Tag: Washington Capitals

Each NHL team’s biggest concern a month into the 2024-25 regular season

We’re just over a month into the NHL regular season, and for some teams, the high hopes and optimism of the preseason have faded away for one reason or another.

The Athletic asked its NHL staff this week for each team’s biggest concern at this point. The responses covered the full spectrum, from goaltending and lack of offense to bad defense, injuries and more. Here’s what they said.

Their offense is still bottom tier: The Ducks have scored only one or two goals in six of their 10 games. They’ve avoided being shut out but their 2.2 goals per game ranks 31st, putting them above only the equally punchless New York Islanders. Several of their top offensive players are struggling. Mason McTavish and Cutter Gauthier have yet to score. Frank Vatrano and Trevor Zegras each have one empty net goal. It hasn’t helped that their power play is just 4-for-31, but they’re also being decisively outshot by an average of nine. The offense would really be inept if Troy Terry, Leo Carlsson and Ryan Strome didn’t have 12 of their 22 goals. Lukas Dostal’s tremendous goaltending is keeping them afloat. — Eric Stephens

GO DEEPER

Duhatschek: ‘Iron Mike’ Keenan speaks, a Ducks’ hypothetical and how Utah will manage injuries

Five-on-five offense: Through 11 games, the Bruins have scored only 16 five-on-five goals. David Pastrnak has just one. Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle, Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie, all of whom started the season in the top six, have zero. It would be one thing if the Bruins had high-end goaltending like they did for the past three seasons. Jeremy Swayman, without Linus Ullmark, is still finding his game. — Fluto Shinzawa

GO DEEPER

Private data shows all kinds of red flags for the 3-3-1 Bruins

Secondary scoring: Heading into Friday night, the Sabres had only two power-play goals this season and had only one goal total from second-liners Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn. Of Buffalo’s 24 five-on-five goals, 11 have come with Tage Thompson on the ice. Lindy Ruff tried mixing up the second and third lines this week in an effort to get more from players like Cozens and Quinn. The second line and power play are the key to getting more consistent offense. — Matthew Fairburn

GO DEEPER

Can Sabres’ lineup changes help Dylan Cozens, Jack Quinn get back on track?

Are young players still progressing? This should be the No. 1 priority for the Flames. Connor Zary is near the top of the Flames’ leaderboard in points. That’s good. Dustin Wolf has lost his last two starts after winning his first three. That’s less good. The shine of Martin Pospisil as a center has already worn off. That’s also less good, but at least he’s playing with Zary again. Matthew Coronato doesn’t have a regular spot in the lineup. The Flames crashing down to Earth after a hot start was expected. It’s all about the youth continuing to push themselves forward. — Julian McKenzie

Goaltending: The Hurricanes’ goaltending has been good — entering Friday’s games, Carolina had allowed the second-fewest goals in the league at 2.33 per game — but that doesn’t mean there isn’t cause for concern. Frederik Andersen missed Monday’s game in Vancouver, leading to Spencer Martin being recalled. Andersen was later announced to be out week to week with a lower-body injury. Andersen (3-1-0, .941 save percentage, 1.48 goals-against average) had a better GAA and save percentage than Pyotr Kochetkov (4-1-0, .891, 2.61) in October, and the Hurricanes are thin after Martin should another injury occur. The position is surely on the minds of the coaching staff and front office. — Cory Lavalette

Goal scoring: There’s no doubt the Blackhawks are a better team than a season ago, but the offense remains an area of concern. They just don’t have a ton of depth scoring. They could especially use more five-on-five scoring from Tyler Bertuzzi, Taylor Hall, Philipp Kurashev, Ilya Mikheyev and Teuvo Teräväinen. Those five players combined for four goals in five-on-five play through the first 11 games. — Scott Powers

Goaltending: Colorado’s .858 save percentage ranks last in the NHL, and it’s without a doubt the biggest contributor to the disappointing start to the season. The Avalanche haven’t been bad defensively by most metrics, allowing the 10th-fewest expected goals per 60 minutes, but all three goalies have struggled. Alexandar Georgiev’s minus-9.42 GSAx ranks 71st out of the 71 goalies to play this season, more than three goals worse than the next goalie. He should progress back to being near the league average, but it needs to happen quickly before the Avalanche lose too much ground in an incredibly competitive Central Division. — Jesse Granger

Paper-thin depth: The Blue Jackets’ 5-4-1 start is solid enough just at face value. But considering the players they’ve lost to injuries — captain Boone Jenner, Kent Johnson, Dmitri Voronkov and defenseman Erik Gudbranson — they’ve patched lines together and continued to play well. However, they can’t possibly suffer that many injuries and expect to compete. Right? Right? — Aaron Portzline

Wyatt Johnston has one goal and four assists in nine games this season. (Jerome Miron / Imagn Images)

Wyatt Johnston’s lack of scoring: It’s all relative, right? The Stars don’t have a whole lot to be concerned about. They’re 7-3-0, Jake Oettinger is in top form, Matt Duchene is having a turn-back-the-clock season. But this was supposed to be the year Johnston took that final step into superstardom. Instead, he has one goal and four assists in 10 games, he has some of the worst possession numbers on the team and is on the third line while Logan Stankoven takes over on the top line. The Stars were still outscoring opponents 6-3 at five-on-five (heading into Friday) with Johnston on the ice; it’s hardly a crisis. But if the Stars are going to make another Stanley Cup run this season, Johnston has to be a big part of it. — Mark Lazerus

A lack of offensive zone time: There are a lot of concerns accompanying Detroit’s 4-5-1 start, but this is the one that sums them all up best. Detroit just hasn’t spent enough time in its opponent’s end. According to data from NHL EDGE, the Red Wings have played just 37.3 percent of the time in the offensive zone, the lowest percentage in the league. That stat is likely a symptom of multiple issues, including getting hemmed into their own zone too often and flaws with the team’s forecheck, but it sums up Detroit’s offensive woes accurately. The Red Wings knew they lost a lot of offense this summer and that it would be hard to replace, but they’re not even really giving themselves a chance to do so. — Max Bultman

GO DEEPER

Ten Red Wings thoughts after 10 games: Can Detroit’s early issues be fixed?

Connor McDavid’s injury: The Oilers got off to a good start in their first full game without McDavid, who’s expected out of the lineup for two to three weeks with a lower-body injury. They recorded a season-high five goals in a victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday. But that’s just one game and it was against Nashville. They always beat Nashville. The Oilers won just once in five tries last season with McDavid sidelined due to injury, and they’ll be in tough until he returns. Even with the Music City result, the Oilers still have just five wins in their first 11 games. A slide this month could cost them the Pacific Division crown they’re coveting. — Daniel Nugent-Bowman

GO DEEPER

Oilers’ McDavid expected to miss 2-3 weeks with injury

The third pair: Everything is going about as well as could be expected for the defending champs, starting with Aleksander Barkov’s return to the lineup, but they’re going to need to figure out how to proceed with their bottom defensive pairing. There are three possible combinations of Adam Boqvist, Nate Schmidt and Uvis Balinskis, and none have been good — Florida has been outscored 10-1 with them on the ice. — Sean Gentille

Quinton Byfield is without a goal over the first 11 contests. (Jason Parkhurst / Imagn Images)

Quinton Byfield’s slow start: Byfield is without a goal over the first 11 contests. He’s chipped in five assists, but it’s not the kind of beginning he or the Kings imagined after the sides agreed on a five-year extension worth $31.25 million. His advanced metrics aren’t bad, and the Kings haven’t done him any favors by committing to return him to his natural position at center and abandoning that just five games in. It’s possible that he bounces between the middle and the wing, which may not be great for maintaining consistency or chemistry with his linemates. The worry with him offensively is that he’s had a tendency to fall into lengthy scoring droughts. Even in his breakout last season, the 22-year-old went 19 games without a goal before he scored his 20th in the regular-season finale. — Eric Stephens

Jared Spurgeon’s health: One big reason the Wild were confident this season would be better than last was the return of the captain after he was limited to 16 games last season due to shoulder, hip and back injuries. But after season-ending hip and back surgeries, Spurgeon was sidelined after his second game and missed six in a row before returning Tuesday in Pittsburgh. The team has said the discomfort is “part of the healing process.” Spurgeon said they took “different routes” medically to get him back in the lineup, but he couldn’t say he was confident this would not be a season-long issue. The good news is the Wild went 4-1-1 without him. — Michael Russo

GO DEEPER

Wild say captain Jared Spurgeon’s absence related to surgeries but ‘part of the healing process’

A lack of maturity: When you are the second-youngest team in the NHL, with the youngest blue line, a lack of maturity probably should not be a concern. It should be expected. But despite their youth, the Canadiens have elevated internal expectations, and that means recognizing game situations and just how badly things can go wrong when your reads are off. Basic notions like playing a deep game, defensive coverage on faceoffs or defensive zone play in general have been problems at various points already this season. Perhaps it’s a sign this team is not yet mature enough to execute relatively simple concepts, but if the Canadiens hope to be mildly competitive this season, they will need to mature in a hurry. — Arpon Basu

GO DEEPER

Canadiens’ attention to detail not yet up to standard, and Kraken exposed it

Nashville Predators

No. 2 center: Defensive zone coverage deserves a nod, as well. Though the Preds have rebounded well from losing their first five games, they are still forcing Juuse Saros to deal with too many Grade-A chances. But just as Saros, the power play and other aspects of the Preds’ game are progressing, that will, too. There’s no clear answer on No. 2 center, which is part of why Andrew Brunette has done so much shuffling with his top two lines. The answer is likely on another roster right now. — Joe Rexrode

Ondřej Palát’s struggles: The Devils are off to a solid start, and their forward group has been good. Palát, however, is off to a slow start. Entering Friday, he had the worst expected-goals-for percentage among Devils forwards, according to Natural Stat Trick, and was averaging his lowest ice time per game since his rookie season. — Peter Baugh

New York Islanders

Goals: When you get shut out four times in your first 10 games, there can be no other concern that tops this one. The Islanders haven’t been a goal-scoring juggernaut for a long time, but this season’s futility is a new low — and they’ve been shut out by very mediocre teams (Red Wings, Ducks, Blue Jackets) to make it even worse. — Arthur Staple

The Rangers could use a Mika Zibanejad resurgence. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)

Mika Zibanejad’s struggles: Zibanejad had seven points in nine games through Thursday, which on the surface is a respectable total. But he was also a minus-3, and coach Peter Laviolette lowered his ice time from past seasons. His underlying numbers have suffered, too. The Rangers had only 41 percent of the expected goals share with him on the ice at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick, and were getting out-chanced with him on the ice. Center play is vital for playoff teams, and the Rangers could use a Zibanejad resurgence. — Peter Baugh

The defense: The Sens defense has had good moments like an 8-1 domination over the St. Louis Blues. But they’ve still allowed three goals or more in the majority of games. The Senators have also adjusted to life without Artem Zub, who normally plays alongside Jake Sanderson, and are making the most of their Jacob Bernard-Docker—Tyler Kleven pair. But if the Sens want to compete, they will still need an extra defender. — Julian McKenzie

GO DEEPER

Six potential defensive trade targets for the Senators

Five-on-five scoring: Through their first 11 games, the Flyers have managed only 16 goals at five-on-five — and five of those came in a single game, a win over Minnesota on Oct. 26. Part of that is because they have looked much too disjointed all over the ice at times and have too often been hemmed in their own zone. But players like Morgan Frost (zero five-on-five goals), Matvei Michkov (zero), Travis Konecny (zero), Owen Tippett (1), Tyson Foerster (1) and Joel Farabee (1) have still had plenty of opportunities to do more damage and haven’t. — Kevin Kurz

GO DEEPER

What we know about the Flyers after 10 games: Some positives, but a lot left to learn

Erik Karlsson’s offensive production: Never an own-zone marvel, Karlsson has consistently created chances at a historic rate for defensemen. That is not the case this season, as his paltry point total reflects an ineffectiveness offensively that is very outside the norm. Karlsson is in Pittsburgh to be a prolific offensive force. But he had only one goal and seven points through 12 games, and he hasn’t driven play the way he has in previous seasons. Perhaps an upper-body injury that kept him from participating in training camp remains an issue, or at least it didn’t afford him the time he needed to get game-ready. Whatever the cause, Karlsson’s poor offensive start is one of the big reasons the Penguins began 3-7-1 and look nowhere close to competing for the playoffs. — Rob Rossi

Will Smith’s early struggles: Eight games. No points. It was weighing on the 19-year-old rookie, who also was scratched from three other contests as part of the team’s load management plan for him over the first half of the season. It looked like the former Boston College star was having trouble with the speed and size of the NHL game as he had minimal impact. Thursday night saw the pressure valve pop. Smith scored his first goal (and his first point) when he beat Chicago goalie Petr Mrázek in the first period and then added another successful wrist shot in the second that would be the winning goal in a 3-2 victory. The big night should be a confidence jolt for the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, who is expected to be a big part of San Jose’s future. — Eric Stephens

Make it TWO goals for Will Smith 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bNOm0OpaH8

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 1, 2024

Backup goaltending: The Kraken have played well in the first month, but despite some promising signs, they are still chugging along at roughly a .500 point percentage. They’re one of only two Pacific Division teams in the black by goal differential and their underlying profile looks consistent with that of a playoff team, but they’ve been held back by porous depth goaltending performances in October. Philipp Grubauer is sporting an .881 save percentage across his four starts, and the Kraken have won just one of those four games. It’s early yet and the samples are small, but for a team like Seattle, you need to be at least at a .500 point percentage in games your backup goaltender plays if you’re going to be a playoff team. In the first month of the season, Seattle’s depth goaltending prevented it from consolidating a more auspicious start. — Thomas Drance

St. Louis Blues

Robert Thomas’ injury: Thomas suffered a fractured ankle Oct. 22 and will be re-evaluated in late November. Any club that loses its No. 1 center will miss him, but the Blues were already thin at the position. They’ve forced winger Pavel Buchnevich into the role, which hasn’t worked as they hoped. The offense (2.7 goals per game, tied for 24th in the league) and power play (16.7 percent, 21st) are struggling. As a result, the team has played a lot of catch-up hockey, trailing by two goals or more in seven of its 11 games. Thomas can’t get back soon enough. — Jeremy Rutherford

Depth support: Depth was always going to be a weakness in Tampa Bay. Cap casualties have depleted the bottom six and third pair, and management hasn’t found cost-effective options to adequately replace what the Lightning lost. Outside of Nick Paul, the bottom six is pretty much a black hole for offense. While the team’s strategy is built around its elite core, and with Ryan McDonagh back, plus Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli clicking, the supporting cast got a major boost. But the bottom of the lineup seriously lacks. — Shayna Goldman

The power play: On one hand, this is surprising. On the other, it’s not surprising at all. The surprising aspect: The Leafs have had one of the league’s top regular-season power plays for years and still boast all the same familiar parts of it. Strong starts have been the norm for the five-pack of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly. That same unit, of course, struggled mightily in second halves year after year and, more damagingly, in the postseason. The Leafs, with first-year coach Craig Berube, opted to keep that top group intact to start the season. That’s changed recently, with Berube pivoting to two balanced units. Whether that makes a difference in the long run (if the Leafs even stick with it) is very much TBD. — Jonas Siegel

Where did the offense go? After a terrific 3-0 start where the team piled up goals and brought the Salt Lake City crowd to its feet, it has been a tough go for the Utahns. They have only two wins in their last eight games, a stretch during which they’re 29th in the NHL in goals scored. Even with their two big losses on defense — Sean Durzi and John Marino are both out with long-term injuries — they’ve managed to play OK in their own end, but the power play has been misfiring and top prospect Josh Doan was sent down to Tucson. Utah especially needs more from Logan Cooley, Barrett Hayton and Lawson Crouse, who have combined for just six points during this funk. — James Mirtle

The power play: Vancouver’s core group has high-end skill and it’s consistently combined on the power play to manufacture goals at about a 22 percent clip over the past several seasons — which is very good, but not elite. For whatever reason through the first month of the season, however, the power play is struggling enormously to get set up and generate shot attempts. Though the conversion rate is just below average — buoyed by a two-goal outburst against the Blackhawks in mid-October — Vancouver’s power play isn’t passing the eye test and its underlying footprint is league-worst. The Canucks, for example, are the only team in the NHL generating shot attempts at a rate south of 80 attempts per hour. And they’re in the mid-70s. They’re also generating shots at a league-worst rate. If that continues, the club will need to get lucky or shoot at an incredibly efficient clip to produce at even an average rate with the man advantage. Even if the Canucks have the skill level to pull that off, it’s a very tough way to live. — Thomas Drance

Performance on the road: The difference between how the Golden Knights have performed inside the friendly confines of T-Mobile Arena compared to on the road has been stark. Vegas is a perfect 7-0-0 at home but has yet to win in four contests as the visitor. Part of that could be competition, as all four opponents on the road were playoff teams a year ago. It could also be a result of the lineup not being quite as deep as it once was. Vegas’ top line of Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev has dominated, but on the road, it’s tougher for coach Bruce Cassidy to get favorable matchups. — Jesse Granger

The power play: It feels like picking nits given how good the Caps look overall, but there’s some work to be done with the man advantage. They’re 30th in percentage, which is rough, but it might be as simple as getting a bounce or two because they’re generating chances. As a team, they’re at 9.35 expected goals per 60, ninth in the league. In other words, the process isn’t broken. — Sean Gentille

The Jets are special teams merchants: Last year’s Jets would have loved a power play this good: an NHL-best 45.2 percent behemoth that has looked dangerous from every position on the ice. Kyle Connor is on fire, tied for the power-play goals lead with four, and Cole Perfetti has three from the second unit. The problem is that this year’s Jets are not as good at even strength as last year’s team. The 10-1-0 record deserves plaudits, but Winnipeg has outscored its opponents only 27-20 at five-on-five. Those numbers are top-10 as opposed to best in the league like the Jets were last season. Keep working on that through a grueling November schedule and this team will be a contender. — Murat Ates

GO DEEPER

10 key takeaways from the Jets’ NHL-best 9-1-0 start to 2024-25

(Top photo of Connor McDavid and Erik Karlsson: Curtis Comeau / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The New York Times

Source link

November 2, 2024
3s are Wild: let’s hand out our 3-Stars following Week 3 for the Flyers. – Philadelphia Sports Nation

Let’s look back at the past week for the Flyers, and we’ll hand out our 3-Star selections.

Game 8: Flyers at Capitals (10/23/2024) // Flyers 3, Capitals 6

Ivan Fedotov got the start in this one and it didn’t go to plan, where he made 19 saves of 23 shots (.826 SV%). The Capitals struck first within the first six minutes of the game on a deflected shot. Then, the Capitals struck early in the 2nd period, shortly after killing off a penalty to go up 2-0 on the Flyers. Just 1 minute and 15 seconds later, following a miscue by the Flyers led to a breakaway and the Caps were up by 3. Minutes later, another deflection in front and the Flyers were down by 4 with over half the game still to be played.

Credit the Flyers for not caving completely in this game. TK and Tippett scored before the end of the 2nd to take something positive into the dressing room. The Flyers put up some fight in the 2nd period, putting 17 shots on net, which was positive considering that the middle stanza has been their weak spot this year. Michkov found a way to get a shot from the point through traffic on the Power Play mid-way through the 3rd period and the Flyers had life. The Flyers Power Play was 2 of 4 in this game and this year, gives the Flyers a better chance to get back into games than in the past few years. Unfortunately, the comeback was not in store in this one as the Capitals grabbed two separate empty-net goals to put this one away.

Game 9: Wild at Flyers (10/26/2024) // Flyers 7, Wild 5

Sam Ersson started in net in this game and made 21 saves on 26 shots (.808 SV%). The Flyers Power Play went 1-2 in this one, which is a good sign, in both that the Power Play is operating efficiently, and in this game at least, the Flyers finally got some 5-on-5 scoring.

The captain, Sean Couturier led the team in this one nothing a hat-trick along with 2 goals and a +5 on the night, while also notching his 500th career NHL point in his impressive career. The story in this one was the newly formed top-line TK, Couturier and Michkov, which put up a combined 12 points in roughly 18 minutes of on-ice time, each. Couturier showed that he’s back and feeling good this year and at least for one night, much enjoyed playing with TK and Michkov, especially finding himself on the wing and down in the line-up earlier this month.

Game 9: Canadiens at Flyers (10/27/2024) //Canadiens 4, Flyers 3

Following another tough outing by Fedotov, the Flyers somewhat unexpectedly called up Alexei Kolosov, the 22-year-0ld netminder whom started the season with the Phantoms in the AHL. The young goalie did, in fact, make his first career NHL start where he collected 20 saves on 24 shots (.833%). The Canadiens struck first with 9:18 left in the 1st period, jamming in a rebound out front. Sanheim was able to tie the game late in the 1st period with a shot from the point through a screen. Sadly, the Flyers were down 4-1 by the end of the 2nd period, chasing yet another game. The never-say-die Flyers found two goals from Sanheim and Konecny scoring in the find five minutes, however, again, time-runs out on another comeback attempt this season. Simply put, the Flyers need to find ways to stop chasing games.

Game 10: Flyers at Bruins (10/29/2024) // Flyers 2, Boston 0

This game was a nail-bitter, but perhaps exactly what the doctor ordered. Sam Ersson earned his first shut0ut of the young season, stopping all 25 shots he faced, helping him bring his season save percentage to a .890 SV%. Perhaps the Flyers played the Bruins not firing on all cylinders, yet. Regardless, this Flyers team desperately needed a game they were not chasing, especially within the first 5 minutes. In this tilt, Tyson Foerster got the Flyers on the board just after the five-minute mark. The Flyers locked this one down and Farabee was able to secure the win with the empty net goal.

PHOTO: Yong Kim / Philadelphia Inquirer

Game 11: Blues at Flyers (10/31/2024) // Flyers 2, Blues 1

The Flyers kept the momentum rolling

, and for the second game in a row, Sam Ersson grabbed the #1 star of the game, making 21 saves on 22 attempts (.952 SV%). Hathaway scored at 8:48 of the 1st on a beautiful feed by Poehling, following his individual skating and stick-handling exhibition on the play. The Blues scored at just before the midway mark in the 3rd period on a loose rebound into the slot and a lost man in coverage. The Flyers night would be saved with Brink jamming home a rebound in the slot with 3 minutes to go in the game.

Three Stars of the Week

3rd Star: Sean Couturier

What an up and down week of games for the Flyers. With the Flyers desperately needing a win and at home against the Wild, tied at 4 in the 3rd, Couturier picked up a hat-trick and his line put-up a combined 12 points that night. Unfortunately for the Flyers, the only points he scored over the past week, including the three Minnesota game, despite more ice time. However, the Flyers defense, including defensive forwards like Couturier, stepped up and secured two low score wins.

2nd Star: Travis Sanheim

Netting two goals and an assist in a lackluster game against the Canadiens was huge for Sanheim as he tries to get himself going offensively. For the season, through 11 games, he only had 3 goals and 2 assists, but he is a plus 1 +/- and he’s logging huge minutes on the backend of the Flyers, including the aforementioned low-score wins. Sanheim has logged an average 24 minutes on ice this season.

1st Star: Sam Ersson

Prior to this game, Tortorella looked like a coach in search of an answer. Signal Sam Ersson to the rescue. Earning the first star in the game over the past two games tells you almost all you need to know this week for Sam. Sam turned in a desperately needed gem in goal on Tuesday night against Boston. Prior to this game, the Flyers arguably had the worst goaltending league-wide to start the season. Following that shutout win, he turned in another great game against the Blues, at a time this Flyers team needed a few strong games in net. The Minnesota game was wide-open, and it was great to see him tighten things up. Overall, he picked up 3 wins this week that his team sorely needed.

It’s a dynamic league with incredible talents and scoring threats each night. The Flyers are a young team, which them prove nightly. especially on Defense and in the net.

It was good to see the Flyers find a way to tighten up on defense and hold on to some leads. Will it continue?

PHOTO: Yong Kim / Philadelphia Inquirer

JR Martin

Source link

November 1, 2024
Flyers drop fifth straight in 4-1 loss to Capitals

Well, so much for a revitalized power play, or much of a spark.

The Flyers got jumped for two shorthanded goals and still lacked any kind of finish in front of the net to lose to the Washington Capitals, 4-1, Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center – in the first of a home-and-home back-to-back.

Sam Ersson gave them a chance once again, stopping 16 of 18 shots through two periods (25 of 29 in total), but slow reads and mishandlings of the puck at the offensive blue line while on the man advantage – resulting directly in Washington goals – along with a failure to recover despite some solid even strength play for most of the game did them in again.

The Flyers are 1-4-1, now having lost five straight across regulation and overtime. They have only scored once in front of the home crowd after two games, haven’t scored on the power play since last week’s loss to Seattle on the road (haven’t held a lead since either), and obviously, haven’t won since the season opener in Vancouver.

It’s hardly the start that anyone in the organization had in mind.

But that’s just the way the bounces have gone for them so far, as boos rained down from an emptying arena as the final seconds ticked down.

“They want to play well,” head coach John Tortorella said of his team postgame. “They want to win a hockey game. They want to score a goal in the home building. You can’t let the frustration turn into cheating. You can’t forget about your structure as we’re going through this.

“It’s kind of doubled up because it’s the start of the year and we’re in this jam, so there’s even more pressure. But we just have to play the way we’re supposed to play within our structure. Hopefully we get some good things to happen and we just gain our confidence a little bit.”

That just wasn’t happening on Tuesday night.

Sean Couturier, in his move back to center, rifled a shot off the crossbar from a neutral zone turnover seconds in, then the Flyers got their first power play look a couple of minutes later when Washington’s Alex Ovechkin got tagged for interference on Garnet Hathaway at center ice.

Rotten luck struck with about 30 seconds left on the advantage.

The puck wrapped down to defenseman Egor Zamula by the boards at the blue line, but trying to control it with a kick of his skate, he instead bounced it straight to the Capitals’ Nic Dowd, who chipped it by then took off for the Flyers’ net, beating Ersson with a move and a nasty backhander top shelf to make it 1-0, Washington not even five minutes in.

The Flyers were operating from behind from there, and try as they might, they struggled to swing that clean look or bounce that they needed to shift the momentum or, at the least, just get them on the board through the first two periods.

Nic Deslauriers hopped on the ice and immediately dropped the gloves with the Capitals’ Dylan McIlrath in a straight-up slugfest hoping it offered a jolt, but that just as quickly got canceled out by a Travis Konecny slash in the offensive zone that put the Flyers on the penalty kill.

Hathaway sprung Konecny out of the box as the penalty expired with a stretch pass from the defensive zone all the way to the far blue line that the winger had to dive after to stop, yet still with time to move in and get a shot off, but once he got up, he placed a shot that Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren kicked away with his pad.

Scott Laughton – who made the lineup in time after he and his wife welcomed their first child into the world earlier in the day – chased down a lob over center ice while the Flyers were killing off a Nick Seeler high-sticking call later in the period, and broke toward the net but with a shot that sailed wide.

Bobby Brink snuck to the front of the crease on a heads-up chip of the puck out from behind the net from Ryan Poehling, but a slash from Washington’s Pierre Luc-Dubois and a last-second nab of the glove on the backhand from Lindgren kept the Flyers off the board, though at the cost of a penalty.

Then struck rotten luck again.

Connor McMichael caught Brink playing with the puck for too long by the left point and stripped it away from him, shifting the Capitals into transition. Zamula lost his assignment as Andrew Mangiapane came streaking down through the middle unmarked, and all McMichael had to do was flip it to him from off the wall to leave Mangiapane all alone with the shot to beat Ersson to make it 2-0.

“Our second unit on the power play hurts us,” Tortorella said. “They score on two breakaways, we don’t. In the first period, it’s 2-0. I don’t think we played bad the first couple of periods – the chances were basically even – we just don’t finish.”

And the Flyers seemed increasingly aware of that, pressing into the second period with frustrations appearing to grow, but nothing amounted from it.

Matvei Michkov, who hasn’t scored since he did it twice in that third game at Edmonton, continued to show flashes of his high-end skill, but his line with Couturier and Owen Tippett continually got themselves tied up in traffic trying to make something happen.

In the third, after offsetting roughing penalties from a scrum at the end of the second period put the teams at 4-on-4 with Konecny and Jakob Chychrun in the box, something finally broke.

Michkov and Cam York cycled it around to Travis Sanheim with a clean look from the left point, and the defenseman’s shot beat Lindgren to the top corner to finally give the Flyers one, and the fans, briefly, something to cheer about…

Then the Capitals came right back down the ice to go back up two, 3-1. Dylan Strome knocked the puck away from Jamie Drysdale while he was trying to shield it at the blue line, and on the zone entry, Capitals defenseman John Carlson threw the puck to the front of the net as Strome crashed down.

The puck bounced off Strome and in, Zamula wanted to play the stick lift but was too late to it. It was a brutal night for him, in what’s quickly becoming a brutal season for the young Russian blueliner.

“The third one, you could just feel the bench,” Tortorella said of the dejection.

“Sometimes you need to play just simple hockey,” Zamula said of his performance from the locker room postgame. “Mistakes, you need to be better.”

And it’s become a brutal stretch for the Flyers in general.

There was no coming back from Strome’s goal to put the Capitals back up two, and with just under six minutes left, Chychrun fired one more through.

The Flyers will be right back at it on Wednesday night down in Washington, just hoping now that they can get something to fully break the right way.

“It’s gonna come,” Sanheim, the Flyers’ lone goal-scorer on the night, said. “It’s early in the season. I’m not too worried about it. There are a lot of guys in this room that are goal-scorers. We’re gonna get going here. I’m not worried at all.”

“We just gotta get up in the morning and start again,” Tortorella said.

MORE: The Flyers are shooting, but missing the net a lot

Follow Nick on Twitter: @itssnick

Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports

Nick Tricome

Source link

October 22, 2024
Pollin family reflects on Washington Capitals, 50 years after team’s founding – WTOP News

Last weekend, the Washington Capitals began their 50th season in the National Hockey League (NHL), and along the way, the franchise has seen everything from the very worst season ever recorded to a Stanley Cup Championship. Soon, a lifelong Capital might also become the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer.

“I remember that the odds were against Washington getting a team,” said Jim Pollin, son of the late Capitals founder Abe Pollin. “But I do know that in order for my father to build an arena, he had to have a hockey and basketball team. So, it was a must to have that hockey team.”

He said Washington, D.C., wasn’t even expected to be awarded a team, and he credits Bill Wirtz, who used to own the Chicago Blackhawks (they’re now owned by his son, “Rocky”) for helping Abe Pollin’s cause.

“He put some good words in for my father, because my father knew him because of the NBA, and I think that probably had something to do with it, and also my father’s reputation,” Pollin said.

Initially, the league was divided up into four divisions — but not by geography. The Capitals shared a division with Montreal, Pittsburgh, Detroit and Los Angeles. And they were bad — historically bad. They finished 8-67-5, the worst record ever.

“It wasn’t just one season. It was a couple of seasons,” Pollin said. “It was really bad. But you know, people were coming out.”

The league itself wasn’t at its strongest. The Kansas City Scouts, who joined the NHL the same year as the Capitals, moved west to Denver after two years and became the Colorado Rockies. Since 1982, they’ve been the New Jersey Devils.

But 1982 ended up being a pivotal year for D.C., too. Many moments over the last 50 years stand out. Among them are the team’s first Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 1998 and the hoisting of the Stanley Cup in 2018. But none of that would have happened if things had gone differently in 1982. There was no chance the Capitals were going to relocate like other teams had, but the team’s finances were, generously, shaky, and there was a chance the team would have to fold.

“The Capitals were not drawing. It was a pivotal time where the team was changing, and my father just said, ‘You know what? The city has to support this team,’” Pollin said. That kicked off the “Save the Caps” campaign.

“It was a campaign saying that we need to have sellout games … in order to be able to save the team,” he explained. So they went out to corporations, and corporations bought season tickets.

“The city really came together to save the team. Individuals went out and bought season tickets. It was such a joint cooperation,” Pollin recounted. “And then the energy inside the arena was incredible.”

The arena was full, and suddenly, the team was good, too. Hall of Famers Rod Langway and Mike Gartner were on the roster. So was Bobby Carpenter, Bengt Gustafsson and Craig Laughlin.

“They went into guaranteed win nights, that if we didn’t win, then we would refund your money or give you tickets for another game,” Pollin said. Luckily, the team was finally winning more than it was losing. For the first time ever, the Capitals would make the NHL Playoffs, touching off a successful run that has turned the franchise into one of the hockey league’s jewels.

“Starting from not being able to win games, and fans were still coming out, and the fans needed to be educated,” he reminisced. That led to another story from Pollin.

“You probably didn’t know, but on (the big screen video board), the rules were stated,” Pollin said. “So, if there was an icing, then the rules for icing would go up on the tell screen and saying, ‘This is what happened.’ You know, if someone was offsides, the rules for offsides were posted … so people could learn the game.

“Look where the city is now with hockey,” Pollin said, brimming with satisfaction.

“He was told Washington will never be a hockey town,” Pollin said, talking about his dad’s vision for the sport in D.C. “I don’t think there’s another arena in the country that’s as loud as the Capital Center was in hockey or basketball or now, you know Capital One Arena. The fans really rallied around them.”

He also went out of his way to say that current owner Ted Leonsis “has done a great job” since buying the franchise and helping to boost the sport of hockey even more.

“It is just spectacular,” Pollin said. “I think it’s probably one of the best hockey towns in the country, if not the best hockey town in the country.”

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

John Domen

Source link

October 18, 2024
Capitals go into camp without T.J. Oshie and with a revamped roster around Alex Ovechkin

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Tom Wilson looked around on the bench during an informal pre-training camp skate this week and saw a lot of unfamiliar faces.

“I felt like the new guy,” Wilson said.

More than a decade into his NHL career with the Washington Capitals, he’s actually one of the longest-tenured members of the organization and along with Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson the only players remaining from 2018 when they won the Stanley Cup.

With T.J. Oshie now out with the same sort of chronic injury that sidelined Nicklas Backstrom nearly a year ago and after an offseason of roster turnover, the Capitals opened camp Thursday looking like a much different team than the one that squeaked into the playoffs and got swept in the first round.

“You want to have a solid team to be able to make the playoffs and try to win the Stanley Cup,” Ovechkin said two days after turning 39 and three weeks away from his 20th season in North America. “The last few years we improve ourselves, but it was not enough, and I think everybody understand we need experienced guys who want to be part of it and I think they did a pretty good job.”

Ovechkin goes into the season 42 goals from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s career record. The goal is to win while also helping the longtime captain and face of the franchise make hockey history.

Enter center Pierre-Luc Dubois, winger Andrew Mangiapane, defenseman Jakob Chychrun and goaltender Logan Thompson acquired by trade and forwards Brandon Duhaime and Taylor Raddysh and defenseman Matt Roy signed in free agency.

“It’s something I haven’t done in my career,” Carlson said. “There hasn’t been this much turnover, I don’t think — not even close — so, from that standpoint it’s great. It’s great to take on new challenges. I think we’re a lot better team after the changes.”

And they may not be done. Back with Washington is Jakub Vrana, who was part of the Cup run six years ago and has since been traded, waived, gone through the player assistance program and sent to the minors and is in camp on a professional tryout agreement.

“Washington is always going to be in my heart, and I always wanted to play here,” Vrana said. “This chance means a lot to me, things happen over the past few years, but that’s already put that behind me and I’m ready to see this as an opportunity to bounce back.”

If Vrana makes the team, he could help fill the void left by Oshie’s absence, which has been expected since the spring when the 37-year-old winger said he’d only continue playing if he and doctors could find a permanent solution to back problems that kept knocking him out of the lineup. Oshie is expected to start the season on long-term injured reserve, and it would take a drastic turn of events for him to play another NHL game.

“He has to look in the mirror and do what’s right for his health and his family,” Wilson said. “It’s been a battle for him the last couple years. … He’s been grinding. He’s been putting in a ton of work, flying all over the place, rehabbing a ton. His day to day has been a lot harder than the rest of the guys. He’s a true warrior.”

Fourth-line center Nic Dowd noticed it’s quieter around the rink without Oshie, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t good energy around the Capitals, especially given all the additions.

“Mentally, I’m really excited about what we’ve done with our team,” Dowd said. “It’s something to say like, OK good, we’re moving forward with trying to get better and we’re not just staying stagnant expecting different results with the same thing.”

Still yet to get to camp is Swedish defenseman Rasmus Sandin, who new general manager Chris Patrick said was having visa issues.

“It’s just trying to figure out what’s going on and getting this approved,” second-year coach Spencer Carbery said. “If you know someone in the U.S. government, please share because we don’t have any type of update.”

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Source link

September 19, 2024
Arlington elementary schoolers cheer on the Washington Capitals during playoff pep rally – WTOP News

Cardinal Elementary School in Arlington held an hourlong pep rally Wednesday for the Washington Capitals, complete with cheers, hockey lessons from Caps staff and a visit from mascot Slapshot.

This page contains a video which is being blocked by your ad blocker.
In order to view the video you must disable your ad blocker.

Arlington students cheer on Caps at school rally

It was all about the Washington Capitals at Cardinal Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia, on Wednesday, when the school held an hourlong pep rally for the Caps, complete with cheers, hockey lessons from Caps staff and a visit from mascot Slapshot.

In the sun-drenched schoolyard on McKinley Road, students sat on the ground in orderly rows for a boisterous afternoon rally as the Capitals prepare for their first home playoff game Friday. Washington dropped the first two games of its first round playoff matchup against the New York Rangers on Tuesday.

“I love the Caps, I think that they’re are going to do amazing in game 3 and I’m really hopeful,” said fifth grader Maahi Kamboh.

Many of the students, teachers and staff sported Caps jerseys, T-shirts and hats.

Cardinal Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia, held an hourlong pep rally Wednesday for the Caps, complete with cheers, hockey lessons from Caps staff and a visit from mascot Slapshot.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano

Many students were decked out in Capitals jerseys, T-shirts and hats.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano

Capitals staff gave hockey lessons during the pep rally, and students played pickup games of street hockey afterward.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano

Students wearing Caps gear pose for a picture during a pep rally for the team.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano

Capitals mascot Slapshot pumped the elementary schoolers up during the pep rally.
(WTOP/Dick Uliano)
WTOP/Dick Uliano

“C-A-P-S, Caps, Caps, Caps!” the kids cheered.

Hands shot up when members of the Capitals staff asked for volunteers to run through some stick handling drills, followed by some quick pickup games with the kids slapping red plastic balls into nets.

“I think they should just continue to try really hard and hopefully they can make it into the second round,” said fifth grader Aaron Painter.

The Capitals have not won a playoff series since 2018, when they won the Stanley Cup.

“I think it’s just really important for all us to just cheer them up. … I love the Caps,” said fifth grader Nora McNally.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Dick Uliano

Source link

April 24, 2024
The NHL playoff bandwagon guide to all the teams you could root for, and also Vegas

The playoffs are almost here, and while we’re still waiting on a couple of matchups, we know the 16 teams. If you root for one of them, you’re not reading this because you’re curled up in a little ball, twitching and sweating and trying not to puke. Playoffs, baby!

That leaves the rest of you, the fans of the 16 teams that spent the season ~~being big losers~~ strategically retooling for a brighter future. You’ve got to figure out who to root for over the coming weeks and months. You could skip that part entirely, of course, and just enjoy the playoffs as a neutral observer. You could hate-watch your team’s rivals. Or you could pick and choose, dropping in and out of whichever series looks good and cheering on whoever feels like the right choice in the moment.

Those are all valid options. But there’s another, and it’s a somewhat controversial one: You could pick a bandwagon team to ride with all spring. It’s good practice for the real thing, after all, giving you a taste of the ups and downs of following one team for as long as it can last. And when your team gets knocked out, you can feel bad for 10 minutes before shrugging and moving on to someone else.

If you’re considering a bandwagon team, I’ve got you covered. Here’s my annual look at all 16 playoff teams, ranked from the worst bandwagon options to the very best.

Why you should get on board: You’re a contrarian.

Why you shouldn’t: I’ve been doing these lists long enough that “Don’t root for the defending champs” has almost become a trope. It’s classic front-running, after all, and the rarity of repeat champions in the cap era suggests that it’s also usually futile. So yeah, in general, don’t root for the defending champ.

But these particular champs? Come on. Everyone hates the Golden Knights, the too-much-too-soon expansion team that won’t stop trading for All-Stars and skipped to the front of the line, partly by cheating the salary cap.

Bottom line: The Knights were always a fun pick for a specific type of bandwagon fan back when they were the new guys still trying to defy tradition and buck the odds. But now that they’ve won, this may be the easiest ranking in the history of this column.

Why you should get on board: It’s always fun to pick a wild card that goes on a run, and the Lightning look like a reasonable bet to do just that. And the narrative of the former champs trying to get back to the top of the mountain one more time before it all crumbles is one you could get behind.

Why you shouldn’t: Really, what’s the best-case scenario here? The Lightning pull off an upset or two, maybe even go all the way to the final, and … congratulations, you’re bandwagoning a team that’s already been there three times in four years. It’s all the risk of picking a wild-card team, without any of the fun underdog vibes.

Bottom line: There’s also the Nikita Kucherov factor, which will help or hurt depending on how much you like the idea of an MVP-level wizard who can also come across as kind of a jerk sometimes.

Why you should get on board: They’re a potential underdog, one that everyone seems to be forgetting about but that’s been building to this for years now. It’s not unheard of for teams like the Kings to emerge as contenders, and when they do everyone else is usually just a bit too late to figure out what they’re watching. You could be the one who already had their seat on the bandwagon.

Why you shouldn’t: The Kings peaked early, got some attention and then faded in the second half before finishing strong, so they fit the profile of a team that probably deserves more respect than they’re getting. But that doesn’t mean they’re not underdogs, and riding with them in a first-round matchup against a high-flying team in Dallas or Edmonton may not be your idea of fun.

Bottom line: Speaking of not all that fun, there’s also this whole thing. The Kings are going to rank high on this list some year soon, but that year is not this one.

Why you should get on board: One of the longest-suffering fan bases in the league is back in the playoffs yet again, this time with a crazy new coach to go with their crusty old GM. Nobody is picking them to win anything and their fans know it, so if you like a good “us against the world” story then you may have found your temporary home.

Why you shouldn’t: We won’t break out the dreaded “b” word, but we will point out that no playoff team other than Washington scores less than the Islanders, and their ticket to a long run probably involves riding their goaltending to a bunch of low-scoring wins. Choosing this team to bandwagon would feel just a little like having a cheat day on your diet and choosing to spend it at the salad bar.

Bottom line: If they beat the Hurricanes and go on to play the Rangers in Round 2, you have to get a Denis Potvin jersey. Just keep that in mind.

Why you should get on board: They’re a very good team with plenty of star players, including the likely MVP. And after last year’s first-round disaster against the Kraken, they should be motivated.

Why you shouldn’t: Shaky goaltending has led to a tough final stretch, meaning they’ll start the playoffs on the road against a very good Jets team in a series that’s basically a coin flip. And since they won it all in 2022, you don’t even get any underdog points for picking them.

Bottom line: For sheer fun factor, this roster is pretty stacked. But it’s a bit of a front-runner pick combined with a tough first matchup.

Why you should get on board: They were the top pick for the 2022 list, and an awful lot of what we said back then still holds. They’re a fun team, they’ve never won a Cup, and their fans have had to deal with endless negativity over the last few decades. Heck, they’d probably even welcome some bandwagon love. Oh, and they’re really good, having followed up a 2022 Presidents’ Trophy with a run to last year’s final.

Why you shouldn’t: A few weeks ago I tried to sell you on the Panthers as the NHL’s new team you love to hate, with mixed success. But yeah, between Matthew Tkachuk, Nick Cousins, Sam Bennett and others, you’re going to see them do something nasty over the next few weeks that you’ll have to pretend to defend.

Bottom line: They’re also playing the Lightning, the big brother that’s been kicking sand in their face for years. These guys can’t even villain correctly.

10. New York Rangers

Why you should get on board: They’re the best team in the league, at least according to their regular season record, and a roster stacked with talent appears to agree. But with only one Stanley Cup to show for the last 84 years, you’re hardly chasing after recent success here. If you’re looking for a bandwagon, you could do a lot worse than a big market with a great goalie and lots of star power that will get a ton of coverage.

Why you shouldn’t: The Rangers have been a fascinating team to watch this year, with at least some statistical evidence showing that they may not be as good as their record suggests they are, especially at the even strength that makes up most of how crucial playoff games are played. Then again, we’ve been having that argument for years, and they just keep winning.

Bottom line: Hey, do you feel like the first-place team in the league’s biggest U.S. market still somehow doesn’t get enough attention? Guess what: You do now, so don’t think too hard about it.

Why you should get on board: We say it every year, but it remains true — if you can get past the fact that it’s the Leafs, you’ve got a good team with lots of exciting offensive players, trying to snap a historic drought for one of the sports world’s most loyal fan bases. Remember how much fun it was when the Chicago Cubs finally won the World Series? It would be kind of like that.

Why you shouldn’t: You can’t get past the fact that it’s the Leafs. (Or you can, but you don’t see a path out of the Atlantic for a team with shaky goaltending and a history of postseason failure, which works too.)

Bottom line: There are three types of hockey fans: Insufferable Leafs fans, insufferable fans of other teams whose brains have been broken by the Leafs and fans who can’t understand what the big deal is. Only that third group is eligible here, but if that’s you, there are worse choices. But also better ones.

Why you should get on board: They’re arguably the league’s best second-half story, somehow turning a canceled team outing to a concert into a playoff push that just never stopped. They’ll be underdogs in every series, but have one of the league’s best goalies so they’ll always have a puncher’s chance. They hired a GM with no front-office experience and let him make a bunch of weird moves, and I think we can all agree this copycat league would be more fun if other teams had to follow that strategy.

And remember, they made their only final appearance in 2017 as a wild-card team, so there’s a recent-ish precedent here.

Why you shouldn’t: The U2 thing is cool now, but check back in the conference final if the Predators are still around and you’re hearing about it for the 400th time.

Bottom line: For the record, if you choose the Predators and they make the final, you pretty much have to take a roadie to Nashville.

Why you should get on board: They’re an excellent team that’s a year removed from a record-breaking season and didn’t take much of a step back this year despite losing their beloved franchise player to retirement. Since last year ended with a shocking first-round loss, they still have plenty to prove and don’t feel like an obvious front-runner pick. And while they’re an Original Six team with all the over-the-top pomp and circumstance that involves, they’ve won one Cup since 1972.

Also, David Pastrnak wears weird clothes to the game sometimes, if that’s your thing.

Why you shouldn’t: Brad Marchand. The Jack Edwards farewell tour, which his fans will love but your mileage may vary. Pat Maroon hogging all the Stanley Cups and never letting anyone else have a turn.

Bottom line: Look, I’m a bitter old man with a heart of stone, and even I love the goalie hugs. With Linus Ullmark probably getting traded in the summer, wouldn’t you love to see one last hug as the Cup is being passed around?

(Check back after the first few games of the Leafs series for my column on why goalie hugs should be banned.)

6. Washington Capitals

Why you should get on board: You like underdogs? You don’t get a bigger underdog than this, at least in the parity era. The Capitals were supposed to be rebuilding, with just about nobody picking them as a playoff team heading into the season, or even heading into April. You only bothered to learn their goalie’s name two weeks ago. They earned the last wild-card spot on their season’s final night, despite losing more games than they won and posting the worst goals differential on any postseason team since 1991. Their reward for all that will be a matchup with the Rangers, in a series nobody will think they can win. MoneyPuck has them with 0 percent Cup odds, which I’m not sure I’ve ever seen before. If you believe in no guts no glory, this is your team. Do it. Do it!

Why you shouldn’t: They’re not good.

Bottom line: Oh settle down, Capitals fans, you know it’s true. And it doesn’t matter because all the regular season is for is getting in. They’re in. Now anything can happen, and that’s the beauty of it. DO IT!

(You can pick a new team when they’re out by next weekend, it’s fine.)

Why you should get on board: They were my top pick last year, and not much has changed since. If anything, the Zach Hyman story might make them even more likable. Other than that, go back and read last year’s piece, all the arguments pretty much still apply.

Why you shouldn’t: They added Corey Perry to a team that already includes Evander Kane, so they’re clearly in “anything goes as long as we win” mode. That’s not necessarily a bad place to be if you’re a die-hard fan, but it might give bandwagoners some pause.

Bottom line: You deserve a little bit of cheering for Connor McDavid instead of being terrified of him, as a treat.

Why you should get on board: They’ve spent all year as one of the best teams in the league, but nobody outside of Vancouver seems to actually think they’re good, meaning you get the rare opportunity to bandwagon a top contender while also playing the “nobody believes in us” card. Beyond that, the Canucks are just a flat-out fun team, with all sorts of firepower and some interesting characters. And at 54 years and counting without a Cup, it’s fair to say they’re due.

Why you shouldn’t: Canucks fans have been waiting forever for a Cup, and they’ve been through some legitimate heartbreak along the way, so if they ever do get there, they may not take kindly to any bandwagon fans trying to crowd in on their glory. That’s reasonable, and part of being a good bandwagon fan is knowing your place, but keep it in mind.

Bottom line: Wait, 54 years without a Cup? Didn’t some other team have a famous drought like that, one that ended against … the Canucks? That team could even be the favorite to be waiting for the Canucks in the final. This feels like fate lining up, right? Oh man, I think I just spoiled this year’s playoffs, sorry everyone …

3. Carolina Hurricanes

Why you should get on board: Because the top of these rankings is really Western Conference heavy, and let’s be honest, nobody really wants to stay up that late.

Oh, and also the Hurricanes are a very good team, quite possibly the best in the conference. They have fun players, are well-coached and have a forward-thinking front office. They also have one of the best Old Guy Without A Cup stories of the year in Brent Burns, and an inspiring comeback from Frederik Andersen.

Why you shouldn’t: At some point, Rod Brind’Amour is going to say something that’s going to make you feel bad about your workout habits.

Bottom line: Also, a Hurricanes championship would make Montreal fans mad, which is a plus.

2. Winnipeg Jets

Why you should get on board: One year ago, we all figured they were done for, an inevitable rebuild starting years too late. Today, they’re finishing off a fantastic season, they have the presumptive Vezina winner in net, they were aggressive at the deadline and their coach is the ultimate OGWAC. And they’re doing it all in front of one of the best fan bases in the league, one that has a super-cool playoff tradition but has never seen their Jets get past the third round, and oh yeah, had no team at all for 16 long years.

Also, and Jets fans might not like me mentioning this but it has to be said: All your favorite players have the Jets on their no-trade list. That means that the Jets are building a contender with one hand tied behind their back. A deep run would be extra impressive under those circumstances, and it might also change a few minds.

Why you shouldn’t: They probably have to go through Colorado and Dallas to get out of the Central, which is quite possibly the ugliest playoff path that any team in the league is facing. There’s a very good chance this ends both badly and quickly.

Bottom line: Oh, and the franchise itself is in danger. But don’t let that guilt you into anything, go ahead and cheer for them to lose their team again, it’s not like it makes you a bad person.

1. Dallas Stars

Why you should get on board: They’re an incredibly skilled and entertaining team, they have a very good shot at winning the Stanley Cup, they haven’t won this century so it’s not quite a front-runner pick, and Joe Pavelski may be the single best OGWAC story in the league. Mix in alternate-OGWAC Ryan Suter, plus Matt Duchene’s comeback season, plus Mason Marchment trying to win the Cup that eluded his late father, plus not one but two fun rookie stories, and the Stars are just about the perfect bandwagon pick.

Why you shouldn’t: They’ve been known to cheat to win the Stanley Cup, or so it has been explained to me. Also, they were my pick to win both in October and earlier this week, so if they do then I’ll be even more insufferable than usual.

Bottom line: The Stars have so much going for them that it’s almost annoying, which I suppose could also be a reason to turn on them. But there’s no reason to overthink this one — in a league with a handful of very solid options, the Stars are the best of the bunch.

(Photo of Mark Stone and Connor McDavid: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

The New York Times

Source link

April 19, 2024
DC Council unanimously approves hundreds of millions in funding for Capital One Arena renovations – WTOP News

Under the legislation, $515 million in D.C.’s capital budget will go toward renovations to Capital One Arena and improvements to the surrounding area, including the Gallery Place building next door.

The D.C. Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the allocation of more than $500 million for renovations to Capital One Arena as part of a plan to keep the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals in the District until 2050.

Under the legislation, $515 million in D.C.’s capital budget will go toward renovations to the arena and improvements to the surrounding area, including the Gallery Place building next door.

Now, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office has about 70 days to negotiate the final terms of the agreement, a spokesman told WTOP.

According to Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Wizards and Capitals, initial terms of the deal include the following:

Developing the best sightlines for fans, premium hospitality options, better digital infrastructure, enhanced player spaces and more arena upgrades

Nearly 200,000 square feet of newly-programmed space throughout the arena and in the Gallery Place building

Seventeen dedicated safety officers from two hours before games to two hours afterward

New Wizards practice facility, with options including top floors of Gallery Place

The ability to hold four Washington Mystics and Capital City Go-Go games, and playoff games, at Capital One Arena

Giving Monumental control of Entertainment & Sports Arena management

Adding dedicated ride-share zone and drop off for events

Ability to close off F Street two hours before games

Removing vending, loitering, noise restrictions around Capital One Arena by creating an Entertainment District

According to a copy of the term sheet between D.C. and Monumental, obtained by WTOP, Monumental is also asking to be exempt from future taxes that might benefit other sports franchises. NBC4 first reported that request.

The lease agreement detailed on the term sheet would keep the Capitals and Wizards in D.C. until 2050.

Monumental, according to the agreement, is seeking a drug-free zone around Capital One Arena, and is interested in moving a bus stop at 7th and H streets farther away from the arena.

Some of Monumental’s other priorities, according to the term sheet, include creating a “no vending” area around the arena and prohibiting “streateries” near the arena, specifically along 6th street.

‘Not a contract’: DC, Monumental to begin hashing out specifics

It’s unclear how many, if any, of these priorities will appear in the final agreement, which is also subject to the council’s approval.

Now that the D.C. Council has approved the funding, Bowser’s office has a little more than two months to negotiate a final agreement with Monumental.

During a news conference ahead of Tuesday’s council meeting, Council Chair Phil Mendelson clarified that the terms of the initial agreement between Bowser and Monumental CEO Ted Leonsis are not binding, and the council merely approved an appropriation of D.C. capital budget money, not a finalized renovation project or its exact terms.

“We are not voting on the lease, which will have to come to the council. We’re not voting on any other documents that, depending upon what they are, will have to come to the council. And that’s where the District will be bound,” he said.

“And I don’t mean by that to create any ambiguity about what was agreed to last week. What was agreed to last week was initialed and signed by the mayor and by Mr. Leonsis and it is a commitment to go forward with negotiating documents consistent with the term sheet, but it’s not a contract,” Mendelson added.

According to the council resolution introduced by Mendelson, more than 3.4 million people attended events at Capital One Arena in 2023, bringing in more than $25 million in tax revenues and sustaining more than 650 jobs.

“A renovated arena in Chinatown/Gallery Place will again revitalize a neighborhood, create and sustain quality new jobs for District residents, and strengthen a commitment to community and fan engagement,” the resolution reads.

While D.C. has now approved $515 million toward the project, the total projected cost of the renovations exceeds $830 million, according to the resolution.

“With the District of Columbia Government’s substantial investment, coupled with a commitment to community engagement and economic development, the project is poised to redefine the arena’s role as a catalyst for our comeback,” the resolution reads.

Council members celebrate deal with eye on negotiations

Some D.C. Council members, while supportive of the arena agreement in general, expressed concern about their lack of involvement in discussions thus far.

“We got the term sheet less than 24 hours ago,” Council member Charles Allen said during Tuesday’s meeting. “We’re being asked to vote on $515 million, which we’re gonna do. But, we’ve had a term sheet with commitments made for less than 24 hours and we are voting on $515 million, and let’s acknowledge we know it’s an investment that needs to get made, so we’re gonna do it.”

Allen said, under the current terms of the deal, the District will be on the hook for more than $515 million.

“We saw within the term sheet that the mayor’s committed to, in addition to the $515 million, to have Monumental be able to go through the PACE Program and the D.C. Green Bank to have additional financing,” Allen said. “That is a program that has a cap on what is in that available every year, so every dollar that we now are sending to Monumental for the arena is a dollar we’re not investing in affordable housing somewhere else.”

Allen, along with council member Robert White, stressed the importance of collaboration between the mayor and council in the coming months as final terms of the deal are worked out.

“We’ve got to be working together. We’ve got to be focused on securing our economy, and the council’s gonna have to be involved, which means the mayor’s gonna have to start working with the council in a way that she hasn’t done in these two terms,” White said. “This has to be a wake-up call for our city. The future of downtown, the future of our economy is not guaranteed.”

A second chance for DC

D.C. and Monumental’s initial agreement to keep the Wizards and Capitals in the District was reached after a deal between Leonsis and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to bring the teams to a new arena in Alexandria fell apart due to Democratic opposition in the state’s General Assembly.

“I think we need to take a realistic and sober view of what happened. The mayor dropped the ball,” White said. “We almost lost two sports teams, and the only reason we stayed in the game is because Virginia fumbled as well.”

State Sen. Sen. L. Louise Lucas, who chairs the Senate’s budget-writing committee, spearheaded opposition to the Virginia deal. She used her position to block the legislation, citing a range of concerns but foremost the financing structure of the deal: The use of moral obligation bonds put taxpayers and the state’s finances at risk, Lucas said.

Council members said once that happened, both D.C.’s mayor and council capitalized on the opportunity.

“I think we’ve done a good job as this council of standing in leadership with our city, in leadership with the mayor to say we are committed to make sure that when that ball was fumbled, after all the fruit baskets got sent to Sen. Lucas and thank you gifts, we were able to pick it up and be able to make sure that we could have this happen.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Scott Gelman

Source link

April 2, 2024
Monumental CEO Ted Leonsis says he was political ‘collateral damage’ in failed Alexandria arena deal – WTOP News

Capitals and Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said he had become political “collateral damage” as Virginia lawmakers considered his plan to move the teams out of D.C. and build a new arena for them in Alexandria.

Ted Leonsis, owner of the Washington Wizards NBA basketball team and Washington Capitals NHL hockey team, speaks during a news conference at Capitol One Arena in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)(AP/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Putting the blame on politics, Capitals and Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said he had become political “collateral damage” as Virginia lawmakers considered his plan to move the teams out of D.C. and build a new arena for them in Alexandria.

“I’m glad I’m not a politician,” Leonsis said Friday in an interview with WTOP. “I think politics took over, which I felt very uncomfortable about.”

Leonsis seemed confident in the arena plan late last year when he and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin stood together and announced it.

Looking back on that, would Leonsis do anything differently?

“It’s not the way I operate, having regrets and things like that,” said Leonsis, who’s CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards. “I’m only looking forward.”

When asked whether he thought the governor had underestimated how difficult it would be to get the deal done, Leonsis said “I don’t know, and I don’t want to speculate.”

The plan called for the creation of a $2 billion development district in the Potomac Yard section of Alexandria.

Virginia’s General Assembly was asked to set up an authority that would issue bonds to finance most of the project, backed partly by the city and state governments and repaid through a mix of projected tax revenues recaptured from the development.

Youngkin and other supporters said the development would generate tens of thousands of jobs, along with new tax revenues beyond what would have been needed to cover the financing.

Ultimately, however, there proved to be too much political opposition.

“I had always looked at Virginia as being a well-managed state, wanting to do business,” Leonsis said, adding that this experience changed his opinion.

“It was like, ‘oh my gosh, this has nothing to do with business anymore; this has to do with politics,’” Leonsis said. “Who would have thought that D.C. was easier to work with than Virginia?”

When asked whether Leonsis or anyone on his team lobbied Virginia lawmakers directly, he responded by saying, “No, we’re not politicians.”

Ongoing contact with Bowser

Even though Leonsis had been public about his desire to move the Capitals and Wizards out of D.C., dialogue between him and Mayor Muriel Bowser never soured or stopped throughout the process, he said.

Leonsis said they even ran into each other by chance at a conference in mid-January.

“I was like, ‘Oh, hey, how’s it going?’” Leonsis said. “We both hugged each other, and she sent me a text the next day and said ‘It was great to see you, let’s keep the lines of communications open.’”

“I said ‘awesome,’ and it took off from there,” Leonsis said. “It was a natural thing.”

Bowser and Leonsis signed a letter of intent Wednesday, reaching an agreement on $515 million in public funding for an arena project.

The deal keeps the teams in the District through 2050.

“She was doing all of the right things and was recruiting us, which is why I made this pivot,” Leonsis said. “I thought that’s what Virginia was going to do with us.”

The new D.C. project is set to include 200,000 square feet of expansion of the Capital One Arena complex into the nearby Gallery Place space, the creation of an entertainment district in the surrounding Chinatown neighborhood, and safety and transportation upgrades.

D.C. Council members will take up the deal next week and are expected to pass it.

“We have the opportunity to build a little bit higher on our building, and we have some work to do on some of the streets around the building, so we’re working with architects and designers,” Leonsis said, adding he wants the area to look “new and exciting and modern.”

Upgrades will include better premium dining, new technology, suites and plumbing and “back-of-house improvements.”

“It’ll be a very comprehensive, multiyear change,” Leonsis said. “We have to have a growth mindset to grow our revenues because we’re in competition against other teams, other cities, and we have to look and act like we’re a big market.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Nick Iannelli

Source link

March 29, 2024
DC reaches deal to keep Capitals, Wizards at Capital One Arena until 2050 after Va. agreement falls apart – WTOP News

The Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards would stay in D.C. until 2050, under a $515 million deal announced Wednesday by the mayor and teams’ owner.

Ted Leonsis, right, owner of the Washington Wizards NBA basketball team and Washington Capitals NHL hockey team, speaks during a news conference with Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, left, and DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, center, at Capitol One Arena in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)(AP/Stephanie Scarbrough)

The Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards would stay in D.C. until 2050 under a $515 million deal announced Wednesday by Mayor Muriel Bowser and the teams’ owner Ted Leonsis.

The deal was announced just hours after the City of Alexandria said negotiations to bring the two teams to Northern Virginia have ended.

“We are just very, very pleased to be able to support one of our most important employers, one of our most popular destinations, and continue to invest in catalytic initiatives and businesses that will bring the District all the way back,” said Bowser, who was wearing a Wizards jersey during the news conference at Capital One Arena announcing the deal.

The agreement still needs D.C. Council approval, and Council Chair Phil Mendelson said it will be up for a vote Tuesday and is expected to pass. The $515 million deal will be folded into the city’s capital budget to be paid over the next three years.

“I am confident that will go through the council,” Mendelson said. “It’s easier to do business in the District of Columbia than in some other jurisdictions.”

Renovations to the arena and surrounding area are projected to cost $800 million total, according to a news release from the District, and will include arena upgrades, expanded retail and concessions, and improvements to pedestrian and vehicular traffic flow.

“How do we make this the greatest downtown? You can’t do it alone, and I felt that we were really in a good partnership, as opposed to where I thought I would have a great partnership,” Leonsis, managing partner of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, said, referring to his failed deal in Virginia. “Now, they did have one thing that we didn’t have and the mayor identified and we talked about that — land, space. We need space.”

Leonsis said more space around Capital One Arena has become available recently, which will allow Monumental to fulfill its vision of a sports and entertainment complex in Downtown D.C., rather than having to relocate to Potomac Yard.

In December, D.C. offered $500 million in upgrades to the arena to keep the teams from moving to Virginia. The agreement announced Wednesday includes an additional $15 million for improvements to the alley connecting Gallery Place to Capital One Arena.

In all, the deal calls for nearly 200,000 square feet of newly programmed space throughout the arena and in the Gallery Place building next door.

“It is an offer that’s not only good for the teams, it’s good for Washington, D.C., and I dare say it’s good for the entire region,” Bowser said. “We, with the teams, have identified additional opportunities to expand their footprint right here in Downtown and we’re also going to invest $15 million in that.”

The deal will also bring 17 dedicated officers around the arena from two hours before games to two hours after games, according to a news release from Monumental, which added the agreement also gives it the ability to close off F Street two hours before games.

What went wrong in Virginia

The $2 billion plan for a sports and entertainment complex in Potomac Yard, championed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, ran into trouble in the Virginia General Assembly after Democratic opposition.

“We negotiated a framework for this opportunity in good faith and participated in the process in Richmond in a way that preserved our integrity,” the City of Alexandria said in a statement. “We trusted this process and are disappointed in what occurred between the Governor and General Assembly.”

In a statement to WTOP, Youngkin expressed his disappointment with the General Assembly for not agreeing to the deal.

“Virginians deserve better. A one-of-a-kind project bringing world-class athletes and entertainment, creating 30,000 jobs and $12 billion in economic activity just went up in smoke. This transformational project would have driven investment to every corner of the Commonwealth,” Youngkin said.

In December 2023, Leonsis, along with Youngkin and Alexandria City Mayor Justin Wilson, announced their plans to bring the Capitals and Wizards to Potomac Yard with a new arena and entertainment district.

However, it had immediate opposition from residents and local officials. Earlier this month, Virginia lawmakers approved a two-year budget, which didn’t include Youngkin’s proposed arena deal. State Sen. L. Louise Lucas strongly opposed the plan because it would rely on bonds from the state and city governments.

In a post on the social media platform X, Lucas said Virginia is celebrating that “we avoided the Monumental Disaster!”

State Sen. Scott Surovell told WTOP the governor’s unwillingness to compromise was an issue.

“If Monumental and the governor had been willing to have a real conversation about a way to get this done, we might have been able to find a path to get this done,” Surovell said. “I’m hopeful the governor will chalk this up and pay attention and if there’s any more opportunities like this he will bring us in a lot earlier in the process so that we can have input in it before he signed any contracts or greets anything.”

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Thomas Robertson

Source link

March 27, 2024
Alexandria says Capitals, Wizards arena deal is dead – WTOP News

The City of Alexandria says negotiations to bring the Washington Capitals and Wizards to Northern Virginia have ended and the arena proposal will not move forward.

A photo rendering of the Entertainment District at Potomac Yard, which would include a new Capitals and Wizards arena, a performing arts venue and an expanded esports facility. (Courtesy JBG Smith)

The City of Alexandria says negotiations to bring the Washington Capitals and Wizards to Northern Virginia have ended and the arena proposal will not move forward.

The $2 billion plan for a sports and entertainment complex in Potomac Yard, championed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin ran into trouble in the Virginia General Assembly after Democratic opposition to the deal.

“As stewards of the City’s economic health and development, City leaders believed the Potomac Yard Entertainment District opportunity was worthy of community discussion and Council consideration. We negotiated a framework for this opportunity in good faith and participated in the process in Richmond in a way that preserved our integrity,” the statement form the city said. “We trusted this process and are disappointed in what occurred between the Governor and General Assembly.”

Youngkin expressed his disappointment with the General Assembly for not agreeing to the deal to bring the Capitals and Wizards to Potomac Yard in a statement sent to WTOP.

“Virginians deserve better. A one-of-a-kind project bringing world-class athletes and entertainment, creating 30,000 jobs and $12 billion in economic activity just went up in smoke. This transformational project would have driven investment to every corner of the Commonwealth.” Youngkin said. “I’d like to thank Ted Leonsis and the Monumental team, the City of Alexandria, JBG Smith and countless other partners for their professionalism, belief in Virginia and fortitude.”

In December 2023, Monumental Sports & Entertainment managing partner Ted Leonsis along with Youngkin and Alexandria City Mayor Justin Wilson announced their plans to bring the Capitals and Wizards to Potomac Yard with a new arena and entertainment district.

However, it had immediate opposition from residents and local officials. Earlier this month, Virginia lawmakers recently approved a two-year budget, which didn’t include Youngkin’s proposed arena deal. State Sen. L. Louise Lucas strongly opposed the deal because it would rely on bonds from the state and city governments.

But Virginia State Sen. Scott Surovell told WTOP that the governor’s unwillingness to compromise was an issue.

“If Monumental and the governor had been willing to have a real conversation about a way to get this done, we might have been able to find a path to get this done,” Surovell said. “I’m hopeful the governor will chalk this up and pay attention and if there’s any more opportunities like this he will bring us in a lot earlier in the process so that we can have input in it before he signed any contracts or greets anything.”

Monumental, Bowser expected to finalize deal to keep Capitals, Wizards in DC

On Wednesday, the Washington Post reported that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Monumental Sports are expected to announce at a news conference that

This story is developing. Check back with WTOP for updates.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

WTOP Staff

Source link

March 27, 2024
The Flyers can battle anyone, but the final stretch needs to have results

On Saturday, the Flyers conquered one of this season’s greatest demons. They came into the Wells Fargo Center for the home matinee, fought tooth and nail for a crucial two points in the playoff race, and actually got them. They finally beat the Boston Bruins, something they hadn’t been able to do all season.

Then on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, with another major two points on the line, they nearly toppled another. The game was a rollercoaster, the seven-goal third period especially, and here the Flyers were matching a high-powered and Metro Division-leading New York Rangers team shot for shot.

They fell behind three times during that last regulation frame, and answered three times to force overtime and claim at least a point, but their fortune stopped there. Against the Rangers’ offensive killers in Atermi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Adam Fox, head coach John Tortorella opted to try and match that with a more preventative measure in Ryan Poehling, Noah Cates, and Travis Sanheim.

It backfired immediately. The Flyers never touched the puck in OT, Fox found the back of the net in 36 seconds, the Rangers remained as the juggernaut rival left unbeaten, and while Philly still left the night holding on to third in the Metro, the Washington Capitals had also beaten the Detroit Red Wings simultaneously to pull within just a single point behind them and with two games in hand.

The Flyers are finally out of the gauntlet phase of this final stretch in their schedule, but there aren’t necessarily any more breaks or much room to breathe.

Take that point from Tuesday night, for sure, but they could’ve really used the whole two there and are going to need a lot more if they’re going to survive this last push to make the bid into the postseason.

The race is a full-on sprint now, a close one too, and while the Flyers have shown that they can and will skate with anyone, the silver linings are only going to mean less and less with each passing and increasingly crucial game. They need results.

“I liked the game for the most part,” Scott Laughton said postgame Tuesday night. “Again, I thought we played pretty well, but like I said before, this time of year, the moral victories don’t really do it. We need to pick up some points here. We got one, but I thought we were in control of it and should’ve gotten two.”

“We knew this was coming up on the schedule and what we were facing,” Laughton continued. “Handled it pretty well, I thought, but yeah, you don’t get the result. We’re all in this game to win and we didn’t get on the right side of it tonight, so go to Montreal tomorrow and we gotta play a good road game there and get back at it.”

Beginning on March 7 in Florida, the Flyers’ schedule consisted almost wholly of playoff contenders between the Panthers (twice), Lightning, Maple Leafs (twice), Bruins (twice), Hurricanes, and Rangers. Their lone breather in that slate was against the NHL-worst Sharks, a 3-2 win at home, but otherwise, the Flyers were near required to be on the top of their game every single night to have a chance.

Overall, they left that 10-game endurance run 4-4-2, with a few big wins if not impressive performances put up throughout, but with a couple of outright clunkers and some questionable decisions thrown in there as well – the most curious and scrutinized of them right now being the team’s overtime deployment.

Tuesday night in New York, the Flyers played it conservative and it bit them. They also took that same approach just shy of a week before on the road against Carolina, sending Poehling out there with Sanheim and Tyson Foerster to start, and while there was some trade off in that contest, it also ended with the Flyers only taking one after Brent Burns and Seth Jarvis took a 2-on-1 the other way.

Tortorella didn’t make himself available for any questions about it after the overtime loss to the Rangers, instead sending associate coach Brad Shaw out to offer the explanation.

“Poehls has been one of our best two-way players for the last probably 2-3 months, so he’s got a chance to win the faceoff and plus he’s responsible at both ends of the rink,” Shaw said. “He’s played well offensively and defensively, so he’s earned the right to get out there. It obviously didn’t end the way we wanted. I think he’s the right guy to put out there. They’ve got two of their best offensive guys and one of the best offensive defensemen in the league in Fox out there as well, so we have guys that we feel can play both ends of the rink really well. It didn’t work out.”

And stopped a stellar and relentless effort short.

Now you just have to hope the team can shrug that part off and keep building on it going into their final nine games and a relatively easier stretch coming up that begins with the Canadiens in Montreal on Thursday night.

Still, it’s a race, a close one, and this late into the game, one that will hardly offer any breaks.

“It’s hard,” Shaw said. “We have to respect every team we’re playing. Once you do that, you tend to buy into how we have to play, the discipline, the puck management type game that has given us a ton of success lately against really good opponents. That works against everybody. We have to realize that and stick to that gameplan as often as we can.”

Follow Nick on Twitter: @itssnick

Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports

Nick Tricome

Source link

March 27, 2024
DC attorney general says Capitals and Wizards can’t leave DC until 2047. Monumental says they can – WTOP News

In a letter to Monumental Sports & Entertainment, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb cited legislation from July 2007 in which D.C. provided $50 million through municipal bonds for arena renovations with the caveat that the lease would be extended.

There has been another development in the ongoing saga regarding the possible relocation of the Washington Capitals and Wizards teams’ arena from D.C. to Alexandria, Virginia. According to a letter from the D.C. Office of the Attorney General, the teams are contractually obligated to remain in the District until 2047.

In the letter, dated Tuesday, to Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s general counsel Abby Blomstrom, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb cited legislation from July 2007 in which D.C. provided $50 million through municipal bonds for arena renovations with the caveat that the lease would be extended an additional 20 years beyond its initial 2027 time frame.

Monumental has stated previously it can legally end its lease at Capital One Arena early, citing amendments to the original agreement.

Schwalb countered this, stating the legislation doesn’t include any amendments that would allow the company to “extinguish or revoke the lease extensions upon prepayment of the outstanding bond debt.”

He further posited that Monumental had already broken additional contractual obligations by negotiating with Virginia.

The attorney general said the agreement includes terms that state if the company ever intended to relocate the Capitals and Wizards, Monumental was required to: notify D.C. of its intent; negotiate exclusively with D.C. for six months; refrain from negotiating with any third parties during that six-month period; if it intended to enter a new agreement with a third party following the six-month negotiation period, it would need to provide D.C. with written notice and the terms of the agreement; and allow D.C. 90 days to make a competing offer.

The letter does state that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s $500 million offer to renovate Capital One Arena is still on the table.

More Monumental News

Bowser’s office told WTOP it has no comment on the D.C. attorney general’s letter at this time. However, in an op-ed piece in The Washington Post last month, the mayor said the city would enforce the terms of the lease if necessary.

Schwalb’s letter echoed this sentiment.

“The District very much prefers not to pursue any potential claims against MSE,” Schwalb wrote in the letter. “It remains committed to maintaining and growing its partnership with MSE and to keeping the Wizards and Capitals at the Arena until the end of the existing lease term in 2047, if not beyond. It is in that spirit that the District urges MSE to reengage with District officials around a mutually beneficial arrangement that advances the long term interests of both the District and MSE.”

In response to the letter, a Monumental spokesperson told WTOP, “We fundamentally disagree with the Attorney General’s opinions, which are contradicted by the DC General Counsel as recently as 2019 when the city ratified the Ground Lease,” referring to an amendment made to the lease.

This is just the latest snag Monumental has faced as the company’s $2 billion plan for a new arena in Alexandria has stalled in the Virginia legislature. Democratic Sen. L. Louise Lucas, chair of the Finance and Appropriations Committee, excluded funding for the arena in the state’s budget earlier this month.

“Why are we discussing an arena at Potomac Yard with the same organization that is breaking their agreement and commitments to Washington DC?” Lucas wrote on social media. “Does anyone believe they wouldn’t do exactly the same thing to us?”

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Ted Leonsis, owner of the Capitals and Wizards, announced in December a handshake deal to build a new arena and move the teams to the Potomac Yard neighborhood of Alexandria.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Jenna Romaine

Source link

March 22, 2024
Here’s what labor unions are asking for in the Alexandria arena plan – WTOP News

The absence of a “project labor agreement” is at the center of opposition from influential labor groups in Northern Virginia who have been speaking out against the plan to build a new arena in Alexandria for the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the NHL’s Washington Capitals.

Virginia Diamond, head of the Northern Virginia AFL-CIO, said the plan to build a new sports arena in Alexandria does not come with the promise of good jobs.(WTOP/Nick Iannelli)

The absence of a “project labor agreement” is at the center of opposition from influential labor groups in Northern Virginia who have been speaking out against the plan to build a new arena in Alexandria for the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the NHL’s Washington Capitals.

Such an agreement “would require that there would be good pay with benefits and health care” for those who work on construction at the site, according to Virginia Diamond, president of the Northern Virginia AFL-CIO.

“It does not come with the promise of good jobs,” Diamond said about the arena plan. “Unfortunately, labor is not able to support this project.”

Diamond said talks have broken down with the real estate developer JBG Smith on possibly getting a project labor agreement approved.

An agreement would include opportunities for minority-owned contractors and small businesses to participate and would require hiring of people from local disadvantaged communities, Diamond said.

“We’re disappointed, frankly, that we haven’t been able to see a labor agreement come together,” said Evan Regan-Levine, the chief strategy officer for JBG Smith.

Regan-Levine said the deal was not dead and that negotiations would continue.

“We’ve been earnestly at the table working in good faith,” Regan-Levine said. “We think there’s a productive solution here so we’re still open to those conversations.”

Where the arena bill stands with Va. legislators

State lawmakers in Richmond are still considering a bill that would pave the way for the arena project. It passed in the House of Delegates but has moved into the Senate, where its future is more uncertain.

The bill would create a sports and entertainment authority that would own the land in Alexandria and lease it to Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the owner of the Capitals and Wizards. It would have the ability to fund much of the project by issuing bonds.

While no upfront state taxpayer dollars would go toward the project, the terms of the agreement would divert new tax revenues from the project to pay down the bonds.

The broad outline of the proposal calls for Monumental to invest $403 million in the $2 billion development. Alexandria would put in $106 million toward the construction of the performing arts venue and the development of underground parking.

The rest of the approximately $1.5 billion financing would be supported through the authority-issued bonds.

Those bonds would be repaid over time through rent paid by the team, parking fees, naming rights and new tax revenues generated by the development.

The whole site would include an arena, as well as a new Wizards practice facility, a separate performing arts center, a media studio, new hotels, a convention center, housing and shopping.

Even if the plan does pass in Virginia’s General Assembly, it would still ultimately need the green light from the Alexandria City Council.

“This is all a long, complicated process,” said Canek Aguirre, one of the city council members. “If it does pass in Richmond, we still have to go through our process here, which, at this point, we’re still looking at easily six to eight months of public engagement.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Nick Iannelli

Source link

February 22, 2024
Alexandria releases economic impact study of moving Wizards, Capitals to Potomac Yard – WTOP News

An independent analysis found that moving the Washington Wizards and Capitals to Alexandria would have a huge economic impact on the city and state of Virginia.

An independent analysis has found that moving the Washington Wizards and Capitals to Alexandria would have an enormous economic impact on the city and the state of Virginia.

The study, prepared for the city of Alexandria by global consulting and advisory firm CSL International, reviewed the economic and fiscal impact of Potomac Yard with and without the planned sports entertainment complex.

It concluded that if Monumental Sports sets up its headquarters and NBA and NHL teams in Potomac Yard, it would mean nearly $34 million a year in tax revenue for Alexandria — nearly seven times more than the $5 million which would be generated by the Potomac Yard site without the sports arena development.

It also shows the fiscal impact on the Commonwealth of Virginia would be more than $40 million per year versus $17 million without the sports complex.

Revenue from private development at the site, including a grocery store and other retail spaces, a day care center and a gym, is estimated at about $54 million in total sales without the sports entertainment complex — compared to about $287 million with it.

The study also concludes that the Monumental Sports’ move to northern Virginia would have a big impact on jobs, estimating the project would create 29,555 permanent jobs for the state compared to 12,330 without the sports development.

In the short run, the study found that developing Potomac Yard with the sports arena project would spark 2,535 one-time construction jobs for Alexandria and 17,645 for the state of Virginia. That’s compared to 345 one-time construction jobs for Alexandria and 2,380 for Virginia without the sports arena project.

The analysis concluded that the Potomac Yard site developed without Monumental Sports would likely mean housing, office and retail space totaling more than 1 million square feet — but development with Monumental Sports would include housing, office and retail space plus a hotel sports arena, entertainment center and conference space totaling more than 9 million square feet.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Dick Uliano

Source link

February 17, 2024
Anonymous NHL player poll 2024: Who’s the best player? Most overrated? Best goalie? Worst road city?

Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon or Nikita Kucherov: Who’s the NHL’s best player?

It’s gotta be McDavid, right?

Not so fast, a surprising number of NHL players say.

“McDavid’s going to get all the votes, I’m sure,” one player told The Athletic. “But I think MacKinnon’s better right now.”

The three may well end up in a dead heat for the Hart Trophy this season, as Kucherov heads into the All-Star break leading the league in scoring, with MacKinnon a point behind and the reigning MVP McDavid surging on hockey’s hottest team.

And then there’s Auston Matthews, headed for a possible 70-goal season. And Sidney Crosby, playing at as high a level as ever.

“Sid is still doing Sid things,” another player told The Athletic. “There’s a lot of players where I go like, ‘Wow.’”

It’s always fun to hear NHL players’ astonishment at the game’s top players, and there was plenty of it in The Athletic’s player poll this season. Our NHL staff spent the first half of the season asking nearly 200 players:

Who’s the best player?

Who’s the best goalie?

Who are the most underrated and overrated players?

Who’s the player you’d most like to punch?

Best and worst refs?

Favorite jerseys?

Favorite and least favorite road cities?

We also asked about more nuanced topics like neck guards and gambling. Those results will be coming in stories over the next week.

For now, let’s jump in on the NHL’s great debates.

A bit closer than you’d expect? Probably. But for most, it’s still McDavid.

“There’s just nobody like him,” one player said of the Edmonton Oilers captain. “Nobody does what he does.”

“I don’t think there’s going to be a discussion about that for many years,” another said.

“It’s just everything,” another said. “He can do everything.”

So where does the debate creep in? For many players, the league’s best player in the pre-McDavid era may not be getting his due.

“If there was one game and everything was on the line? I’m going with Sid every time,” one player said of the Pittsburgh Penguins great.

“With Crosby … you’re almost concerned about everyone else because he’s going to find everyone else,” another said. “With McDavid, you’re just trying to catch up to him, and that’s the hardest thing to do. But they’re both great.”

And the MacKinnon-McDavid debate has taken a big step as MacKinnon got his ring and as he plows the Colorado Avalanche toward the playoffs:

“I’ll go with McDavid still, but MacKinnon’s definitely pushing him,” one player said.

“McDavid is the answer, but MacKinnon is right there,” another echoed. “Nobody else jumps onto the ice with a burst of speed like him.”

Among those who picked MacKinnon, competitiveness, explosiveness and winning were the keywords.

“He just brings all his teammates into the fight every night,” one player said. “To me, the most competitive star. And, obviously, he’s a winner.”

“He’s just so explosive,” another said. “Whenever he’s on the ice, something is going to happen.”

“He’s just a horse,” another added. “There’s not much you can do when he’s got the puck.”

And what of the league’s scoring leader, Kucherov, a two-time champion himself with the Tampa Bay Lightning?

“So good at so many things,” said one player who voted for him. “The kind of 200-foot player that doesn’t get enough credit.”

“He just doesn’t get a lot of hype being in Tampa, right?” another added. “He’s a quiet superstar, man. He’s spectacular.”

Justifications for other picks?

On Makar, MacKinnon’s defensive counterpart in Colorado: “As a defenseman, he’s on the ice more and has got the ability to control the game a little bit more.”

On Barkov, the captain of the reigning East champion Florida Panthers: “A true leader on the ice, and you can really look up to him.”

Some will say Vasilevskiy, who enters the All-Star break with a sub-.900 save percentage, hasn’t been the same after all the long Lightning playoff runs and his subsequent back surgery.

NHL players, though, still view him as the Mount Rushmore goalie they don’t want to see in the other net.

“He’s proven it over and over again,” one player said.

“Just a big-game guy,” another said.

“I have never seen a guy that big be that athletic and that competitive,” added another.

Hellebuyck, The Athletic’s prohibitive staff favorite to win the Vezina Trophy this season at the break, was another popular pick.

“He swallows up everything,” one player said.

The New York goalie besties, Sorokin (Islanders) and Shesterkin (Rangers), both got a share of support, as well, and might have split the Russian vote.

One Russian forward, who voted for Sorokin, first made sure that his name was being left off this story. “Don’t tell Shesterkin I said that,” he said.

Fleury, who this season played his 1,000th game and passed Patrick Roy for No. 2 all-time in wins, might have been the biggest surprise, receiving five votes. The beloved icon might be getting credit more for his career achievements and infectious smile than his play in net for the Minnesota Wild, as one player admitted.

“I know he’s not the best, but I like him the best,” he said. “He robbed me stacking the pads earlier in the year. He’s been so good for so long. I’m sticking with Flower.”

Fleury, as The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported, could be available on the trade market this year for any GMs sharing that sentiment.

Perhaps even more interesting, Saros, who LeBrun reported the Nashville Predators might be willing to listen to offers on, got some of the strongest endorsements from his NHL peers.

“Simply the best goalie in the league right now,” one player said.

“He’s the most athletic and he reads the play the best,” another said.

A few other sentiments:

On last season’s out-of-nowhere Cup champion, the Vegas Golden Knights’ Hill: “The best goalie in the league right now. He won a Cup.”

On Demko, one of the leaders of the Vancouver Canucks’ successful turnaround this season: “I’ve seen how hard he works.”

After getting a bit of grassroots support for best player, Barkov ran away with the vote here, coming off a Stanley Cup Final run and perhaps being overshadowed in credit for that run by teammate Matthew Tkachuk.

“He’s starting to get some credit now,” one player said. “But I think he still deserves more.”

There was debate as to whether a player of Barkov’s esteem can still be called underrated among some other players, though.

“(Barkov) is not underrated,” said one player, who voted for Rantanen. “He’s a marked man every night.”

“Everyone’s been saying Barkov for so long, but (he’s) not underrated,” another player agreed.

That player voted for Barkov’s teammate, Reinhart, who has 37 goals, second only to Matthews’ 40 in the NHL, and was another popular pick.

“He’s obviously scoring a lot this year, but he’s always kind of done all those things,” one player said.

Point, similarly playing alongside superstars in a nontraditional market (Tampa Bay), received the third-most votes.

“He doesn’t get a lot of attention, but he does everything, man,” one player said.

“He scored 50-something last year (51), and I don’t remember anyone talking about it,” another said. “He’s so fast, and he’s just the engine of that team.”

Keeping with the good-player, small-market theme, seven players pointed to the Winnipeg Jets’ Connor, quietly a point-per-game player each of the past two seasons.

“He’s so good at creating time and space,” one said. “Nobody really talks about him.”

“He doesn’t get much love,” another added. “He just scores every year.”

Other picks?

On Kaprizov, the Minnesota Wild’s star and engine: “He’s a superstar in my opinion, but no one really talks about him in that category of the top guys. He’s a beast.”

On classic underrated pick Slavin from the Carolina Hurricanes: “It’s kind of getting to the point where everyone’s talking about him and people are kind of noticing, but he’s so good. I’ll say him again, but it’s probably the last year. I still think he doesn’t get as much credit as he should.”

And on Charlie Coyle, a veteran stepping into big shoes in the Boston Bruins’ lineup and helping lead them to the East’s best record: “He replaced (Patrice) Bergeron really well. He wins faceoffs and does a lot of things for them.”

He’s the lacrosse-style goal king, was on the cover of EA Sports’ NHL 2023 and is popular with the kids, but can he lead a team to the playoffs?

NHLers still have some doubts about Zegras.

“A lot of hype around him, in terms of some of the cool goals and plays that he’s made,” one said. “I feel like that doesn’t translate to an everyday type of (player). He was on the cover of the NHL (game). There was a lot of hype, I’d say.

“Nothing against the guy. I just think that got hyped a lot instead of the play, consistently, night-in, night-out on the ice.”

Nurse, the second-leading vote-getter, meanwhile, was singled out more for his contract ($9.25 million average annual value) than for his on-ice value or hype.

“He’s a hell of a player,” one player said. “I just think he makes the same as Makar, and that’s kind of crazy.”

Matthew Tkachuk and the Dallas Stars’ Robertson, both coming off 109-point seasons and playing for top teams, register as a bit of a surprise, tying for the third-most votes. The justification? Great players, but not ones who belong in the true top-top tier of NHLers.

On Tkachuk, one player said, “He got overrated in the playoffs last year. Everyone was talking about him being one of the best players in the world. I don’t see it. He’s a great player, but people talk about him like he’s top 10 in the world.”

And another on Robertson: “Sometimes you don’t really see him during the game and he finishes with three points. He still produces, but for me, he’s not like MacKinnon. He’s a game-changer, but not like these guys.”

“I’m sure everybody has said Marchand, right?” one player said. Actually, no! The Panthers’ Cousins seems to have stolen the “most-hated opponent” crown from the Bruins’ captain.

“Played against him a long time,” one player said of Cousins. “Always hated the guy.”

“He’s gonna get a lot of answers on this one,” another rightly predicted.

“I’m buddies with him and I’d still say him,” said a third.

Not that Marchand doesn’t still get some, um, love here, too.

“I love the guy, but it’s probably Marchand for sure,” one player said.

“I mean, Marchand’s always a good (player) you want to punch,” another said.

Other favorite least-favorites?

On the Stars’ Marchment: “I think he dives a little bit.”

On Washington Capitals’ big man Wilson: “He’s not a rat. I respect that. But I’d still like to punch him.”

And on the Buffalo Sabres’ Skinner: “He’s just annoying to play against.”

McCauley and Sutherland are icons of the reffing profession, and as is probably expected, they come in as the top two picks here.

For NHL players, the refs’ approachability and communication are key.

“He’ll talk to you if you get a penalty,” one player said of McCauley, an NHL ref since 2003. “He’ll tell you what you did wrong. He’s not one of those selfish guys who will try to take over a game. He’s one of the honest guys.”

“You can talk to him,” another agreed. “He’ll tell you what he saw on a call you didn’t like — reason with you. There’s more of a human element.”

McCauley’s on-ice flair also got compliments, with one player saying he’s “kinda funny,” another saying “he seems to have fun” and a third saying “I like the theatrics.”

On Sutherland, an NHL ref since 2000, players made a point of how proactive he’ll be in letting them know where the line is.

“He might even come up to me and say, ‘Hey, listen, you were borderline there. If you do that again, I might call you,’” one player said. “He’ll kind of give you a warning if it’s something he thinks is a little ticky-tacky.”

“He communicates the best,” another said. “I remember a few years back, he made a bad call. … We had him the next night, and he waited by our bus, so when (the player) came off the bus, he could tell him he screwed up that call and say he was sorry. Just the best communicator, and guys have a lot of respect for that.”

Other refs got similar kudos for communication, but the most common answer was summed up by one player who voted for McCauley: “He’s the only ref whose name I know.”

In the mid-1990s, refs stopped wearing names on their jerseys, and as a result, “I don’t know any of them,” one player said.

“God, I wish I knew their names,” another added.

“I don’t know enough of them (to answer),” another said. “I’d know them by face.”

The Athletic supports referees and didn’t want to give players this space to take individual potshots, so we’ll leave it at the numbers here, beyond pointing to a few interesting results/trends:

• St Pierre was the top choice despite having a long-term injury and now being out of the league.

• If McCauley and Sutherland got praised for their communication, the opposite was true for votes on worst ref, where commentary focused mainly on not giving players respect, being arrogant and being closed off to conversation.

• And, of course, the votes go with the calls. One player who voted for McCauley as the worst ref said it was nothing personal or about communication. It was just that “when I know he’s the ref, I (get called for a penalty) all the time.”

<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>

The Original Six may not have produced a Stanley Cup champion since 2015, but their jerseys still reign supreme, taking all of the top spots here.

“You’ve got to go Original Six,” one player said.

“To me, it was always between the Red Wings and the Blackhawks,” said another. “I think Chicago’s got the best.”

“I like Detroit’s,” another said. “All the Original Sixes are good, but that’s my favorite. It’s such a great logo.”

And on the New York Rangers, the third-place finisher, one player said: “Their home jersey is just so clean.”

If players weren’t going for the NHL’s original teams, it seems, they were going for the most recent ones.

Of the Seattle Kraken (first season 2021-22), one player said, “Those are pretty cool, man. The color scheme is something you’ve never seen before.”

And the previous expansion team, the Golden Knights (2017-18): “It’s different and unique.”

The vote focused on teams’ main home and away jerseys, but quite a few players also singled out teams’ alternate jerseys, none more than the Ducks’, which got six shout-outs.

One of four players who mentioned the Flames’ “Blasty” jerseys said, “I remember Iginla in the horse head.”

And speaking of recent jerseys, of the Seattle Kraken outdoor jersey, one player said, “I think that was the best jersey we’ve seen” and another simply, “Sick.”

Then, of course, there’s the Jersey jersey: “I love those. They’re just so funny and clean-looking.”

Of course. This one had to come down to Sin City and the City That Never Sleeps.

It’s not just the dining options and nightlife. It’s the arena experience, players said.

“Just the atmosphere,” one said of Vegas. “As soon as you get out for warmups, it’s a nightclub vibe. Everyone is just buzzing.”

“The energy in that building is crazy,” another said.

“The atmosphere is sick, the rink’s sick, the hotels are sick,” another added. “The whole trip to Vegas is unreal.”

On the other hand, as one player said, “You can never go wrong with New York.”

“Most places to walk around, most great restaurants you can find,” another said. “And obviously playing in Madison Square Garden is something special every time.”

“I love MSG,” a third agreed.

Other contenders?

On Chicago: “I love the anthem, and I think the city’s great. Good atmosphere. Not as big as New York, so I don’t feel like the walls are closing in on me if I’m there for a few days. I mean, I love New York, but it gets busy in a hurry. Chicago, I think it’s got everything: the arts, the sports, good restaurants. But it’s not as crowded as New York.”

On Sunrise/Ft. Lauderdale: “I love the weather and beaches.”

On Nashville: “I’m a big country music guy.”

On Dallas: “Great weather. Such a nice place to spend a day.”

And Tampa: “The fans are great” and, “It’s just loud, rowdy.”

Cold weather and not much to do around the arena …

It’s not just Winnipeg. That’s the theme with all of the top picks.

But, yes, Winnipeg more than anywhere else.

“It’s always so cold,” one player said of Winnipeg. “I don’t have anything against the people or the city.”

“Cold. Grey. Not much to do,” another said.

“Nothing to do,” echoed a third.

The complaints about Ottawa were similar, though many players said it’s the rink location, not the city.

“I’ve heard the downtown is actually good,” one player said. “But where the rink is … nothing there.”

“We always stay by the rink, and it’s kind of out in the middle of nowhere,” another said.

Buffalo? Same deal.

“It just seems gloomy when you get there,” one player said.

“There’s not much in Buffalo,” another added.

Raleigh, N.C., came in fourth, but the issues there had nothing to do with the climate or local activities.

“Their locker room is awful,” one player said.

“Bad dressing rooms,” another agreed.

“Worst dressing room by far,” said a third.

And what of the Arizona Coyotes and their college arena experiment?

“That arena is dogs—,” one player said.

“Should never be in the NHL,” added another.

“It’s pathetic,” said a third. “It’s not The Show. Can’t take it seriously.”

Complaints elsewhere were a bit more specific, from the sad fan base in San Jose to the size of the dressing-room stalls in Washington to the “hotel we stay in” in Minneapolis/St. Paul. And of course, on Columbus:

“The cannon.”

(Top graphic by John Bradford / The Athletic, with photos from Mike Ehrmann, Jonathan Kozub and Michael Martin / Getty Images)

The New York Times

Source link

January 31, 2024
At 51, Donald Brashear is still fighting, and we can't look away

WENDAKE, Quebec — The line reaches across the lobby to the glass door entrance 15 minutes before warmups for a hockey game in a low-level pro league just north of Quebec City. We pay $12 a ticket at a table next to the Wendake Sports Complex pro shop, where a game-worn Black Jack No. 87 jersey carries the name of the league’s most famous player: BRASHEAR.

He played in 1,025 NHL games and amassed 2,635 penalty minutes during his 17-year career. He earned more than $16 million as one of the league’s most feared enforcers for the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers.

He is now almost 52 years old and we are here to see the famous fighter go another round.

Donald Brashear is the marquee attraction. He is the Wendake Black Jack captain. He appears in most of the team’s online promotions. Brashear is the only player who doesn’t wear a helmet during warmups. His bald head shimmers under the rafter lights. From the stands, he looks almost exactly as he did when he retired from the NHL 13 years ago. A salt-and-pepper beard and slight lines around his eyes are all that betray his age. He is 6-feet-3 but seems at least a foot taller than any other player. He is much broader through the shoulders, but trim through his frame — without the average-joe paunch that several of his counterparts carry as they weave through a pregame routine.

Brashear skates in swift strides, casually gliding then accelerating, dangling a puck with his stick, and flicking a light shot at the Black Jack goaltender. He smiles and laughs with teammates. He taps their shin pads with his stick. Brashear looks joyful — like a man, blessed with remarkable athleticism who is fortunate to still play the game he found safety and comfort in as a boy, escaping the turmoil of his childhood.

It’s the happiness Brashear described to me two years ago, when he told me that he’d started skating in a pro league for a few hundred bucks a game, right before the pandemic shut it down. Gliding on ice, all of the troubles that plagued him after his NHL career faded away: the substance abuse, the broken relationships, the anxiety attacks, the bankruptcy, the arrest. In the game, he was just a boy doing what he loved.

Brashear and I spoke for more than 10 hours over several weeks while I was working on a story about the trauma he endured as a boy, the mistakes he made and challenges he faced as an adult, and the peace he finally felt close to finding. He described his anxiety as an enforcer in the NHL, knowing that he was expected to fight the toughest players in the league if he wanted to keep his job. As a talented prospect with the Montreal Canadiens, he wanted to be known for his skill, but it was overshadowed when hockey found a better use for him.

Brashear hated to fight. It made him nervous. He despised what it made people think of him and what it made him think of himself. But what else was he to do? The crowds cheered his name, expecting to see men fall. Teams wanted to know that no one would mess with their stars. It was love for violence, money for blood.

Donald Brashear, in 2008 with the Capitals, squares off with San Jose’s Jody Shelley in front of an appreciative crowd. (Don Smith / NHLI via Getty Images)

Five rows of packed seats stretch across one length of the Wendake arena for the Saturday night game. Fans stand in whatever gaps can be found in the area above the top row. It’s a full house with a few hundred people. A line stretches to a folding table where patrons buy cans of Budweiser, vodka coolers, and mixed drinks in red Solo cups. A man at a mixing board next to two large speakers pumps out a dance remix of “Cotton Eye Joe.”

Black Jack plays Montagnards de Beaupré, a team from a village of 4,000 people about an hour east along the St. Lawrence River. They are rivals in the four-team Senior AA league that is just one of several pro loops across the province of Quebec.

Brashear plays on the top line. He still has flashes of skill, putting up points in most games he plays. He lays a hard check on a player, picks up the puck and fires a pass that leads to a Black Jack goal. He yells triumphantly and embraces his teammates. Early in the second, he throws a check in the offensive zone and a row of guys leaning over a railing, holding red cups and beer cans, howl and holler.

Last winter, Charles Duchesne — a member of the Saint-Ambroise Flaming Chalets — punched Brashear without warning. Brashear later hunted him down and punched him back, leaving Duchesne bloodied. Brashear then punched another player as the referees tried to intervene and fans tossed trash on the ice. He was suspended for three games for the incident.

This fall he joined a second team, two hours away in Saguenay — the Jonquière Marquis, in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH), another pro league that is known mostly for the regularity of its brawls. In Saguenay, a bell sounds when players square off to fight, as though they were in a boxing match.

In October, in his first game with Jonquière Marquis, Brashear fought 40-year-old Derek Parker — a player who once tallied 508 penalty minutes in his rookie season in the LNAH back in 2005. Parker inched toward Brashear with his fists up while Brashear waved his arms loosely in front of him waiting for Parker to make a move. When he did, Brashear struck him with his right hand. Parker bear hugged Brashear, holding him as tightly as possible while the linesman watched. Finally, Brashear broke his right fist free and punched Parker in the head, sending him to the ice. Parker covered his head with his hands and Brashear skated away as the home fans cheered and the linesman gave him a tap on the bum.

Brashear also fought in his first game of the season for Wendake. In November, he was suspended for two games with Jonquière Marquis after chasing a member of the Laval Petroliers and pummeling him while two linesmen tried in vain to pull him away.

On this Saturday night in December, Brashear lays a check on a Montagnards de Beaupré player that shakes the boards and thunders across the arena. An excited roar rises from the stands. Brashear finishes several more checks with the same force in the second period, anticipation for violence rising with each hit.

Near the end of the period, Brashear trips and falls hard to his knees after a whistle. He jumps to his feet quickly and glares at the Montagnards de Beaupré players. Some of those players are members of the Canadian military who play to make some extra cash. Several others work construction. One is a window salesman. They range in age from their early 20s to their early 40s. All of them have a history in the game, playing some degree of competitive hockey — junior, college, or minor pro — before getting day jobs and playing the game for hire, often on multiple teams.

They all back away.

“Nobody wants to have beef with that guy,” says Mathris, an 18-year-old who comes to the Black Jack games regularly with his friends.

Even the Donald Brashear glare is cause for concern. (Photo courtesy Yannick David)

During the second intermission, the group of teenagers discuss the probability of a fight happening before the end of the game.

“In the third period it will happen,” says Felix, also 18. “I’m sure.”

I spoke with Brashear occasionally after the story I wrote about him was published in February 2021. He didn’t have concerns about how his experiences were portrayed. I checked in every few months to see how he was doing. He always seemed well. He’d avoided drugs and alcohol. He was working at a golf course. He was thinking about other ways to make money, before collecting his NHL pension.

Then, last year, Brashear stopped responding. He was known to be reclusive at times. So I stopped reaching out.

When clips of his recent fights emerged online, I messaged him again to see how he was doing. He read my texts, but didn’t respond. When I left a voicemail and sent a text saying that I was coming to Quebec City to watch him play, he didn’t respond. Hours before the game, my last message was not acknowledged.

As the third period starts, the energy in the arena builds. A group of young men, holding Solo cups in a roped off “VIP” section next to the speaker, jeers the opposing team and shouts with every hard check and retaliatory slash. The score is something like 6-3 for the Black Jack, but I’m not watching for the goals.

Fans crowd around the glass on the ice level, below the stands. An ejected Black Jack player, wearing his Sherwood shoulder pads without a jersey, stands and cheers next to the fans, sipping a Bud Light.

With less than five minutes to go, blood drips from a wide gash above the eye of a Black Jack player. He took a hard right as he tried to grab hold of the Beaupré player pummeling him and fell to the ice. The fans cheer wildly, standing to try and improve their view of the action below.

Brashear rises from the bench as the teams jaw at each other. Cedric Verreault, a 41-year-old who played 14 seasons in the LNAH, stands beside him. He hasn’t played a minute all game. Goons, as the players refer to them, are hired by each team to be around for precisely this kind of thing. When tension escalates, those players step on the ice to settle any differences and give what many of the fans pay to see. In the past, Beaupré has hired guys for about $100 strictly to fight Brashear, I’m told. One sat through an entire game without tape on his stick. But on this night, none of the Montagnards are willing to endure that kind of beating.

The game ends. The score is 7-3 for Wendake. The speakers blast “Sweet Caroline” and everyone belts out their best karaoke rendition.

Down a hallway next to the lobby, loud music streams out of the locker room as players walk in and out in half their gear, sipping beers and chatting excitedly.

Some distant dream lives again.

“I love it. It’s not for the money,” says Michael Novosad, a 40-year-old Black Jack. He’s a business development manager who is in charge of sales for a hydraulics company. He played junior and Division I college hockey — and then 18 years in the LNAH.

“I just can’t quit.”

There is genuine passion for what exists here. Dozens of fans linger in the lobby, greeting friends and family members who played. Some kids seek autographs. These are community teams, with the gate money paying for the players they cheer. Across the province, the rink is where people come together to be entertained and to watch regular men star in the center ring of a traveling road show.

“It keeps the fans happy,” says Mikael Vallerand, the 26-year-old Beaupré player who fought in the final few minutes of the third. “That’s why they come.”

It’s why I came.

I felt the anticipation rising all game — wondering which hard check might lead to Brashear unleashing on whichever poor man had the outsized confidence to challenge him.

I came for violence. I came for my piece of the 51-year-old fighter who can’t quit. I came to ask him why.

Is this the childhood joy? Or another overtime shift plying a trade he hates?

Brashear showers quickly and dresses in jeans and a puffy winter jacket. He slips a black toque over his bald head. He carries his gear in an old Philadelphia Flyers hockey bag and moves swiftly through the lobby, where his girlfriend greets him. He hugs her. They walk out the glass doors.

I call from behind: “Donald.”

Brashear stops and turns as I catch up to him. He smiles and shakes my hand.

“May I ask you a few questions,” I say.

Brashear shakes his head.

“No questions,” he says calmly.

He turns and walks away in the bloodless winter night.

(Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic. Photo: Courtesy Yannick David)

The New York Times

Source link

December 21, 2023
Aldridge: 'For the District?' Yeah, right; Ted Leonsis will take Wizards, Capitals angst across the river

WASHINGTON — The Prince of Potomac Yard spoke of water.

“When I first came to this site,” Ted Leonsis said Wednesday, “and stood on top of the roof of the building next door, and looked over, we forget the power of having two rivers flow right into this community. And, iconic real estate is incredibly important. We have access — you can see the Washington Monument from here, Washington, D.C., the border’s one-and-a-half miles from here.”

That must be cool! So nice that the billionaire owner of the Wizards and Capitals will have a swank view of the Potomac and Anacostia confluence from his soon-to-be floor-wide offices in Alexandria, where he will center his entertainment and sports empire. It would be unfair to say he literally will be looking down upon the people who are financing his JerryWorld, his BallmerVille, in Crystal City, or National Landing, or whatever name they prefer for their community across the river. But it will be a swell view.

It is, nonetheless, a view for one, for an audience of one. Which, in the end, is how anyone who cares about and loves the District of Columbia should view this seemingly imminent departure of the Wizards and Capitals for Virginia.

Some of us are old enough to remember the “done deal” between Jack Kent Cooke and Virginia state representatives from a generation ago on that very same property for a new football stadium that came apart like cotton candy. So, maybe, the Virginia General Assembly will raise objections to this new project that will be too great to overcome. Maybe NIMBYs in Alexandria will make their voices loud and annoying enough to force reconsideration.

But, I doubt it.

“Hold me accountable,” Leonsis said Wednesday. OK.

This is about one man’s grandiosity, and readiness to leave when the city that has provided him so much over the last decades needed someone with his voice and influence to say, post-COVID, and post-Jan. 6, and which is grappling with crime outbursts throughout the city that have so many ill at ease, “You know what? Some things may be bad here right now. But I’m blessed enough to be financially secure enough to ride it out with you. I want to be part of the solution. So, I’ll be slightly less rich. I’m staying.”

Don’t tell me rich men don’t do this. That’s precisely what Abe Pollin did, when he built what is now called Capital One Arena downtown, transforming the city, in 1997 — mostly with his own money.

By contrast, Leonsis went for the bucks. Which, as I’ve said and written dozens of times over the years, owners of pro sports teams are perfectly within their rights to do. They can play wherever they want their teams to play. They can make whatever deals line their pockets, and allow them to create the kind of multi-use “entertainment districts” that will bring the well-heeled and well-connected to their new playgrounds. No one doubts that Virginia will build Leonsis a state-ahead-of-the-art arena to be envied and admired.

But, it will be hard to take at face value any future talk from Leonsis about his love of the District.

Because he knows how the Wizards, no matter their current lot, mean to generations of basketball fans in D.C. I am well aware that the Wizards were once the Bullets, who once played in Baltimore — and, before that, Chicago. I am well aware of the history of franchise roulette, in many cities, with many teams. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt, deeply, when your team leaves town. When the Senators left, first, for Minnesota — and then, when the team that replaced them left for Texas, it hurt this city, badly. Some of us then followed the Orioles, because they were the closest team. We did not love them.

And when the then-Redskins left for Landover, Md. even though it was just a few miles from the D.C. line, it felt awful. It still does.

Add this to the ledger.

Because Leonsis knows, more than anyone, that the crowds who come to Wizards games, and have come to them for the last 25 years, are among the most diverse in the NBA – racially, economically, socially. Maybe Atlanta has similar types of crowds for Hawks games. Most of the league’s buildings, these days, are again full, post-COVID. But, in the main, their fan bases are very White and very rich. That hasn’t been the case here since I started covering the team, then playing at Capital Centre in Landover, in the late ’80s. Wizards crowds look like the District — at least how it used to look. They will not do so when the team moves across the river.

(I’m not mentioning the Capitals’ crowds because the Caps regularly sold out Capital One. Caps fans have represented for nearly two decades. I can’t then imagine they won’t continue to do so in Virginia.)

Every owner swears that his or her fanbase will follow the team “just down the road” to the new place. The Warriors swore that light rail and express transportation would mean most of their middle-class fans would come from Oakland, across San Francisco Bay, and follow the team to the new Chase Center in downtown San Francisco.

They did not.

To be sure, Chase is full — but not with the people who filled what is now called Oakland Arena for three decades. You have to pay for a $2 billion arena; you don’t do so with $15 tickets. You do it with six-figure suites and five-figure courtside seats. As John Salley, who won four championships back in the day playing for the Pistons, Bulls and Lakers, noted when the Pistons moved from downtown Detroit 31 miles north to the Palace of Auburn Hills in the late ’80s: “We used to play in front of the auto workers. Now we play in front of the executives.”

It will be impossible to forget what now feels like appropriation of the city’s culture, by nicknaming Washington’s G-League team the Capital City Go-Go, and centering D.C. at every opportunity – plastering “For the District” and “The District of Columbia” on your Twitter feeds and the jerseys of Wizards players, or hawking this year’s alternate jerseys with breathless history about the city’s Boundary Stones, or slapping “D.C.” on caps and garments — only to walk away from all of that, for the sweetheart deal across the river, your Braves New World.

And if there is any truth to the reporting that Leonsis was irritated by teenage kids performing … Go-Go music, outside of Capital One? Well, it’s hard to know how to process that. Buskers? That’s an issue?? Good Lord.

(After this was initially published, I was informed that Leonsis’ issue is not with the street musicians who perform in front of Capital One on event nights, but there’s a concern about one person in particular who has been aggressive with passersby, both in front of the arena and other businesses nearby.)

If you’re not from here, you may not understand why a Wizards/Capitals move to Virginia is especially difficult for D.C. residents to accept. It’s just four miles away from Capital One, Leonsis said Wednesday.

It feels like the Grand Canyon, psychically.

First, traffic. The dance of putting a 20,000-seat arena, practice facility, and new restaurants/entertainment venues into an area surrounded by Reagan National Airport, Amazon II and a large, busy mall, with many incoming and surrounding roads that are currently one- or two-laners, is daunting. Sources involved with the discussions said Wednesday that significant improvements to the roads surrounding the proposed site, along with increased light- and heavy-rail services, are part of the deal. It will be, nonetheless, a much longer commute for many — if they opt to come.

Will fans who’ve taken a 30-45-minute Metro ride from the Maryland suburbs to Gallery Place downtown be willing to add another 20-30 minutes of riding time round trip to get to and from Alexandria? For 7 p.m. starts for Wizards or Caps games?

Second … well, put it like this. The way that many Virginia residents feel about coming into the District for a night out, when they have One Loudoun or Reston Town Center available, closer-in? District residents feel the same way about going out to Alexandria for a night out, when we have Penn Quarter or Columbia Heights or NoMa to patronize. You don’t feel safe coming up here? Many of us don’t feel safe going out there. You have your reasons. We have ours.

It just feels like, again, the District’s been kicked in the stomach – blamed, because COVID cut the number of offices operating downtown down like a scythe, leaving restaurants and bars with fewer patrons for lunch or dinner. Make no mistake, though: Mayor Muriel Bowser takes a Big L here. Her job was to prevent something like this from happening, because you can’t replace the Caps and Wizards, and the energy they’ve brought to downtown. I know it was difficult to find the kind of money needed to keep Leonsis from wanderlust. That, however, is the job. They cannot leave on your watch. They are leaving on hers.

I don’t doubt that the decision was difficult, maybe even painful, for Leonsis. It would have been thus helpful to him to express what he was feeling Wednesday to reporters who asked to speak with him after the press conference, rather than rebuff them. And he and his team have ideas for how to transform Capital One, now freed from having to cross off dozens of potential days on the calendar every year for Wizards and Capitals games, to keep the building busy more often than not. Ice shows. Concerts. Activities in tandem with the D.C. Convention Center, and/or Events D.C. The return of the Mystics to Capital One, after playing at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Southeast. (Speaking of which: what exactly does Leonsis plan to do, now, with ESA, about which he spoke so grandly, just a few years ago?)

But, nothing replaces a sports team in a city’s soul. Nothing.

You know one of the big reasons I came to The Athletic in 2018? I was in San Francisco in the spring of that year, watching the Capitals play the Penguins in the Eastern Conference semifinals, in my hotel room, while covering the Warriors and Rockets. If you’re from D.C., you knew, whether you Rocked the Red on the regular or not, how big a pain in the butt the Penguins were to the Caps for a decade, how desperately Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Bäckström wanted, needed, to beat Sidney Crosby and the Pens. It was Town Business.

So when Evgeny Kuznetsov scored on that breakaway overtime goal to seal the series over the Penguins, and the broadcast cut to the cheering crowds outside of Capital One, in Penn Quarter, deliriously happy, and young, and diverse, having finally slain the beast, it did something to me. I said to myself, in that hotel room, “look at how happy the city is. That is awesome. I’d like to be a part of chronicling that.”

And I was, as I witnessed first-hand the Nationals winning the World Series, and the Mystics winning the WNBA title behind “Playoff Emma,” within weeks of one another in 2019. And the joy that those franchises brought to my hometown was immeasurable, and forever.

I love this city, my city. And my city was wounded, grievously so, Wednesday morning, when men and women on the other side of the river toasted their good fortune, their deal well done, and didn’t seem to give a damn about the pain left behind.

(Photo of Ted Leonsis and Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin: Win McNamee / Getty Images)

The New York Times

Source link

December 15, 2023
After Adam Johnson’s death, will ‘stubborn’ NHL players embrace neck-protective gear?

A little more than a year ago, T.J. Oshie read a story about a young boy who was cut in the neck by a skate blade during a youth hockey game. Almost instinctively, Oshie reached for his phone and contacted his partners at Warroad, the hockey apparel company he helped found six years ago. What started as a way to create undershirts that weren’t itchy and irritating had developed into a safety-conscious business that helped develop new, cut-resistant fabrics to protect players’ wrists and Achilles tendons.

Now, Oshie wanted turtlenecks to protect the most dangerously exposed part of a hockey player’s body — their neck, and the carotid artery within. Sure enough, Warroad came up with a sleek turtleneck with its “tilo” design, which includes cut-resistant panels built into the fabric.

It worked.

And Oshie still didn’t wear them.

In fact, he doesn’t believe a single player in the NHL wears anything of the sort. None of the bulky neck guards that are mandatory in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League (but not the Western Hockey League). None of the Kevlar-style fabric turtlenecks that are becoming more readily available all the time, from companies such as Warroad, AYCANE, and Cut-Tex Pro.

Players have their reasons. Oshie said NHL rinks are “hotter” than ever, with guys sweating through several undershirts a game, and the thought of wearing a turtleneck in such a warm environment is unappealing. Players are superstitious, wearing the same shoulder pads they used in juniors, using the same brand of skate they’ve worn since they were kids, using the same tape job and knob style they’ve used forever. And, well, turtlenecks and neck guards don’t look cool. Heck, only Wayne Gretzky and Tomas Plekanec ever really pulled off the look.

“It’s not a cool look having neck guards on,” Oshie said. “For whatever reason, it’s just not something that’s sleek and looks great.”

But then Oshie learned about Adam Johnson’s death on Saturday night. Johnson, a former player for the Pittsburgh Penguins, was cut in the neck by a skate blade during a game in England and died, shaking the hockey community to its core. Players and coaches from around the league expressed their heartbreak over the tragedy. But Oshie did more than that.

GO DEEPER

Remembering Adam Johnson, ex-NHL player who died after skate-blade accident: ‘An unbelievable human being’

He ordered five Tilo turtlenecks from his company. One for him and four for some of his teammates to try. They’ll arrive on Monday. And he’s going to try playing in them. Because Johnson’s death did more than devastate the hockey world. It opened the hockey world’s eyes to an inherent — and possibly preventable — life-threatening risk that comes with playing the game.

At any level.

“I just wish these things never had to be made, and injuries like this would never happen, because it’s so sad,” Oshie said on his way to the Capitals’ game against the Sharks on Sunday evening. “It hits me pretty hard, just thinking about my kids. I could take one to the neck tonight. And for them to not have a father — it’s just so sad and it makes me think twice about protecting myself and my neck out there. Whether it looks cool or not.”

Jason Dickinson didn’t know what had happened to Boston’s Jakub Lauko last Tuesday at the United Center, he only knew that it looked gruesome. One of Dickinson’s Chicago teammates asked him what had happened and Dickinson speculated that Lauko had hit his head on the boards and “split open.”

After the game, Lauko’s bloodied face was still a topic of conversation in the Blackhawks dressing room. Dickinson heard someone say that it was a skate blade that caught Lauko in the area of his left eye.

“A skate?” Dickinson said. “How did that happen?”

“It was your skate!” a teammate told him.

“Are you kidding me?” Dickinson responded. “When?”

It had happened when Dickinson was falling into the boards after a push from Boston’s John Beecher. Lauko was already down on all fours, and Dickinson’s skate caught him in the face. As mangled as his face was in the aftermath, Lauko was extraordinarily lucky the skate missed his eye. Dickinson never even felt the contact.

modeling career defo in jeopardy😮‍💨but let’s just say I was very very lucky🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/MRgJJtPjAd

— Jakub Lauko (@jakub_lauko) October 27, 2023

Dickinson, after learning it was his skate, immediately checked in with the team’s medical staff to find out if Lauko was OK, and was indescribably relieved to find out he was. Dickinson’s heart went out to Johnson’s family on Sunday, but he also spared a thought for the player whose skate caught Johnson in the neck.

“I feel for (him) as well,” Dickinson said. “He’s on the other end of that and he’s going to have some stuff to work through, because that’s heavy stuff. I guarantee he feels guilty right now, even though it’s a freak accident.”

That’s a word you hear a lot when it comes to skate-cut injuries, whether it’s Pat Maroon’s skate slicing through Evander Kane’s wrist last season or Matt Cooke’s skate tearing Erik Karlsson’s Achilles tendon 10 years ago. A “freak” accident. A “freak” play.

But is it? After all, this is a game played by people moving at exceptional speeds with exceptional force wearing exceptionally dangerous weapons on their feet. If anything, it’s shocking that skate cuts don’t happen more often.

Hayley Wickenheiser, a Team Canada legend, assistant general manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs and emergency physician, bristled at the depiction of such incidents as “freak” occurrences.

“I don’t think this is a freak thing, I think it happens quite a lot,” she said. “It’s just the injuries are superficial, or the players are lucky. This isn’t something that doesn’t happen; it happens a lot in hockey. Sticks come up, skates come up, and the neck is very susceptible. So whatever we can do to make (neck protection) more mainstream and just part of the equipment, the better for the future of the game. It just makes sense to me.”

Indeed, while terrifying incidents like the cuts suffered by Johnson and former Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk are thankfully very rare, it seems like every player has a story to tell of a close call, a near miss, a Lauko-style bit of “luck.” Dickinson took a skate on the collarbone during a game against Vegas last season and “immediately panicked,” wondering if a major artery was nicked.

“I remember the ref looked at me right away and said, ‘That was real close, Dickie,’” Dickinson said. “I’m like,’ Yeah, you’re telling me. I can f—ing feel it.”

Oshie was volunteering at a camp at his alma mater, North Dakota, some years ago, when he was rough-housing with the kids. They were dog-piling him on the ice, falling all over each other, laughing hysterically.

“Then one kid came in full speed and slid into the pile feet-first, and he actually hit me square in the face with his skate blade,” Oshie said. “So I had to get stitches above and below my eye. I still have a scar in my eyebrow that goes into my forehead. Luckily, it was flush with my face so it didn’t cut my eye.”

They can’t all be “freak” incidents, right?

GO DEEPER

Shocked by Adam Johnson’s death, former Penguins teammates remember ‘a great young man’

“It’s unfortunate,” Blackhawks coach and 21-year NHL veteran Luke Richardson said. “It’s one of the fastest games on Earth, with razor blades on the bottom of your feet. It’s very scary and things happen quick. … I don’t know if there’s any way to guarantee that there’s going to be protection. Even if you do wear something. You can’t be in a tin can top to bottom out there for protection. It’s the risk that the pro players take.”

Richardson cited Oshie’s company as a valuable resource for players, and suggested that with time, neck protection will become normalized in the NHL. When he entered the league in 1987, there were still players playing without helmets. It took years after that for visors to become the norm to protect players’ eyes. Richardson hoped that with neck protection becoming more and more common — and mandatory — in lower leagues, it’s only a matter of time before it “graduates up” to the NHL.

Arizona center Nick Bjugstad, who played with Johnson in Pittsburgh and called him “just a kind human,” said he couldn’t bring himself to watch the video, so he doesn’t know exactly how the cut happened. But he thinks the answer is pretty obvious.

“There are times that your feet go out from under you and you don’t have control,” Bjugstad said. “As far as the precaution going forward, I’m sure it’ll be discussed in the league. It’s even more important on the youth side of things, with the lack of athletic trainers and whatnot. I hope we can figure something out as a hockey community that protects us from something so tragic happening.”

Scott Sandelin, who coached Johnson at Minnesota-Duluth, said making neck protection and Kevlar-style undergear mandatory has come up in conversations around the NCAA championship committee, with longtime Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin leading the charge.

Johnson’s tragic death surely opened some eyes around the hockey world to the risk of skate cuts to the neck. (Joe Sargent / NHLI via Getty Images)

“He was like, ‘Why do we wait?’” Sandelin recalled. “Why do we wait for something like this to happen before you mandate something?”

Dickinson said the NHL provided a video at the beginning of the season highlighting the benefits of cut-resistant sleeves to protect the wrists and Achilles tendons, and those have become quite popular around the league. But neck protection remains ignored by everyone other than goaltenders.

Johnson’s death surely opened some eyes around the hockey world to the risk of skate cuts to the neck, and it appeared that several Providence Bruins, in the AHL, wore neck guards on Sunday. That’s a start.

But why does it have to be a years-long process? Why can’t it happen sooner? Why do players have to be grandfathered in to avoid any mandates whenever a new equipment mandate is instituted?

“Because they’re stubborn,” said one NHL equipment manager, who was granted anonymity so he could speak freely. “It’s a monkey-see, monkey-do league. All it would take is one guy to wear it. Then two days to get used to it.”

Wickenheiser has a similarly simple solution to getting players past all their superstitions and habits, to get them to embrace what seems like such an obvious solution to a terrifying problem.

“You just put one on,” she said. “I wore one for 20 years with the national team, it didn’t interfere with anything I did. … It’s just like anything else, when one player does it, everyone sees it and it becomes normal. I can’t even remember hockey without visors now, and I grew up watching the world of hockey without visors. I can’t even imagine not playing with a visor with how fast the game is.”

As an emergency physician and all-time hockey great, Wickenheiser is perhaps uniquely qualified to weigh in on the subject. She knows how well-stocked NHL arenas are in terms of medical care. She also knows it’s not nearly enough if, God forbid, a situation similar to what happened to Johnson happens in an NHL game. The thought has frequently crossed her mind that if there were an incident at a practice, she might be the most qualified person in the rink that day. She runs the scenarios in her mind constantly, and “it truly horrifies me.”

“You know how little time and resources you have to save a life in that moment,” she said. “The deck is entirely stacked against you as a physician. In the NHL buildings, there would be qualified physicians, there’s (emergency medical services) in the building. You have every resource at your fingertips. But what you don’t have is time. You need a surgeon and you need blood and you need time, and there’s none of those things in that moment. It’s just such a devastating injury. It freaks me out, for sure.”

It’s something players rarely think about. Can’t think about, really. Richardson said it was similar to a football player coming back from a knee injury — if you’re constantly wondering if the surgically repaired knee will hold up, you’ll never be playing at full strength and full speed. Hockey players have to feel invincible out there in order to take the risks they take on seemingly every shift.

But Oshie said there’s an instinctive, almost unthinking awareness of what your skates are doing at all times. Because the danger is always in the back of your mind, if not the front.

“I think you’re always very conscious of where your skates are when you’re playing,” he said. “I know I am. If someone’s on the ground in front of you, even if you get pushed from behind, you always get your feet out of the way, if that makes sense. It might look terrible if someone is about to fall on someone and goes knees-first, but that’s what you do instead of trying to land on your feet. I just assume that everyone else has that same mentality. But those very freak things happen. You get pushed from behind and you stay on one foot and the other foot comes up. I took a skate blade to my visor in our last preseason game, just this year. So I was a couple inches away from being cut somewhere.”

The game only gets more dangerous with each passing year. Players get bigger, stronger, faster. Skate blades are removable now, and they stay razor-sharp throughout the game, rather than dulling with each shift. Ignoring the risks won’t make them go away.

The introduction of the slap shot led to the goalie mask. Whippier sticks and more dangerous shooters made visors inevitable. Ten or 20 years from now, it’s easy to envision players regularly wearing full face shields. The Karlsson and Kane incidents, among others, helped spur the creation and popularization of wrist and ankle sleeves.

Neck protection will undoubtedly follow. It’s just a matter of when.

On Monday, the Oxford City Stars, a lower-division hockey club in the UK, announced the introduction of mandatory neck guards for players and coaches.

If Johnson’s tragic and shocking death doesn’t prove to be enough to open eyes and open minds, then what will?

“There are options out there, and it’s not a bad idea at all,” Dickinson said. “It’s about awareness. And events like (Saturday) night, events like Kane’s, like Karlsson’s — those really make guys think and get them worried. It’s definitely something I’d consider now. I mean, who cares what it looks like? Looking lame and living is a lot better than the opposite.”

The Athletic’s Michael Russo contributed to this report.

(Top photo: John Russell / NHLI via Getty Images)

The New York Times

Source link

October 30, 2023
Ranking all 32 NHL Reverse Retro jerseys for 2022-23

The NHL’s Reverse Retro jerseys were a sensation two years ago, creating significant sales and conversation among hockey fans. Adidas felt the pressure of creating a sequel to that blockbuster with its 2022-23 season retro sweaters.

“How many amazing remix combinations are out there?” said Dan Near, senior director at Adidas hockey. “We spent a lot of time debating about whether the franchise should evolve into something else or is this a sequel. We went with the latter.”

As with any sequel, there are a few differences from the original. The 32 new Reverse Retro jerseys feature more white sweaters than the 2020 collection. Please recall that because of the COVID pandemic, the 2020-21 season was played without interdivisional games. Now, Adidas hopes to see more retro vs. retro games, such as the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Buffalo Sabres game on Nov. 2.

This line also features more embroidered and raised elements on the team logos, which is something that arrived when Adidas started making jerseys with 50% recycled materials.

2 Related

Another big difference was the level of anticipation. Near said that Adidas is aware of all the speculation, mock-ups and social media scuttlebutt about this collection of jerseys.

“We’re excited about the speculation. I think if you look back at the first time we launched in 2020, it came out of nowhere. Nobody knew what it was,” Near said. “We didn’t announce it was coming back this time, but people seemed to know it was coming. The rampant speculation and energy is making this unique and exciting. We track it. We see what people are saying. Sometimes they’re right on the mark. Other times they’re on a completely different planet. Nothing is official until it’s official.”

But it wasn’t just the fans anticipating the next wave of Reverse Retro jerseys. The NHL teams were as well.

“There was plenty of meat on the bone to do this again,” Near said. “What made it unique the second time around is that you have the teams thinking ‘I want to win Reverse Retro.’”

Which ones were victorious? Here is our ranking of the 32 NHL Reverse Retro jerseys for the 2022-23 season. Keep in mind that we based this just on the jerseys themselves — some really cool elements will be revealed with the full uniform kits, but they didn’t factor in here.

Courtesy of adidas

What a concept: It’s only taken nearly 30 years, but a team that plays in South Florida finally has a jersey that’s evocative of South Florida.

This is a mix of the team’s stick-and-palm secondary logo that’s been with it since the 1990s and the light blue from the third jerseys it rocked in 2009. The rays of the sun are slightly raised to give the crest a 3D quality. The colors on the stripes pay homage to the Panthers’ current primary colors. The rest feels like you’re staring at a frozen blue Hawaiian through a pair of expensive sunglasses.

Sure, seeing the alternate logo makes one realize how close that hockey stick looks to a golf putter … but that’s also kind of thematic to the franchise, if we’re being honest.

Courtesy of adidas

It was inevitable that the Sharks eventually would honor their Bay Area ancestors with a Reverse Retro jersey. The California Golden Seals’ greatest legacy might be their aesthetics, including a turn to teal 17 years before the Sharks swam into the NHL.

These are essentially the Seals’ 1974 home jerseys with “Sharks” written on them instead, and they’re sublime: a little California love, a little Jackie Moon. That Seals team won 19 games. Given what we’ve seen from San Jose this season, perhaps it’s just dressing the part.

Courtesy of adidas

The Youppi! of Reverse Retro jerseys.

Montreal claims this is meant to honor its 1979 look, when it won its fourth Stanley Cup in a row. Adidas claims the light blue is “inspired by the city of Montreal colors.” But for the love of Tim Raines and Larry Walker, we know what’s up with these sweaters: It’s the Habs as the Montreal Expos, and we salute them like Andrés Galarraga admiring a home run.

Courtesy of adidas

The most remarkable thing about this Reverse Retro Kings jersey, which honors the 40th anniversary of the “Miracle on Manchester,” is that one swears that it has previously existed. But the crown logo in the 1980s was on either a gold or “Forum Blue” jersey.

This is the first time the iconic sweater has been executed in white, and it looks awesome. Bonus points for creating raised gems on the crown for a 3D look.

Courtesy of adidas

The Avalanche topped the 2020 rankings with their ode to the Quebec Nordiques. This year’s model could be seen as an homage to the NHL’s Colorado Rockies, but their logo inspiration was the same as this Retro jersey: the Colorado state flag.

Nothing is going to top the remixed Nords sweater. But this looks clean and sharp, and like other Avalanche alternate logos is an improvement over their primary one.

Courtesy of adidas

The Golden Knights had a Reverse Retro jersey last year inspired by the now-defunct Wranglers minor league franchise. This time, they’re inspired by a team that doesn’t exist.

This sweater “imagines what a Golden Knights third jersey might have looked like in 1995.” The font and numbering are inspired by vintage hotel signage on the Strip. Oh, and just to make sure you get the full Vegas ostentatiousness: There are hidden glow-in-the-dark stars incorporated in the crest that can be seen in the dark and under a black light.

“When you think about the glitz and glamour of Vegas, it requires a little ingenuity,” Near said.

Courtesy of adidas

The Blues chose poorly last season, resurrecting a nauseating jersey design and inexplicably making red the primary color. This time, they understood the assignment.

The Blues’ Reverse Retro is based on a 1966 prototype worn by the team’s ownership a year before the expansion franchise actually hit the ice, which is like giving an Oscar to a teaser trailer. Despite being their second most prominent color, this is the first primarily gold jersey the Blues have worn. It incorporates the light blue seen on their Winter Classic jerseys.

Sound the trumpets: These rule.

Courtesy of adidas

This is the most “meta” Reverse Retro jersey in the collection.

In 2020, the Coyotes honored their much-maligned 1998 thirds, which magnified the head of the “kachina jersey” logo, made green the primary color and ceded the waistline to “a painfully obvious desert landscape complete with cacti,” as the Five For Howling blog noted. Their first Reverse Retro jersey swapped the green for purple from the team’s crescent moon alternate logo, and it was one of the best of the lot.

Now they’ve gone Reverse Retro on their Reverse Retro, swapping out the green for sienna, marking “the first time this trending earth tone color has been worn by any NHL team,” according to Adidas. The million dollar question: Are these supposed to abstractly evoke Arizona State athletics colors or is this simply coincidental?

Courtesy of adidas

The Pooh bear has returned!

The Bruins wore this logo from 1995-2006 on a third sweater. The blog Stanley Cup of Chowder called it “the greatest jersey in Bruins history.” The Pooh bear was originally featured on a gold jersey. This time it’s a white background, all the better to see the kind eyes, parted hair and Marchand-esque smirk on the bear’s fuzzy mug. Put one on and snuggle up with a pot of honey.

Courtesy of adidas

I once asked comics artist Todd McFarlane about creating this logo, which Edmonton used as a third jersey from 2001 through 2007.

“What’s the design I could do that could pay homage to the Oilers but also just be cool to look at?” he pondered. “Selling it to someone in Edmonton is preaching to the choir. How do I sell it to someone in Miami?”

We’re not sure how it played in Florida, but its initial run in Edmonton wasn’t unanimously beloved. But this version might be an improvement.

His “dynamic gear surrounding an oil drop” logo has been enhanced by being raised in some areas and with that splash of orange in the middle. Each spoke represents a different Oilers Stanley Cup championship, and sadly that hasn’t needed to be edited since it debuted in 2001.

Courtesy of adidas

The Islanders have slowly reclaimed the ill-fated legacy of the “Fishsticks” logo that reigned from 1995-97, selling gear with that logo and color scheme in their official store in recent years.

For the team’s 50th anniversary, Adidas has added “the most requested uniform” for its Reverse Retro series.

Here’s the thing: The slight modifications they’ve made to the logo — like the TRON-esque orange highlights and the current color scheme — tone down the kitsch and the charm. One could argue the original Fishsticks jersey’s Aquafresh palette and queasy waves are more in keeping with the Reverse Retro aesthetic.

Courtesy of adidas

There’s an interesting separation between Canucks fans and outsiders when it comes to this Reverse Retro jersey. It’s inspired by their Western Hockey League look that featured Johnny Canuck, only this one has raised embroidered gloves and suspenders.

But the Canucks Army blog notes that Vancouver fans (a) feel this look to too close to that of the Abbotsford Canucks, who also use Johnny Canuck, and (b) were hoping for a less predictable experiment like “a green and blue edition of the Flying Vee or Flying Skate jerseys.”

Courtesy of adidas

In 1995, the Capitals went from red, white and blue to blue, black and bronze. They had a black third jersey for 10 years during that fad, with the capitol dome logo seen on the shoulders of this Reverse Retro jersey.

Now they’ve turned the “Screaming Eagle” into another black alternate sweater, with some really nice tweaks to the formula. This jersey features metallic copper and “Capital Blue,” giving the whole thing a sleeker look.

Courtesy of adidas

You can’t improve on perfection, which is why the Red Wings’ first Reverse Retro attempt looked like a practice version of their iconic sweater. But give the Red Wings credit for taking a swing with version 2.0.

An homage to their 1991 NHL 75th anniversary jerseys, which were red and white, this bold red and black look is accented by a DETROIT wordmark inspired by the 1920s Detroit Cougars. For a young team developing its swagger, we’ll allow it.

Courtesy of adidas

This Ducks jersey is cool. It’s clean looking. It’s got the proper logo on the front. They’re going to slap “ZEGRAS” on the back of these and move racks of them.

But after much debate inside the ESPN fashion offices, we came to a consensus: If Anaheim is dipping back to the inaugural Mighty Ducks season and their Reverse Retro doesn’t have even a hint of jade or eggplant, then what are they even doing this for?

Courtesy of adidas

The Rangers finished No. 2 on the 2020 rankings by simply bringing back to the Liberty Head logo for the first time since around 2007. They went back to that well for this Reverse Retro jersey, slapping it on a royal blue jersey with red sleeves.

The whole thing honestly feels like one of those sweatshirts that costs $50 more than it should, and hangs untouched with its friends in some distant corner of the NHL Store.

Courtesy of adidas

ROBO PENGUIN! Memories of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Petr Nedved come rushing back as we celebrate the majesty of this flightless fowl.

But we had to award some demerits for what could have been: This is the Penguins’ 1992-93 jersey flipped from white to black, leaving out some of the more audacious Robo Penguin gradient designs from the latter part of the decade. It’s a jersey that thinks the 1990s stopped with grunge, when “Bills, Bills, Bills” actually dropped in 1999.

Courtesy of adidas

The most interesting aspect of this Stars jersey, which is a homage to their inaugural season look back in 1993-94, is the dimensional embroidery on the crest to give the star a 3D quality.

Otherwise, the current “victory green” color integrated with this classic design makes for a fine looking sweater. But we’re now two Reverse Retro jerseys deep and the “Mooterus” has yet to return, so we really can’t go any higher than this for Dallas.

Courtesy of adidas

The Jets’ first Reverse Retro jersey was one of our favorites, but this one isn’t nearly as bold.

Winnipeg remixed the Jets 1.0 jersey from 1990 with the team’s current color palette, minus the red. A great sweater for Teemu Selanne completists but one that doesn’t come close to the streetwear grandeur of the previous Retro hit.

Courtesy of adidas

More debate inside the ESPN fashion offices on this one.

The Devils pay tribute to the Colorado Rockies 40 years after the team relocated from Denver to East Rutherford. It’s certainly a fun look, with the Rockies’ gold, red and navy accenting the jersey. But we’re a little disappointed that the color scheme only carries through to the logo via a blue circle around the “NJ,” when this could have been a fun opportunity to play around with that logo.

As it stands, this sorta looks like when a pro shop irons the right crest on the wrong jersey.

Courtesy of adidas

“Say kids, did you like the Minnesota North Stars-influenced Reverse Retro jersey? What if we told you that it’s now available in … green?”

Seriously, no points for creativity, but these remain pretty dope.

Courtesy of adidas

Inspired by Chicago’s 1938 uniforms and their 2019 Winter Classic gear, this Blackhawks jersey had the unfortunate timing of being immediately market-corrected by a similar — but much better executed — Red Wings Reverse Retro.

Courtesy of adidas

Sorry, but this just doesn’t work. The “goat head” logo loses its magic when stripped away from the red, black and silver color scheme that evoked images of Dominik Hasek saves and Miroslav Satan goals.

Outside of the nostalgic kick of having this logo back on a Buffalo sweater, applying the traditional Sabres colors to it feels slightly blasphemous.

Courtesy of adidas

What’s a nostalgic Kraken jersey? A Mark Giordano sweater?

Obviously lacking history, Seattle just decided to make a sea green jersey that makes it look like they’re wearing a cummerbund under their own logo. It’s not a bad looking sweater. It’s just not as audacious one might expect from a team nicknamed after a mythical sea creature. It’s a Reverse Retro with real “why don’t we make our mascot a troll doll?” energy.

Courtesy of adidas

Missed opportunity here. There was speculation that the Predators were going to put their 2001 third jersey logo on a navy jersey, which would have properly remixed their mustard stain sweater with a currently used color.

Alas, they went with gold, making this jersey practically redundant with their current ones.

Courtesy of adidas

It’s their current away jersey remixed into a red sweater, with two sets of hurricane warning flags on the shoulders.

Your mileage here is entirely dependent one how you feel about nicknames on jerseys instead of full nicknames.

Courtesy of adidas

Adidas says this is a remix of the jersey the Senators wore during their 2006-07 Stanley Cup Final run with “the current Ottawa color scheme and breakouts.”

Sure. It’s very much an Ottawa Senators jersey. But we’ll wait and see the full kit, as Adidas notes these Ottawa jerseys will be “presented in a powerful black head-to-toe visual including the helmet, pant and sock complimented by a thick super-sized player name and number system.”

Courtesy of adidas

The Blue Jackets got a little funky last time with a primary red jersey that sported their original logo. This is the first black jersey the Jackets will have worn, with blue sleeve accents that evoke their current third sweaters.

These FrankenJerseys are on the borderline of looking like a stitching accident, but in the end we like our jerseys like we like our steaks: black and blue. But maybe not as cold.

Courtesy of adidas

Toronto is honoring its 1962 Stanley Cup championship, remixing a primary white jersey into a primary blue jersey with white shoulder pads.

A blue Maple Leafs jersey. Wild stuff. Save us, Justin Bieber.

Courtesy of adidas

Have you ever seen a movie where one bad performance ruins the whole thing? The Flames have a cool black jersey, with an iconic logo and an eye-catching color scheme.

They also decided to bring back to truly bizarre “diagonal pedestal hem stripe” from their mid-1990s sweaters.

It just ruins the whole thing and makes it look like the Flames are wearing an achievement belt from a strip mall taekwondo academy.

Courtesy of adidas

“I don’t want my guys looking like a [expletive] crayon box. I don’t want them wearing a bunch of whozies and whats-its. Just make a Flyers jersey. Who cares?” — John Tortorella, maybe.

Courtesy of adidas

Nostalgia can be comforting. Nostalgia can be inspiring. But nostalgia can also cloud one’s judgement on what should or should not be mined from the past for the benefit of the present.

To that end: These Lightning jerseys should have remained buried under whatever landfill in which they were decomposing. Tampa Bay wore these jerseys from 1996-99, during a time when the NHL had its share of ghastly third jerseys. They had storm waves across the waist; lightning bolts on the sleeves, and in perhaps the single worst aesthetic touch for an NHL jersey in the last 30 years, “bold rain” flecked across the front of the sweater that looked like it was taken straight from an 8-bit video game.

Whatever Lightning player feigns excitement the most for these monstrosities should win the Lady Byng, full stop.

Dan Near of Adidas offers a brief rebuttal about this jersey: “There were some jerseys from that era that we presented and the teams weren’t excited about. There were others that the teams embraced right away. This isn’t a permanent choice. This is a celebration of a moment in time and the nostalgia about a team. Maybe we don’t have to take ourselves so seriously and bring something back that might have been polarizing but that in today’s day and age is very trend-right. I give a lot of acclaim to the Lightning for making a risk well worth taking.”

Source link

October 20, 2022

1 2
Next Page

ReportWire

Breaking News & Top Current Stories – Latest US News and News from Around the World

Blog
About
FAQs
Authors

Events
Shop
Patterns
Themes

Twenty Twenty-Five

Designed with WordPress