, known for seeking the best players regardless of position, has been hailed for his success in identifying the level of young talent that led affiliate Hershey Bears to a Calder Cup victory this year.

“I’m not sure what the breakdown is because you can’t really say that we are trying to draft one position,” he explained. “But I’ve always said that you’ve got to draft the best players because if you are looking for a certain position, you’ll make that kid at that position out to be better than he really is sometimes. So we just drafted, in my mind, the best talent.”

McPhee called first-round pick Marcus Johansson, a center from Sweden, “a very well-rounded player, very good in almost every area of his game. ... (He is) quick, smart and competitive.”

He said that second round selection Dmitri Orlov, a Russian defenseman from Novokuznetsk, “is a really talented kid -- great wheels, real smart and great hands. He’s about as talented as they come. … And he can hit. He’s gritty.”

And in describing third round pick Cody Eakin, a center from Winnipeg, Manitoba, McPhee said, “Ahh, speed, competitiveness, some ability there.”

Other prospects selected by the Capitals were Patrick Wey, a defenseman from Pittsburgh who played for Waterloo; Brett Flemming, a defenseman from Regina, Saskatchewan; Garrett Mitchell a right wing, also from Regina and Benjamin Casavant, a left wing who will come from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

“As I said,” enthused McPhee, “all of these guys can really skate – good wheels, and they have good hockey sense and are competitive.”

In discussing the entire Capitals organization, McPhee opined, “I think that we’re doing a good job, and we’ve really improved our drafting. Our minor league team plays well, and they’ve developed the kids pretty well. They’re winning championships. So we’re really happy with where our organization is right now. The big club has played well. Hershey plays well. The kids are really developing. But there are always ways to improve, and we’ll keep looking for ways to do that.”

McPhee also said that finding a replacement for Bob Woods, the Bears’ head coach who was recently promoted to assistant coach of the Capitals, is probably “a couple of weeks away. We’ve had to get through this week and next week, and then hopefully things will settle down and we can focus on that.”

In other action, the Capitals sent prospect Sami Lepisto to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for a pick in the 2010 draft.

CAPITALS' DRAFT PICK -- MARCUS JOHANSSON FROM SWEDEN

2009-06-27T05:47:00.000-07:00

Weeks of speculation as to who would be the Capitals’ first-round draft choice ended last night with the selection of Swedish center Marcus Johansson.

The Capitals selection of the 18-year-old from Farjestad marks the second straight year and the third in the last four that the Capitals have chosen a Swede in that position as its top pick.

“This was more than I expected, and I am really excited to get to know the team and the players,” enthused Johansson. “Anton I know, but not Backstrom. (Gustafsson and I) played on the national team a couple of times together, and sometimes he is up in Farjestad where I play and he is from there, so that’s how I know him pretty well.”

Capitals general manager George McPhee explained that he had been impressed by Johansson’s performance in the final of the 2009 WJC Tournament – adding that Johansson’s couple of concussions in the past did not dissuade him from making this first-round choice.

“He is a very well-rounded player, very good in almost every area of his game,” McPhee said. “(He is) quick, smart and competitive. I loved the way he played against Canada in the world junior final. In the final, in a real hostile environment with 20,000 Canadian fans going crazy, some of the Swedish kids didn’t show up, but this kid showed up and played hard.”

The Capitals' 24th overall pick in the NHL draft describes himself as a "hard worker."

And Hockey's Future has noted Johansson's "good all-around ability," adding, "A late 90-born, Johansson has been playing very well with Farjestad in the Swedish Elite League, contributing to both ends of the ice." Also on this website, "Johansson has impressive hockey sense, good technical skills and soft hands. He reads the play very well and is a skilled playmaker. (He) is also a speedy skater who does not shy away from rough stuff, although he is not really a big time physical player.”

Johansson scored 10 points in 45 games in the Swedish Elite League in 2008-09. And he was a member of silver-medal winning Team Sweden at the 2009 World Junior Championships where he scored two goals in six games. Earlier he represented Sweden at the 2007 Under18 World Championships, where the team captured the bronze, and the 2007 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament where they walked away with gold.

But this young Swede is not the first of his family to make a mark on the ice notes his nhl.com Draft Prospect Card. Johansson's uncle, Gunnar, played for and coached Farjestad BK, and his brother, Martin, plays for the Swedish Elite League. And, in fact, Johansson credits his father and brother as having the greatest influence on his career -- his father for always pushing him and his brother for inspiring him to be better.

It is expected that the 5’ 11” tall and 189 pound Johansson will play in the Swedish league next year.

Hockey’s Future, Marcus Johansson Hockey’s Future, Sweden 2009 WJC preview nhl.com Draft Prospect Card - 2009

CAPITALS GENERAL MANAGER McPHEE IS CONFIDENT THAT THE TEAM WILL MAKE OUT WELL IN NHL DRAFT

2009-06-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee, in speaking of his team’s 24th selection in the NHL Draft this weekend in Montreal, said, “It’s going to be an even bigger challenge this year to hit one out of the park, but we’re going to try to do it.”

This year’s 24th is the latest that the team has selected in nearly a decade, but McGee said that he expects to stay with his basic tenet of going after the very best talent available to the team regardless of position.

“If you are doing things right, you are always taking the best player,” explained the general manager, adding that it is better to acquire a left winger who can play than a right defenseman who is not going to play.

“I don’t think the philosophy changes,” he continued. “We want to draft the best players that we can …. It is more of a challenge now, when you are lower in the draft, to find players. We think we’ve been drafting pretty darn well the last four or five years, and we would like to keep that going. We thought that we did well getting (Anton) Gustafsson and (John) Carlson in the first round."

Does McPhee believe that the Capitals, with the 24th pick, can leave this draft with a future NHL player? “We still believe that there are a couple of players that, if we can get our hands on them, would have the upside that we are looking for," he expressed. "It is a good draft for defensemen, (and there are) some decent centers available as well. That’s what we see at this point, and we’ll see what develops.”

"The top two or three rated players are better than the rest" theorized the hockey exec, who added, “Then there is a group of about eleven players that are pretty darn good players, after which it levels off. And it isn’t quite as strong from the mid-point of the first round on.”

Making the selection job easier for teams today, including the Capitals, is the fact that so much information is easily accessible.

“It is a far different business than fifteen years ago,” said McPhee. “There are better ways of measuring players, their fitness levels and their capabilities going forward in terms of their physical capabilities. There is psychological testing and so on.

“But there are players from all over now that we have to keep an eye on, and the good news is that a lot of games are televised. That wasn’t available ten or fifteen years ago so there would be times when you would miss players. It was really hard to see them. You don’t miss them anymore. If you want to see a player, you can get to a tournament. You can watch them on television. You can watch them on tape. … I think that has really improved scouting for most teams.”

McPhee also does not discount acquiring veteran talent with long-term deals. “You can do long-term deals as long as you do the right deal with the right player," he said. "And that’s the key in the business now. We have options. We’re not locked into too many long-term deals which is nice. We will do long-term deals for the right people, but you have to have some options.”

But in turning to young talent, McPhee is quick recognize the team’s affiliate Hershey Bears. “ We think that we have a number of guys that can come up from Hershey and help out," he explained. "I believe there are some guys that can come up and make our team on a full-time basis. That will be determined in training camp obviously, but we’ve done a pretty good job there. You need these guys who can come up, contribute and help us win – so we’ll keep leaning on Hershey and promoting the kids that are ready to go.”

One of McPhee’s theories is that young players should not sit on the bench – that the way develop their talent is to put them out on the ice. So whether it is with the Capitals or the affiliate Hershey, he wants players actually playing and given every opportunity to learn and improve. And in the end, he believes this rewards both the Capitals and the individual players.

The Capitals’ additional draft picks this weekend are 55th, 85th, 115th, 144th, 174th and 204th.

Washington Capitals

FEDOROV WILL PLAY FOR METALLURG

2009-06-25T04:52:00.000-07:00

Washington Capitals forward Sergei Fedorov will be playing hockey in Russia next year, according to mosnews.com and Reuters.

Fedorov, 39, has reportedly signed a two-year deal that will garner about $3.8 million per season with the Kontinental Hockey League's Metallurg Magnitogorsk, and also will allow him to play on the same team as his younger brother, Fedor.

"He wants to join his brother there," Pat Brisson, his agent, told espn.com "Its a dream for his fahter for the two of them to play together. It's nothing against the Washington Capitals, but this is very important for (his) family."

The talented forward was acquired by the Capitals from Columbus early in 2008, and while playing for the team he was instrumental in their ascent to Stanley Cup playoffs for the past two seasons.

He scored 11 goals and 22 assists in 52 regular season games during 2008-2009, and scored a goal and seven points in 14 playoff games before Washington was eliminated in Eastern Conference semifinals.

Fedorov achieved the high honor of becoming a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Detroit Red Wings for 1997, 1998 and 2002. And, in fact, he was the first Russian to reach 1,000 career NHL points and the first Russian recipient of the Hart Trophy as league MVP -- a trophy that he recently presented to teammate Alex Ovechkin. Previously Fedorov was also awarded the Frank J Selke and Lester B Pearson awards.

Capitals forward Fedorov signs 2-year deal with Russia's Metallurg
Fedorov signs two-year-deal with Metallurg
Fedorov leaves NHL, signs in Russia

FLYERS VS BRUINS IN CLASSIC -- SOURCES SAYING

2009-06-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

Even though no official announcement has been made naming the team that will play the Bruins in the NHL Winter Classic on New Years Day, there is no shortage of articles claiming that "sources" have indicated that the team will be the Philadelphia Flyers.

"The Flyers have been unofficially told that they will be in," cites an article by Ed Moran for the Philadelphia Daily News that appears on philly.com. "Earlier this week, reports indicated that the Washington Capitals would take ice against the Bruins for the third Winter Classic, but that changed at midweek, the sources said."

On Monday Capitals General Manager George McPhee expressed his doubts that the Capitals would be the team. "It doesn't sound like we will be part of it. ... Maybe that's not a bad thing. When you go, you have to play in front of 40,000 or 50,000 of the other team's fans. ... I would just assume if we were in it, that we would know by now."

"Flyers Reportedly Chosen to Face Bruins In '10 Winter Classic" headlines one article -- and "Bruins, Flyers to face off at Fenway on New Years Day," shouts another. But the official word is that an announcement will be made on July 15. "Then the mystery will be solved," said league spokesman Frank Brown.

Flyers told they'll play at Fenway
Flyers Reportedly Chosen to Face Bruins in '10 Winter Classic
Bruins, Flyers to face off at Fenway on New Year's Day

CAPITALS NOT EXPECTED TO PLAY IN WINTER CLASSIC

2009-06-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

"It doesn't sound like we will be part of the Winter Classic," said Washington Capitals General Manager George McPhee on Monday.

"Maybe it's not a bad thing," McPhee explained to nationalpost.com "When you go, you have to play in front of 40,000 or 50,000 of the other team's fans. ... I would just assume if we were in it, that we would know by now."

While all details have not yet been announced, it is known that the Classic will be held at Fenway Park on New Years Day with the local Bruins playing another team, initially thought to be either the Philadelphia Flyers or the Capitals.

However, "multiple league sources revealed there are concerns at NBC over television ratings with the Capitals, who are being pushed by the NHL," reports WEEI.com sportsradio network. "The network is instead holding out for Philadelphia, according to the sources, and the odds are improving daily that the Flyers will be traveling to the Fens in January."

Capitals unlikely to play in Winter Classic

Source: Flyers Expected To Play Bruins At Fenway

BOB WOODS NAMED CAPITALS ASSISTANT COACH

2009-06-22T15:09:00.001-07:00

Bob Woods, 41, at the helm as Capitals' affiliate Hershey Bears recently captured the Calder Cup, has been named an Assistant Coach with the Washington Capitals, according to General Manager George McPhee on Monday.

Woods, who was Hershey's head coach this past season and previously an assistant coach, helped his friend and current Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau lead the Bears to a prior Calder Cup title back in 2006. Previously he had been head coach of ECHL's Mississippi Sea Wolves from 2001-05.

Woods has a 83-47-15 record in 145 regular season games with the Bears.

Capitals name Woods assistant coach

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Mike Green and Alex Ovechkin Awarded Spots on NHL All-Star Team

2009-06-21T03:35:00.000-07:00

Mike Green, Alex Ovechkin Named to NHL First All-Star Team, Washington Capitals