Ravings of a Rink Rebel

Happy Caps Year in Columbus

2012-01-02T14:58:00.002-05:00

I'd previously blogged about my other hockey trips, so I thought I'd do the same for my little trip to Columbus for New Year's Eve.

I moved away from DC on November 2, 2011, the day after an overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks, a win that was almost a singlehanded effort from Nicklas Backstrom (scoring the game-tying goal in the last 30 seconds, and then the overtime winner). It was also the beginning of the end for Bruce Boudreau -- the game that stirred controversy when he did not put Alex Ovechkin out on the ice in the last minute of the third period to try to tie the game.

It was my last Capitals game at Verizon Center, at least for the foreseeable future. I went to every single game of the season until my move, preseason included, and the Capitals were still undefeated at home at that time.

After I left is when the team spiraled downhill, and it was difficult to watch from so far away. And I thought the next time I would see the team is when they come to Chicago to play the Blackhawks in March. After attending about 30 games in 2010-2011 and every game until November 1 in 2011-2012, four months without seeing my team in person was going to be tough.

On Friday night, I still didn't have any plans for New Year's Eve. Sam (Caps fans may know him as The Horn Guy) mentioned to me the Caps Road Crew trip to Columbus, but I thought the Road Crew seats were sold out. But another friend, Karen, also had a group going, and had a last-minute cancellation, and thus a ticket.

So I made the decision. Just 8 hours before I got in the car, I paid for a ticket, got a hotel in Columbus, and packed up my Nicklas Backstrom jersey to be worn to a game for the first time in two months.

It's only about six hours from Chicago to Columbus, and it was smooth sailing through Indiana and Ohio. My hotel was about four blocks from the Arena, and after a quick change, I went to meet up with the Road Crew near the arena. At the bar, I met Caps fans from London (Ontario), Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and obviously DC. Caps fans really came from all over.

After getting into the arena, it was almost like being at a Verizon Center game -- Caps fans were absolutely everywhere. Nationwide Arena is beautiful. Being one of the newer arenas in the NHL, I enjoyed the design and features. The concourses are wide, and the seating arrangement is unique and also functional.

We headed down to rinkside for warm-ups, and I practically started crying when the Caps hit the ice. It was so great to see them, and it just made me incredibly happy. Dmitri Orlov was called up after I'd left DC, and as I was at his first-ever AHL game, I was so proud to see him in an NHL jersey in person for the first time.

As for the game, it wasn't looking so good after the first two periods. But thankfully, the Caps picked it up in the third period and scored four goals in less than seven minutes, including two Ovechkin markers. After a New Year's Eve fireworks display on the ice, we left the arena happy and went back to a nearby bar to watch the ball drop.

It was no Verizon Center, but it was absolutely worth the trip and there's no other way I would rather have spent New Year's Eve. And the experience will at least hold me over until two months from now, when the Caps come into my hometown of Chicago.

Pictures from the trip (including a bunch of warm-up photos) are here.

Second period mistakes cost Express

2011-12-15T00:28:00.000-05:00

Players look on as Devin DiDiomete (28) and Phil Rauch (20) fight at the end of the second period (photo by Chicago Express)

Coming into Wednesday night's game, the Toledo Walleye (DET/CHI) and the Chicago Express (CBJ) had already met six times this season, splitting wins evenly between them at three a piece. Chicago took the first three decisions, and the Walleye took the last three. After Wednesday's final decision, the Walleye have now won four, claiming a 4-3 victory over the Express.

The game didn't start out so bad for the Express. Mike Embach scored a beauty in the first period, taking advantage of a turnover at the opposite blue line to fly through the neutral zone, deke around three defenders, and put the puck top shelf. The goal sent the Express into the locker room with a 1-0 lead at the first intermission. But when the team stepped onto the ice in the second, things turned disastrous.

Walleye forward Christopher DiDomenico scored twice less than four minutes into the second period, first on a power play, then at even strength, making it 2-1 in favor of Toledo. After the Express began trailing for the first time in the game, everything went wrong. Pucks were continuously turned over, the defense was sloppy, and Express had significant trouble putting passes on their teammates' tape.

The Walleye took advantage, and struck again. Allen York misplayed the puck 10 feet in front of his own net, and suddenly Kyle Rogers had his sixth goal of the year. Just seconds later, Joey Martin got another puck past York, and it was 4-1 Walleye.

Instead of getting inspired, the Express got angry. A lot of chirping began. During a faceoff, Bobby Robins clearly asked Nick Oslund if he wanted to fight. Oslund shook his head no. Net mouth scrums got more and more frequent as the Express tried to get some kind of spark going. After putting only five shots on goal in the second period, the Express' frustration finally spilled into a full-fledged fight just after the horn indicating the end of the period.

Devin DiDiomete, fresh off injured reserve, went up against Phil Rauch. Though smaller, DiDiomete looked to get the better of Rauch, knocking Rauch's helmet off and eventually taking him down to the ice. The only punches Rauch landed were right on DiDiomete's helmet, resulting in a bloody hand for Rauch. DiDiomete was assessed a two-minute roughing minor, a five-minute fighting major, and a ten-minute misconduct, and as a result, missed most of the third period. Rauch received just a five-minute major.

But the fight appeared to serve its purpose. The Express came out in the third period ready to battle for goals. Five minutes in, several Express players crashed the net and ended up scoring, with Kyle Ostrow getting credit for the marker. Ten minutes later, Chaz Johnson scored a rocket of a one-timer from the dot on a power play.

It was 4-3 Walleye with five minutes to go, and the Express were not going to give up. With one minute remaining, Allen York sprinted to the bench to get an extra man on to try for an equalizer. Walleye goaltender Thomas McCollum faced a flurry of shots, but nothing got through, and the Express fell short in their comeback.

Though there were at least two goals that Allen York would no doubt like to have back, he made 29 saves on 33 shots as the Walleye outshot the Express 33-20.

Just after the final horn, there was an altercation between Chaz Johnson and Matt Krug of the Walleye. Something Krug said or did very obviously set Johnson off, sending him into hysterics as a referee struggled to hold him back. Johnson smashed his stick on the ice before finally heading down the tunnel, leaving the Walleye to celebrate their victory.

Given the nature of the scene, I wouldn't be surprised if Johnson faces any supplemental discipline from the league for unsportsmanlike conduct. It's fitting, as that capped off a game in which Johnson surpassed his 1,000th pro career penalty minute (he had four penalty minutes in total on the night).

Friday night, the Express face the Elmira Jackals (OTT/ANA). Tyler Donati, named the second star of the game with two assists, said the game plan against the Jackals is pretty obvious: "Play like we played in the third."

Express down Wings in a shootout thriller

2011-12-09T23:20:00.001-05:00

Kyle Ostrow scores the game-winning shootout goal (photo by Chicago Express)

It wasn't looking so good for the Chicago Express as they headed into the third period Friday night, down 4-2 to the Kalamazoo Wings. A few minutes into the third period, Eric Kattelus made it 5-2. The clock was ticking.

After two power play goals in the first 20 minutes, the Express looked to have stalled out in the latter half of the second period. They were finding it tough to carry pucks through the offensive zone, and shots from the blue line were immediately blocked by Wings players on the defensive. Worst of all, Express goaltender Allen York wasn't getting a lot of help.

But the crowd of 3,090 in the Sears Centre Arena got loud in the third, and the Express seemed to respond in turn. "Nothing out of the ordinary was said during the second intermission, we just knew that we had to step it up for the final 20," Express defenseman Scott Wietecha said after the game. "We were confident that if we went out, played hard and stuck to our style of play, we'd have a chance to climb back into it."

Wietecha (a Capitals development and rookie camp attendee) started it off for the Express in the third, getting a fluky goal from nearly center ice. He blasted the puck to the net, and goaltender Maxime Clermont got just a piece of it, sending the puck tipping off the top of his glove and into the net.

It was Wietecha's first professional goal, and judging by his delayed jubilant reaction, he didn't immediately know that he'd scored. "I didn't know it went in at first, but was pretty pumped when I realized I finally got my first one out of the way," Wietecha said.

The goal also set off the Express comeback.

By the time Wietecha scored, the Express had been down 5-2, and with Wietecha making it 5-3, the Express had about 16 minutes to make it a game.

They did. Wietecha's goal included, the Express scored three unanswered goals to tie the game and send it to overtime. Two goals were against starter Maxime Clermont, but just after Mike Embach made the score 5-4, Clermont lost his mask in a scrum and appeared to be cut in the face. Bleeding from his forehead, Clermont left the game and watched the rest of the action from the bench while back-up Riley Gill took over in the Kalamazoo crease.

Gill surrendered a goal to Chad Painchaud, his second of the night, and the Express had the game tied at 5-5, sending it to overtime.

Overtime was largely uneventful until 1:46 to go, when Painchaud took a costly hooking penalty to put the Express shorthanded for the remainder of overtime.

Your best penalty killer is often your goaltender, and Allen York was brilliant while the Wings had several quality scoring chances during their power play.

Scoreless through five minutes of extra time, the game went to a shootout. Kyle Ostrow scored in the fifth round of the shootout to finally get the Express the 6-5 victory.

One to watch: Mike Embach

I could barely take my eyes off Embach whenever he got on the ice. He had very fancy footwork and deked like Datsyuk, but a lot of times when he was carrying the puck, his moves were too fancy for his own teammates, and he'd end up sending a blind pass to no one. While he was busy dancing into the offensive zone, it seemed like he lost track of where his teammates were, and even where he was, and several times, he'd turn it over to the opposing defense by the time he got to the top of the circles.

Even so, watching his moves through two periods, I knew it was a matter of time before Embach put one in the net, and he did about seven minutes into the third. Embach needs some time in the pro leagues (he comes from four years at Ferris State) to really get his hockey sense under control while he's weaving around the D so that his passes can be on point and he can get farther into the zone. But the 23-year-old undrafted forward is a fun player to watch and might end up getting somewhere, even if it's only as far as the AHL.

Development camps and preparing for a pro career

Since I got to ask Scott Wietecha some questions, I had to ask about his experience at Capitals camps this summer and how they helped him start his pro career. He had very positive things to say about his time in Washington.

"I definitely think that being at the Caps camps better prepared me for my first year pro. It has given me confidence coming into the season. I learned a lot from the coaches and the players that were there. Skating with Caps players and seeing how they prepared for the season was definitely beneficial. In Washington, I better learned from the coaches and staff what it takes to make a professional hockey player and picked up things on the ice too. It was a great experience."

Graham Mink comes home

2011-10-04T18:29:00.000-04:00

He's already got the playoff beard down (photo by JustSports Photography)

Early in training camp, I was watching Group B practice. A friend asked me, "Is Graham Mink a career AHLer?" Without even thinking, I said, "Yes." Then I paused for a minute and said, "But he's the kind of guy that knows it and accepts it. Like, 'This is my role, so I'm going to be damn good at it.'"

Even in interviews, he refers to Washington as "they," not "we."

It's an attitude that is evident just talking to Mink about his return to the Washington organization. He's played just seven NHL games (all with the Capitals), but consistently puts up big numbers with his AHL clubs. The 32-year-old winger has had only one season scoring under 40 points since 2005-2006, and he's won two Calder Cups with Hershey (2006 and 2009).

It's Mink's first time back in Hershey since that 2009 Calder Cup win (and third time back overall), and he's ecstatic to return. "It kind of feels like family here. I missed being part of Washington," he said during training camp. "I'm going to be in Hershey, and I'm excited to be back there, I love playing there, it's a great city."

Mink doesn't put on airs about his role with the organization. He knows that with all the young talent joining the Bears this year, he may not enjoy any call-ups at all. But at this point in his career, Mink knows exactly what he's supposed to be doing in Hershey: be a mentor.

"There's going to be a lot of players that are in Hershey this year that are going to come up and help the Caps. My goal is to help teach them and have them learn the game, learn what it's like to be on a successful team and what's expected to be a professional," Mink said.

"I kind of look at it as an extension of the coaching staff as the veteran player. I think most veterans do. You want to bring these 22-, 23-, 24-year-olds and make their learning curve as steep as possible to get to the next level as quickly as possible."

As for the new kids in Hershey like Cody Eakin and Dmitri Orlov, Mink is looking forward to being a leader for them. "They're very smart kids, they're very mature for their age and they pick up fast," Mink said. "It'll be good for Orlov to learn some more English and grow. It's got to be tough being as young as you are and all that ways from home, so you want to make them feel as comfortable as you can and allow them a coming out process of growing up, maturing a little bit."

With Mink's work ethic and drive, he's the perfect candidate to teach the new blood. He thrives on the pressure of being with a winning organization, and brings a good attitude to the locker room. "(The pressure environment) meshes well with my personality," he said. "I want to win every game, every night."

Hopefully that attitude will rub off on the Hershey rookies. It's why Mink is returning to Hershey for what he hopes is a long stay. "Hopefully I can stay for a while this time. It's something I'm looking forward to."

Joel Ward, Teacher?

2011-10-04T16:58:00.000-04:00

Ward with the UPEI Panthers (photo by UPEI.ca)

Joel Ward definitely has not taken the conventional path to the NHL. Undrafted, he spent four seasons in the OHL before then going to college in Canada, completing four years at University of Prince Edward Island and earning his BA in sociology.

His choice of a sociology major is interesting in itself. Most college hockey players opt to major in business, coaching, or sports management. Very few choose to go the social science route, but Ward did.

"I just liked (sociology) from day one. I had a good (professor) my first couple of years. I just liked it, just kind of kept going with it, and enjoying the classes. Sure enough, I was close to graduating with my major in it," Ward said. "Now after hockey I can maybe finish up and see if I want to do something with it."

If Ward ended up going back to school for another degree after hockey, what would he do?

"I was going to minor in teaching and become a teacher," Ward said. "Something to do with kids I'll be in the field of."

But for now, Ward uses what he learned in sociology classes to interact with his teammates in the locker room. "I can bring it into this room and dissect this room a little bit."

How the Caps can reach out to women

2011-09-29T20:56:00.000-04:00

Some of my high school girls' hockey team during a practice. I'm 7th from right.

As we all know, I'm on Twitter quite often. Earlier this evening, I saw a tweet from the Anaheim Ducks advertising a girls' hockey clinic in partnership with USA Hockey.

After I had a little rant Wednesday night about the still-controversial Scarlet Caps, the wheels started turning.

Why don't the Scarlet Caps take a page from the Ducks and host a hockey clinic?

I know that some women enjoy the Hockey 'N Heels event, and that's just fine, but personally, it's not for me. As someone who played hockey for my high school girls' team, I don't need to pay money to stand on a carpet in the middle of Kettler's ice having a current Capital teaching me how to shoot a puck. I already know how to shoot a puck. I did it several times a week in high school.

What Scarlet Caps needs to do is reach out to the women who already know how to play hockey, or even participate in local women's leagues. This is an area of the market that Scarlet Caps has missed out on while focusing on women who are just beginning to learn about hockey and want to learn the basics.

So why not host clinics for women and girls? I, for one, would enjoy that type of event. Sweeten the deal by having clinics led by Capitals/Bears coaches (players would be great but not necessary), and I'd be willing to shill out money to be learning from some of the best coaches in the world while actually playing the game on my skates and learning how to become a better player.

After I retweeted the link from Anaheim and brought up the idea of having women's and girls' clinics sponsored by the Capitals and Scarlet Caps, I got a lot of responses from women who thought it was a great idea. A selection of the responses appear below:

"That would be so much fun."

"Completely agree. A clinic for the girls, a clinic for the ladies who DO play, and one for the wannabes. There's some perspective."

"Get a bunch of people and email Ted about it."

Well, the last response is sort of what I'm doing by bringing attention to it. I think it would be a great outreach for the Capitals, and a smart way to market to women. The idea of a clinic treats women as equals, as opposed to the sort of mentality that says, "Here, put on some heels, and stand on this carpet in the middle of the ice while a man teaches you to shoot a puck into a net, because you wouldn't know how to do it otherwise."

A women's hockey clinic would truly bring women into the action instead of sitting on the sidelines. It's an approach with which I hope the Capitals would agree.

Miskovic ready to take on new role

2011-09-19T18:21:00.000-04:00

photo by Caps in Pictures

At this time last summer, Zach Miskovic wasn't having such a great training camp in Washington. In fact, he wasn't having one at all. In last year's July development camp, Miskovic sustained a hit by the massive Joe Finley during an intersquad scrimmage, and Miskovic injured his left knee.

The injury didn't require surgery, but it meant that Miskovic didn't even set foot on the ice again until he'd already been sent down to Hershey's training camp in late September 2010. He played in 58 games with the Bears last season (missing some time due to a separate injury mid-season).

After a healthy summer this year and a new one-year contract to extend him through the 2011-2012 season, Miskovic has renewed focus. Finally getting in a normal off-season training routine during the summer was "really exciting" for Miskovic. He says he feels good and is ready for the season, and is looking forward to see how Hershey's recent changes pan out.

Thinking of new players on the Bears roster like Christian Hanson, Ryan Potulny, and Jacob Micflikier, Miskovic said, "I think the team's looking great. Obviously Washington and Hershey want to put together the best team there that they can and I think they brought in a lot of skilled players that can bring a lot to the table. I'm looking forward to start."

Last year, Miskovic had said that his sophomore season greatly benefited from having defensive veterans like Brian Fahey, Sheldon Souray, and Lawrence Nycholat as mentors. Now with those players leaving Hershey, Miskovic, 26, has to become somewhat of a veteran himself.

"I've talked with [Hershey head coach] Mark French and [assistant coach] Troy Mann about [taking a mentorship role] and they expect me to step in and be more of a leader on the back end and help some of the younger guys that are coming up, since I know the system. I think I can be that," Miskovic said. "I'm excited for that potential role and we'll see how it plays out. We've got a lot of good defensemen that have come in and I'll work hard to be in that [leadership] position."

In particular, Miskovic may serve as a mentor to Dmitri Orlov, with whom Miskovic was paired during Sunday's drills. It's a pairing that has the potential to be a real game situation for the Bears. Already Miskovic has chemistry with the Russian rookie, despite the obvious language barrier.

"It's fun to play with him," Miskovic laughed. "Obviously communication's a little difficult at times, but he knows how to play the game. It's just reading off one another and see what happens."

Invitee Frazee Intent on Earning a Contract

2011-09-17T21:06:00.000-04:00

photo by Bridget Samuels/bridgetds

I did a little research on invitee Thomas Frazee back in development camp. After his exit meeting in July, Frazee knew he was coming back for rookie camp. Development camp wasn't a walk in the park for any player in attendance - Washington is notorious for having one of the most difficult camps in the league - but Frazee was happy to get an invite back to Washington in September.

The big, high-scoring forward compares himself to San Jose's Joe Thornton. "I like to set up my linemates and try to make everyone around me a little bit better. I think I'm a bigger guy who can skate and make plays," says Frazee. "I always looked up to Joe Thornton when I was little."

But even Joe Thornton was probably intimidated in his first NHL camp, and it was no different for Frazee. "[Development camp] was pretty nerve-wracking," Frazee said Wednesday. "I think as I settled in, it got a lot better."

His quick adaptation to camp could have been a result of having Caps coaches and management directly in the mix with the prospects. "It was really cool to see Bruce [Boudreau] and George [McPhee] right in there with us, talking to us all the time, telling us what we need to do to get better," he said.

Frazee has had to adapt quickly many times in his career. He spent his WHL career with five different teams: Portland, Medicine Hat, Moose Jaw, Regina, and Kamloops. Playing so many different systems may have helped him to pick up the Capitals' systems more quickly.

"When you come to an NHL camp, the tempo is so much faster and the guys are so much better. It's different everywhere you go, but it does help that you've learned a bunch of different systems along the way," Frazee said.

Frazee does admit to being a little starstruck in his first training camp experience, expressing his excitement to go to Philadelphia and play in the rookie game at Wells Fargo Center. "It's gonna be really exciting, especially playing where the Flyers actually do play regular season games."

That excitement extended to the Capitals facility as well. "It's really cool seeing everything here on 24/7 on HBO and being here, it's a really cool experience," he said.

Frazee has been recruited to the University of Calgary Dinos, but if all goes according to plan, he won't be heading there come Fall. "I have every intention on playing pro, wherever that is, wherever they tell me to go," he said. "I'm just kind of being told what to do here and hopefully everything turns out for the best."

Capitals' Eakin Making Strides

2011-09-12T18:46:00.000-04:00

photo by Bridget Samuels/bridgetds

At the conclusion of this summer's Capitals development camp, Cody Eakin wasn't sugarcoating how he felt about his performance at the week-long camp. "I’m not in the best shape, there’s no excuse for it," Eakin said.

Though he did have a bit of an excuse: his season had just finished five weeks prior. While other players were in the gym doing their offseason training, Eakin was still on the ice, competing for a Memorial Cup.

Even though Eakin didn't stand out as much as he had in previous development camps, Coach Bruce Boudreau stood behind the rookie. "I’m not at all disappointed in Cody," Boudreau said. "Sometimes we forget he just finished playing five weeks ago. I thought he competed hard, but I think he’ll be better in September."

Boudreau explained how Eakin could look so out of shape after finishing up his last year of junior hockey. "Hockey is such a draining sport to keep going at the same level that you’ve been at, for 12 months is difficult," he said. "I'm not making an excuse for [Eakin], because he didn’t have a bad camp at all, but at the same time, maybe the expectations from everybody else around him are so great that I think he’s going to come and tear it up."

"Tear it up" he didn't, but coming into this week's rookie camp, Eakin was more prepared to compete for a roster spot. As Boudreau said Monday, "His goal, being a graduate of junior hockey, was not the [development] camp, his goal was this camp."

After development camp, Eakin was happy to get into a more consistent offseason routine, spending five days a week in the gym, instead of just resting as he had in the weeks between the Memorial Cup and development camp. He arrived a few days early and joined informal skates with some of the team's veterans ahead of official camp.

Sunday, Eakin spoke about how his own disappointment in development camp propelled his offseason training routine. "I think development camp scared me the most, obviously not having a lot of time before that and coming in not in the best shape," Eakin said. "The whole summer, that was in the back of my head giving me the extra motivation."

His improved conditioning and focus has been immediately noticeable at rookie camp. "He's in great shape. You can tell he's determined. He's here to fight for a job, and he's putting his best foot forward," Coach Boudreau said. "You can see a little bit more determination on his face."

While Eakin looks good so far in practices, Boudreau knows that it will probably take a few preseason games to tell if he's ready for the NHL.

"He's going to be a good one," Boudreau said. "It's just a matter of is it going to take a little time, or is it now?"

A Tragic Day

2011-09-07T13:28:00.002-04:00

I don't know if he was fan or friend, but shortly after the Capitals took the ice to skate this morning, a man in the stands waved Alex Ovechkin over to the tunnel that splits the Kettler bleachers.

At first I thought he was asking for an autograph. But the two briefly exchanged words, and Ovechkin leaped back onto the ice and shouted over to Stanislav Galiev and Dmitri Orlov, who had just gotten onto the bench.

Ovechkin spoke with them for a moment, and Galiev, who had been standing, immediately sat down on the bench. Ovechkin left the ice and went back to the dressing room. A few seconds later, Orlov and Galiev followed him to the dressing room.

The news of the plane crash that killed most of the KHL team Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, coaches, and of course flight crew had just hit Twitter about 10 minutes before the Capitals began their morning skate. The man had been telling Ovechkin about the tragic accident.

The Russians took a few minutes in the dressing room to collect their thoughts, perhaps make some phone calls back home, and they returned to the ice about five minutes later.

Ovechkin, I think, put on a brave face for the two young Russian rookies. During a scrimmage, he was his usual self, hollering after scoring a goal. Galiev was visibly upset throughout the skate, but seemed to be comforted by the recent arrival of friend Cody Eakin, who joined practice for the first time today. Orlov was reserved, but focused his attention on the task at hand.

Ovechkin did leave the ice much earlier than his teammates. He returned to the bench in regular clothing while the skate was still going on, and spoke some more with Galiev and Orlov, as well as Jeff Halpern. While he was talking with them, Halpern was shaking his head in disbelief.

All three Russians had friends or national teammates on the flight. Nicklas Backstrom and Tomas Vokoun also had friends on board the plane.

Right now, it shouldn't matter if these players ever made it to the NHL or not. These men were fathers, sons, husbands, brothers, and friends. In a truly horrific offseason, we mourn the lives of those lost today.

Focus on Prospects: Patrick Wey

2011-09-03T14:21:00.001-04:00

photo by USA Hockey

Name: Patrick Wey

Position: D

Shoots: Right

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 210 lbs

Birthdate: 1991-03-21

Hometown: Mt. Lebanon, PA

I've noticed that more attention is generally given to prospects that come out of Canadian major junior - think Cody Eakin, Stanislav Galiev, even John Carlson several years ago as a member of the London Knights. But the Capitals possess strong prospects that are currently playing college hockey. Like Patrick Wey.

Wey was selected by the Capitals in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in the 4th round at 115th overall. He enters his junior year at Boston College this fall. As a freshman at BC, he was part of the Eagles team that won the 2010 NCAA Division I championship. He was also part of the bronze medal-winning Team USA in the 2011 World Junior Championships.

After being invited to WJC camp the previous year only to be sent home, Wey said that making the 2011 World Junior team was "unexpected." "Going into the camp, I didn't really expect to have a great shot at making the team," he said. "As it turned out, I made it, and it was a tremendous experience."

Wey was held pointless in six games, but he is not the type of player to put up big points. A puck-moving defenseman, he's more stay-at-home than drive to the net to score. Though Wey was just +4 his freshman year, he only played 27 games, missing 15 due to illness and injury (a broken wrist and concussion topped off with mononucleosis before the Frozen Four tournament).

He bounced back strong his sophomore year, ending up +20 in 37 games. He added a goal and 7 assists to his stats that year. He continues to get more comfortable with the speed typical of higher leagues. Going into college from the USHL, Wey indicated that the speed in college threw him for a loop as he adjusted from major junior. His experience at the 2011 World Juniors shows that he has even further adjusted to a faster-paced game, as he held his own playing against the best in the world in his age group.

Wey possesses ideal size and speed to play at a higher level, and it's not unreasonable to assume that the Capitals will sign Wey after he graduates in two years. Depending on how well he's developed, he could transition quite well to the Bears, and possibly the Capitals.

Wey certainly has the motivation and energy to make it. After an afternoon scrimmage at this summer's development camp, Wey said that he couldn't even take a nap before the scrimmage, explaining, "I was so excited."

Pre-Camp Updates

2011-08-24T13:54:00.005-04:00

Galiev signs his contract, Neuvy hits DC

The QMJHL's preseason is already in swing, and Capitals prospect Sam Carrier has started with his new team, Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Drakkar played their first preaseason game on Friday, August 19, and Carrier made his debut in style - he scored one goal and two assists in a 6-2 win over Chicoutimi.

He also wore an A on his sweater for the game, which may or may not indicate that he will be an alternate captain for the coming season. Drakkar played another game against Chicoutimi on Sunday, but Carrier did not play in that game.

The OHL and the WHL do not begin their preseasons until next week.

Over the past few days, a group of players consisting of John Carlson, Matt Hendricks, Jeff Halpern, Stanislav Galiev, Dmitri Orlov, and former Capitals goaltender Brent Johnson have been practicing at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. Today there was a new arrival at the rink: Michal Neuvirth joined the group (about halfway through the skate) for the first time this summer, flying in from the Czech Republic earlier this week.

Hendricks led drills this morning, and they concluded their skate with a modified game of shinny, setting up goalposts on the opposite ends of one zone of the ice. Coach Bob Woods' son Brendan, who plays hockey at Wisconsin, also participated in the skate. Woods was a free agent invitee to Capitals development camp in 2010.

After the skate this morning, Stanislav Galiev tweeted that he had signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Capitals.

A few photos from today's skate are here.

T.J. Syner Makes Up for Size with Strength

2011-07-15T19:33:00.002-04:00

photo by Bridget Samuels/bridgetds

T.J. Syner, a free agent attending UMass-Amherst, is an interesting player in this year's development camp. He possesses staggering speed and is built like a football player, with one exception: he's 5'6".

Looking up to smaller players who succeed in the NHL like Martin St. Louis has given Syner the motivation to make himself the best hockey player he can. "The guy's done unbelievable as a career, especially for his size," Syner says of St. Louis. "Going out there and being able to battle like he does every night just amazes me. I definitely look up to him and the style he plays."

Syner has explosive speed, and works hard to keep it that way. Before coming to camp, he says he "did a few power skating lessons just to get back on the ice." He worked with a coach near his hometown who also coaches figure skating, which might explain Syner's smooth stride. He's also very strong, which is important for a smaller player, as it makes him that much more difficult to knock off the puck.

His speed is also valuable on special teams, and UMass head coach Don Cahoon feels comfortable putting him on the ice in all situations. Last year, Syner scored four power play goals and one shorthanded goal.

The one area where he's been trying to improve is his scoring. While his point total has increased each year at UMass-Amherst (27 points last season), Syner is looking for his upcoming senior year to be the best yet in a big way. His coach has urged him to shoot more so the scoring will come.

"I've been trying to make steps, hopefully a bigger step next year, [my scoring] only increased a little bit each year," Syner said. "I played a lot last year and hopefully I'm going to get that same opportunity this year. It will play a big factor, a little bit more confidence, and definitely shooting the puck more, and hopefully produce points."

Syner is also looking to remain a mentor for younger players coming into the UMass program. A co-captain last season, Syner hopes to have a captaincy role again. Even if not, he's happy to play the role of an older player leading by example.

"We had 13, 14 freshmen last year so I kind of played that [leadership] role all last year," Syner said. "Every freshman looks up to a senior coming in, so you definitely gotta play the role and hopefully being a captain again, they'll look up to you and you just got to set the example for them."

Syner will be heading into his senior year with an NHL development camp under his belt - another learning experience to impart on younger players. Not to mention a boost of confidence that may just help him score the goals he's looking for. With one day left to go, Syner has found camp difficult but rewarding.

"It's been awesome; it's tough. I'm going to be honest, it's a lot tougher than I thought it was going to be. The skating's been really hard and challenging, but it's a great way to get in shape," Syner said. "This overall experience has been unbelievable."

Observations from Scrimmage #2

2011-07-14T16:44:00.009-04:00

Just a couple of quick notes as today was the second scrimmage and also the shortest day of development camp.

Travis Boyd is unbelievable. He has incredible hockey sense and vision way beyond his 17 years. He has the innate ability to see exactly how a play is forming, and set up several chances and goals.
Dmitri Orlov is very strong and makes great hits, but if he has the puck, he carries it way too far into the zone, nearly to the crease sometimes. It leaves just one defenseman back at the blue line, and if a breakaway forms the other way, Orlov is totally behind the play and in trouble. He has to learn how to reel in his excitement for contributing offensively and find a balance between contributing while remaining defensive-minded. I'm sure the coaches will try to get him to adjust that aspect of his game.
Someone I may try to talk to at some point is T.J. Syner. He's very small (probably 5'6") but he's incredibly fast and very strong. I'm not sure if he's contributed any points in scrimmages (scoring is not being announced in the rink after goals), but he has an interesting skill set.
Garrett Mitchell's shootout goal was gorgeous. A Twitter follower compared it to Matt Hendricks' chosen shootout move, and I don't disagree. He scored the lone shootout goal to win the scrimmage for Group A.
Philipp Grubauer has been getting better every day. He was very sharp in the scrimmage. He stopped all shootout attempts, even boldly slapping away with his stick Stanislav Galiev's attempt. (a wonderful youtube user got video of the whole shootout, catching Mitchell's lovely goal and Grubauer slapping the puck right out out Galiev's grasp)
There were two fights in today's game, both involving Scott Wietecha. He fought both Garrett Mitchell and later, Danick Paquette. The fight with Mitchell was fairly tame, just a little bit of grappling, and the two were separated. The fight with Paquette was much more spirited. Paquette, in his area of expertise, was not hesitant to throw punches. Paquette got the take down, and Wietecha had to go to the dressing room for repairs. When he returned, his right eye was already massively swollen and it looked like he also had a cut above his eye.

Danick Paquette met the media after the scrimmage, and went to the main focus area in front of all the cameras and lights. As he approached the microphone, he was slightly awed that he was getting the attention, and said (my audio was not on at the time), "I feel like President!"

And now, presented without further comment: Danick Paquette.

Danick Paquette by rinkrebel

Cody Eakin Reveals What He Told Steffen Soberg

2011-07-13T23:24:00.002-04:00

Quick update on the Swift Current Broncos front: I was able to ask Cody Eakin if he had indeed talked to Steffen Soberg about Swift Current. Eakin did, and spoke at length about what he told Soberg about his own experience with the Broncos.

"I told him a little bit about it. I told him it's a great city, a great town, and it's a really good place to play and come up through juniors. He said he likes the idea and he's thinking about going there. I think he's got a chance to be the number one goalie. Like I said, it's a great place to play, and a great community, great atmosphere, and great camaraderie with the team."

The Growth of Hockey in Illinois: Conor Allen

2011-07-13T22:54:00.002-04:00

photo by Bridget Samuels/bridgetds

Being from Chicagoland, I was pleased to look at the full development camp roster and see a Chicago native attending Capitals camp: defenseman Conor Allen.

Since I've been living in DC for eight years, I always enjoy chatting with a fellow Chicagoan. I was able to speak with him today, unbeknownst to me, our entire exchange was caught on video and is now on the Caps' website and I'm quite embarrassed at monopolizing Allen.

But I digress. Thinking about the two other Illinoisans in the Capitals system, Zach Miskovic and new signee Danny Richmond, it occurred to me to ask Allen, younger than those two, if he personally has seen youth hockey grow in Illinois, particularly since the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010.

My suspicions were correct. "Everyone loves hockey right now, it's amazing," he said of the effect the Hawks' Cup win has had on hockey involvement in Illinois. "Illinois is getting stronger and stronger every year. We have a great triple-A system, club hockey, the only problem is we don't have a college to go to." No university in the state of Illinois has an NCAA Division I hockey team (though the University of Illinois has hinted at someday adding a Division I team).

Conor Allen, who opted to head east to play hockey at University of Massachusetts Amherst, is a full-on product of Illinois hockey. He played with Team Illinois and the Chicago Blues, a Tier II hockey system that offers a full youth hockey program.

Allen spent the 2009-2010 season in nearby South Dakota with the USHL's Sioux Falls Stampede, where he scored 15 points (7g-8a) and was a +9. He was twice named Defensive Player of the Week during the season.

Allen just completed his freshman year at UMass-Amherst, scoring six points (2g-4a) in 31 games. But he won't be signing an NHL contract anytime soon; he chose college hockey for a reason.

"When you grow up in the United States, you idolize the college hockey route and the players. Education, especially in my family, is a big deal. All my brothers and sisters went to school; my dad's a professor," Allen said.

"And nowadays you can make it to the NHL playing college hockey. You play great hockey and get your education for free. It's really a great way to do it, and you also get the experience of being a college student which is really valuable."

Allen is set on returning to college next year, but he's looking to get some NHL exposure while completing his education. "It's always good to get exposure, live like a pro for a week, and feel it out. Hopefully I can keep the relationship going, and someday be a Capital."

Soberg Shows Off at Development Camp

2011-07-12T19:01:00.002-04:00

photo by Bridget Samuels/bridgetds

Soon after becoming the first Norwegian goalie ever to be drafted in the NHL, Steffen Soberg had to face another draft - the CHL Import Draft. Capitals goaltending coach Dave Prior instructed Soberg to go the CHL path to get the best coaching and development possible to turn him into a professional-league goaltender.

It's the path Michal Neuvirth took after coming over from the Czech league, before winning two Calder Cups with the Hershey Bears and moving on to the NHL.

Soberg said that he had some offers from teams in Sweden, but turned them down in favor of doing what the Capitals wanted. "That would be easier for me [to play in Sweden], not moving that far away," Soberg said. "But Dave Prior thinks that [the CHL] is the best place to develop as a goalie. I trust that."

Soberg went sixth overall in the CHL Import Draft to Cody Eakin's former club, the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL. Eakin had been captain of the Broncos before his trade to the Kootenay Ice, and I asked Soberg if he had spoken to Eakin yet about the experience in Swift Current.

"He said I was going to be the first goalie to play a lot of games. [Ed. note: I took that to mean that Eakin told Soberg he'd be the No. 1 goaltender.] They're going to test me there," Soberg said.

When I asked about his U18s tournament, he seemed very proud of his achievements during the tournament. "That's one of my best tournaments ever. I [faced] like, 50 shots every game," he said. "When you get a lot of shots it's more easy to come into the game, and I like that. Everything was working and everything went great. It was a good tournament."

It seems that Soberg thrives under pressure. He likes being tested and likes to be a big part of the game. Even with a weak team in front of him, he's able to perform and not completely shut down. The CHL is a league in which games tend to have a lot of shots and a lot of goals per game, so Soberg should do well in that environment.

I recorded a video of Soberg making saves during a drill. I noticed that he tends to rely on his leg pads a good deal, and his reflexes are good.

Samuel Carrier and the Death of the Lewiston MAINEiacs

2011-07-12T16:30:00.005-04:00

photo by Bridget Samuels/bridgetds

After development camp practice Tuesday, Samuel Carrier and Samuel Henley left the rink at Kettler Capitals Iceplex walking side-by-side. This year's camp is a reunion of sorts for the two.

They had been teammates for two seasons, but now, their team no longer exists.

On May 31, 2011, the owners of the QMJHL voted to fold the Lewiston MAINEiacs, based in Lewiston, Maine. The team will return (somewhat) as an expansion team in Sherbrooke, Quebec for the 2012-2013 season.

The group relocating the team to Quebec, owned by former NHL goaltender Jocelyn Thibault, would not have been able to relocate the team in time for the 2011-2012 season, and so the team had to completely disband via a special dispersal draft.

The dispersal draft took place on June 3, just a few days after the league announced the decision to fold the team. It was a tough situation for all the players involved as it was, but the QMJHL also completely botched how they handled the dismantling of the MAINEiacs.

Some of the players, active on Twitter, said that they had no idea what was going on in the days between the folding and the dispersal. No one in the league was in communication with the players, and the players were understandably panicked about their futures.

Cameron Critchlow, captain of the MAINEiacs, was also one of the more candid players, tweeting on June 1, "Wants to send the #qmjhl a big @#9* off and let the god damn boys know what's going for crying out loud what a joke."

Tuesday, I spoke with Sam Carrier, who was selected second overall in the dispersal draft by Baie-Comeau Drakkar, about the situation in Lewiston.

"It was pretty tough. No one knew what was happening," Carrier said. "The news came out one or two days before the dispersal draft. It was weird. It was the first time I'd seen that. Every player was like, 'What's going on?' We were talking on Facebook and Twitter, and nobody knew, so it was weird."

But Carrier is looking to move on with his new team in Baie-Comeau. He said that the Drakkar brass called him before the dispersal draft, and he met with them at the junior draft. Drakkar's head coach, Mario Pouliot, was Carrier's coach in Midget AAA (at Collège Antoine-Girouard), so his transition should be a fairly smooth one having previously worked with Pouliot.

Carrier does know some of his new teammates as well, saying that he has trained with a couple of them in the past.

He's hoping to further improve his game next season, after making strides last year with Lewiston. In 14 playoff games, he scored 15 points, and was a huge part of Lewiston's push in the postseason. Carrier feels he also improved on the other side of the game.

"I think my defensive side of the game improved a lot, just looking at the stats. Last year I was -9 and then this year I was +40," said Carrier. "It's a huge step for me, and I want to continue with this."

Get to Know the Invitees: Thomas Frazee

2011-07-11T20:54:00.001-04:00

photo by Bridget Samuels/bridgetds

Name: Thomas Frazee

Position: C

Shoots: Right

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 205 lbs

Birthdate: 1990-03-31

Hometown: N. Vancouver, BC
Roster # at camp: 95

While I did not see Frazee (no relation to Jeff Frazee, the New Jersey Devils goaltending prospect) skate today, the photographer providing the picture for this post did, and she noted that she was impressed with him. So I did my usual background digging.

Thomas Frazee is truly a journeyman in the WHL, playing for five different teams over the span of six seasons, finally spending his last WHL game as a Kamloops Blazer. He split the 2010-2011 season between the Regina Pats and the Blazers, putting up 71 points for the season.

With his overage season done, Frazee, undrafted, is hoping to become the Capitals' next Brandon Anderson - a free agent earning a contract based on camp performance. At 6'4", he certainly has the size to play professional hockey. But as a 16-year-old prospect for the Portland Winter Hawks, it seemed to coaches that he didn't have the heart.

In Portland's 2007 camp, Frazee was sent home for "off-ice reasons," which Frazee said amounted to his "attitude away from the ice, and being a better person." Portland GM Ken Hodge said of his dismissal, "I don't think Thomas has figured out the road to success. It's been easy for him, without a lot of accountability. We want him to commit to himself, and a commitment to the hockey club would fall into place."

By Frazee's overage season, he seemed to find his motivation. Though his point totals steadily increased with each junior season, he outdid his 2009-2010 season by nearly 20 points in 2010-2011. Finally touted as a quality power forward, his stock has risen as he continues to improve.

Frazee has good scoring ability, but is also not afraid to drop the gloves every now and then, with two registered fights last year.

It seems that Frazee has matured and is ready to work his way into professional hockey. I'll keep an eye on him as the week goes on.

Get to Know the Invitees: Jacob Gervais-Chouinard

2011-07-11T20:02:00.000-04:00

Instead of the usual "Focus on Prospects," I changed it up a bit to introduce you to the development camp free agent invitees. We all know the guys the Caps have drafted, but who are the others at camp?

I'll start out with the only free agent goaltender attending this year's development camp, Jacob Gervais-Chouinard.

photo by Bridget Samuels/bridgetds

Name: Jacob Gervais-Chouinard

Position: G

Catches: Left

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 160 lbs

Birthdate: 1992-03-21

Hometown: Sherbrooke, QC
Roster # at camp: 80

First, the basics. Gervais-Chouinard just wrapped up his second season with the Val D'Or Foreurs of the QMJHL. Last season, he acted as number one goaltender for Val D'Or, appearing in 54 games with a GAA of 3.45 and save percentage of .882. Gervais-Chouinard was included in the QMJHL's Three Stars of the Week in March after backstopping two Val D'Or wins with one shutout, a .961 save percentage, and a .96 GAA.

In June, Gervais-Chouinard was traded to Rimouski Oceanic, as Oceanic's top goaltender aged out at the conclusion of the past season. He's expected to step in to Rimouski's number one goaltending spot and start the majority of games.

Gervais-Chouinard led the Foreurs into the playoffs, ending the regular season ranked 14th of the 18 QMJHL teams. But ultimately, the Foreurs were swept out in the first round by the Quebec Remparts. Gervais-Chouinard's performance in the playoffs was pretty rough - a 7.19 GAA and .784 save percentage in three games played.

But Gervais-Chouinard was playing behind a weak team in Val D'Or, a team that had just one roster player who averaged over a point per game. For perspective, the Memorial Cup-winning St. John Sea Dogs had four point-per-game players this past season.

With Gervais-Chouinard now in Rimouski, things should start to look up for him. He's got a better team in front of him, in the middle of the pack league-wise at 10th in the Q.

In terms of playing style, he's got flashes of brilliance. He has the ability to make fantastic leg pad saves, but is weak on his low glove side. Not to mention he was majorly gassed after sprints today. Considering he doesn't have a lot of weight on his frame, it could be the reason for his exhaustion. Bulking up would greatly help him with his playing performance.

I'll keep you updated as the week goes on, but he was down on the other end of the ice from where I was standing, so I didn't get to watch him as much as other goalies. I'll also update if I get the chance to chat with him.

Focus on Prospects: Travis Boyd

2011-06-27T22:05:00.000-04:00

photo by Dan Hickling

Name: Travis Boyd

Position: LW

Shoots: Left

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 185 lbs

Birthdate: 1993-09-14

Hometown: Hopkins, MN

With their sixth round selection (177th), the Washington Capitals selected Travis Boyd of the U.S. National Development Team Program (NDTP). In 60 games this past season with USA, he scored 13 goals and 25 assists for a total of 38 points. His discipline is beyond compare with just 16 PIMs in those 60 games. He also participated in April's IIHF U18 tournament, with six points in six games, earning a gold medal with the USA team.

Boyd is committed to attending the University of Minnesota beginning next year.

Boyd began drawing buzz as an 8th grader playing on his high school's hockey team in Hopkins, Minnesota. After leading his team in scoring with 46 points his first year, he was invited to join the U.S. NTDP. He couldn't turn down the invitation, considering the opportunity to play for his country the chance of a lifetime.

In post-selection interviews, Boyd compared himself to Claude Giroux. Scouting reports wouldn't disagree, saying he's a "shifty player that has great hands and a keen ability to read the play in front of him." While he doesn't have a very heavy shot, it is accurate. He has good vision, great playmaking ability, and is a skilled passer.

He showed off those exact talents in one game during the U18 tournament, an 8-1 USA win over Slovakia. Boyd scored a shorthanded goal during the game, and one observer marveled at the play that led to it.

Travis Boyd’s shorthanded tally was a thing of beauty. He out-raced a defenseman to the puck in the Slovakian zone, out-muscled said defender, put the puck to his backhand, and with one hand on his stick let it glide right into the net. It was a great goal and that was probably the straw that broke the Slovakian camel’s back.

As he prepares to head to Minnesota, Boyd says his main focus is getting stronger and faster. One weakness scouts see is his skating. While he does have maneuverability on the ice, his speed could use some work. He needs to put some weight on his relatively small frame, and he plans to work on skating with training coaches to improve his speed.

Minnesota coach Don Lucia agrees with Boyd's conditioning plans. "He can play on the power play on the half wall and can kill penalties," Lucia says. "I think as he adds strength that he will be able to play in any situation that we have going into the next few years."

When his name was called on Saturday, Boyd was thrown for a loop. "I didn't really expect Washington, I never talked to them." Not that he's not happy to come to DC and be a part of the Capitals organization. "It's awesome because Washington's a great place, good team, I'm happy to go there."

Focus on Prospects: Patrick Koudys

2011-06-26T22:18:00.002-04:00

photo by Sara Melikian/RPI

Name: Patrick Koudys

Position: D

Shoots: Left

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 210 lbs

Birthdate: 1992-11-15

Hometown: Smithville, ON

With their fifth round pick at 147th, the Washington Capitals selected Patrick Koudys, a defenseman currently studying civil engineering and playing hockey at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), in the ECAC of Division I college hockey. RPI has produced NHL talent such as Adam Oates and Joe Juneau (incidentally, both former Capitals).

Koudys just completed his freshman year at RPI, scoring one goal and two assists in 31 games as an Engineer. Prior to his freshman year, Inside College Hockey (INCH) named him 11th on their Top 20 list of Incoming Freshman Defensemen.

He compares his game to that of Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa, who actually has a very similar background to Koudys. "He is from Smithville right now, even though he was originally from Grimsby," Koudys says of Bieksa. "He went to Blessed Trinity like I did. He played Junior A in Burlington, and was drafted to the [OHL] and went to school - so was I."

He plays like Bieksa as well, considering himself a "solid two-way defenseman." He points to his vision as being an asset, saying, "I can read the play well and see the game, overall, pretty well." Earlier this June, he spoke with NHL.com about his flexibility as a player. "If a team needs a defensive-defenseman, I'm that guy," he says. "An offensive guy, physical presence or a fighter … I can do that, too."

At 6'4" and 210 lbs, he's nearly at NHL-ready size. "I think my size is a big thing, too," Koudys says. "Not too many guys are as big as I am right now, and I see myself filling in lots this summer, and a lot more over the next couple of years before I make my big push for the NHL."

Father Jim, also a defenseman, was drafted by the New York Islanders with the very last pick of the 1982 NHL Entry Draft, 252nd, in the 12th round. He honed his skills with the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL for three seasons. Though he never played an NHL game, he spent several seasons in the AHL and IHL.

Patrick says his father actually inspired him to go the college route instead of going straight from the CHL to professional hockey as his father did. After getting picked by the Oshawa Generals in the 7th round of the 2009 OHL Draft, RPI offered him a scholarship, and Koudys accepted the chance to get an education and play college hockey. "It was a no-brainer for me," Koudys says of his decision. Koudys points out that if professional hockey doesn't work out for him, he'll have a degree to fall back on.

However, after invites to last summer's NHL Research, Development, and Orientation camp as well as the recent NHL combine, scouts clearly see talent and he should enjoy some sort of professional career. Ranked 76th among North American skaters in the Central Scouting Services (CSS) final rankings, CSS scouts see Koudys as a player who can and will improve as he continues to develop with RPI's program.

"He has really good upside, a really strong skater, good defensively," says CSS scout Gary Eggleston. "He was a little bit restrained offensively, but I think he can still go with the puck and contribute to the offense. He's a pretty physical kid, strong in the corners and capable of moving to the puck quickly. He played with a lot of poise for a freshman."

It was at this month's combine that Koudys first met with the Washington Capitals and spoke with management. He felt his interview went well, and was happy to hear his name called by the Capitals on the second day of this weekend's draft.

In an interview with the media after his selection, Koudys expressed his excitement, saying, "They're obviously a great organization and really excited that I got drafted there."

Focus on Prospects: Steffen Søberg

2011-06-25T21:53:00.011-04:00

photo from Manglerud Star team website

Name: Steffen Søberg

Position: G

Catches: Left

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 176 lbs

Birthdate: 1993-08-06

Hometown: Oslo, Norway

After trading their first round pick for Troy Brouwer, the Capitals first available draft pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft was 117th, in the fourth round. With it, the team surprised analysts and fans by selecting a sleeper, Norwegian goaltender Steffen Søberg of the Manglerud Stars.

Some were quick to judge the pick, considering Søberg's statistics from last season with the Stars. A 4.17 GAA and .884 save percentage in 27 games doesn't inspire much confidence, but his Norwegian league team performance is not why the Capitals drafted him.

Søberg made a name for himself in Norway after showings in the World Junior Championships (U20) in December 2010/January 2011, then the IIHF U18 tournament in April 2011.

Søberg made his first international tournament appearance in the 2011 World Juniors. Taking place several months before U18, Søberg was not the starting goaltender, and played less than half of Norway's goaltending minutes. But in the time he did see on the ice, he posted a .913 save percentage and a 3.57 GAA.

It was the later tournament (U18) in which Søberg particularly made his presence known to International Scouting Services scouts. Søberg played behind a weak Norway team, and the team won just one game in the tournament.

Despite that, Søberg had the second-best statistics of any goaltender in the tournament, with a .930 save percentage and a 3.90 GAA. He alone kept Norway from being blown out every game.

ISS Head Scout Ross MacLean noted that he was extremely impressed by Søberg at the U18 tournament. Norway was considered an effective team, and MacLean says that fact was "99% due to the play of Søberg," who he thought was "without a doubt the most impressive goaltender in the tournament so far."

ISS also spoke to Hockey's Future about Søberg's U18 play, calling it "simply astounding." His high GAA could be accounted for by how many shots he faced - Søberg made 295 saves on 317 shots in just six games, including a 5-0 loss to Canada in which he made 58 saves on a tournament-high 63 shots.

ISS spoke of Søberg's composure in the crease, saying that he made saving so many shots look easy. "Few U18 goaltenders have ever shown the poise displayed by Søberg during this tournament and with the other top goaltending prospects faltering a bit, the excitement around Søberg could go a long way come draft day."

Just a month after the tournament, ISS named Søberg the top European goaltending prospect in their May ranking. He was also named Rookie of the Year by his Norwegian league.

Kyle Woodlief of Red Line Report spoke of Søberg in a column he wrote for USA Today. A Google translation of a Swedish article on Søberg quotes Woodlief as saying, "Søberg stood on his head and made hundreds of incredible saves that allowed Norway to keep themselves alive in almost every game."

The Hockey News too took notice as the draft approached, calling Søberg one of the draft's "dark horses."

Now a Washington Capitals prospect, goaltending coach Dave Prior indicated that, hopefully, Søberg will play in the CHL next year. The CHL Import Draft takes place in just a few days (June 29), and if all goes according to plan, Søberg will be selected and play for a CHL team next season.

Michael Neuvirth took a similar path, developing for three years in the OHL before landing with Capitals ECHL affiliate South Carolina Stingrays, and working his way up to the NHL.

Søberg is expected to attend the Capitals' development camp, beginning July 11.

It's Over

2011-05-06T00:23:00.002-04:00

My sentiment in the last minute of Game 4:

"I hate loving this team."

Now that I've taken some time to grieve and let the loss really sink in, I'm still not really certain how I feel. A couple of emotions are circling in my head. Disappointment. Anger. Frustration. Disgust.

And yet, oddly, I'm hopeful.

This has been one of the most irritating, and yet successful regular seasons that I have seen from the Caps. They went through a vastly-publicized (thanks, HBO) eight-game losing streak, and still managed to pull off the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Even the best moments come in losses. Remember Alex Ovechkin up-ending PK Subban on February 1? The Capitals lost that game in a shootout. Marcus Johansson's first NHL goal against the Bruins? A 3-1 loss in October.

There will be some changes to the roster this summer - several long-time Caps will be UFAs, and the Caps cannot afford to keep all of them. The team will have a very different face. It will be difficult to say goodbye to some fan favorites, but it's obvious that changes have to be made.

Despite everything, I remain optimistic. George McPhee is one of the smartest drafters in the league, and I would expect some prospects will move into the roster. As well, McPhee will pick up more quality prospects at next month's draft.

As a fan of most Chicago sports teams (in particular the Chicago Cubs), I'm quite familiar with the phrase "There's always next year." I know many fans eschew that phrase, but Stanley Cup wins don't happen overnight. It takes time and a lot of work to achieve such a feat. The Capitals will win a Stanley Cup. It's just impossible to know when. It's frustrating to wait, yes, but it will happen.

Until then, have patience and have faith. Being a sports fan isn't always easy, but that's why we are fans. We face a lot of heartbreak, but just think: when the Caps do win the Stanley Cup, it will be that much sweeter knowing the struggles of the past.

Thank you for all the support this year. I'll continue to do Prospect posts this summer, and I plan to continue writing for The Fourth Period next season, beginning with development camp in just a few months. I appreciate everyone who reads my blog, shares it on Twitter, everything. The support means the world.

Perspective on the Eve of a Caps OT Loss

2011-05-02T13:43:00.003-04:00

I was disappointed at 10:00 last night.

I went over to California Tortilla to drown my sorrows in a burrito. The place was crowded, and I had to sit at a table with several other people. I'd been chatting a bit with the couple sitting next to me about the game. I was reading Twitter on my phone, and suddenly stopped. "Oh my God," I said. The girl next to me asked, "What?" "Osama bin Laden is dead," I replied. "Oh my God," she said, and the guy she was with suggested they hurry over to his place to turn on the TV.

On the Metro, everyone was abuzz about the news. We were sharing information we were reading on our phones with others. I broke the news to at least one man sitting near me.

Once I got home, President Obama had still not come to the microphone. I turned on the TV and eagerly awaited the news.

After Obama's address, CNN was showing GW students running to the White House to celebrate in front of the gates. Twitter followers who live far from DC urged me to go. I hopped in a cab, wearing my John Carlson shirt, and made my way down.

I was immediately struck by how many people were there. Despite the sheer number of people, everything was very peaceful, and everyone was just celebrating the news. People were sitting in the trees outside the gates, and scaling light posts to hang American flags at the top. One person brought sparklers, and several people waved them happily in the crowd. People broke out in spontaneous rounds of "God Bless America," and the "U-S-A!" chant was steady throughout the night.

One man was standing solemnly in the crowd, holding a photo of a man in the military and a folded flag. After a reporter went up to him to ask him about the photo, he said that the photo was of his son, who was killed in Afghanistan.

There were many servicemen wandering through the crowd, some in dress, some in fatigues. There was an older veteran holding a sign offering free military haircuts.

I stayed for a few hours, but it was past 3am and I was exhausted. I uploaded my photos to flickr, and posted several videos to twitvid (http://www.twitvid.com/ZMWVH http://www.twitvid.com/HUJB9 http://www.twitvid.com/EXDDH http://www.twitvid.com/G5H92). What a day for America.

Capitals Hockey from an Outsider's View

2011-04-09T21:55:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, I didn't grow up a hockey fan. Growing up in suburban Chicago, Blackhawks games weren't broadcast on TV thanks to the beliefs of Bill Wirtz.

My mother, who still lives in my hometown of Barrington, Illinois, is of course acutely aware of my obsession with the Capitals, and she comes to visit DC a fair amount to see me. A few months ago, she mentioned that she wanted to go to a Capitals game with me when she was next in DC. That moment came this past weekend.

My mother's a fifth grade teacher, and her spring break was last week. Since I was in Canada the first weekend of her spring break, she chose the second weekend of the break to visit me. It happened to be the weekend of the Capitals' Fan Appreciation night against Buffalo on Saturday. I managed to buy great tickets at an ungouged cost thanks to a season ticket holder friend (thanks Addison).

The day of the game, I went to cover Capitals practice since I can only go on the weekends to act as media at Kettler. I took my mom with me so she could see a typical Caps practice and also so that we could go to the Team Store to outfit her before the game that evening. It was after practice that my mom revealed to me that the first (and last) time she had been to an NHL game was a Blackhawks game in (approximately) 1979.

My mom's definitely never watched much Capitals hockey, and basically knows Ovechkin and whatever other players I've babbled on about to her or players whose jerseys I've requested for Christmas (my first ever Caps jersey I got for Christmas in 2008, and I got my Mike Knuble Winter Classic jersey for Christmas last year). She knows the names of most of the Blackhawks thanks to more recent news coverage in Chicago. But that's basically her extent of the hockey world.

It occurred to me that she was attending this game as a total outsider - as what all of us start as. My first Caps game was so long ago that I don't really remember what my feelings were, only that I fell in love with the team.

We got to the Verizon Center, found our seats, and I explained to my mom the significance of Bill McCreary's retirement that evening and how most Caps fans felt about him. I guided her through the pre-game rituals: made sure she knew the puck-in-play rule, pay careful attention to the awesome opening video, stand when the team comes out, and remain standing because the National Anthem comes right after.

My mom seemed fascinated the whole game. She got increasingly into it, slapping her knee with a groan when Alex Ovechkin had a shot saved by Jhonas Enroth. Holding me back (literally) when I got into an expletive-filled screaming match with the obnoxious Sabres fans down our row (oops). She was amused by my participation in Unleashing the Fury, and told me that she thought it was a fantastic video montage.

When Ovechkin got the overtime game-winner, she actually cheered! She then said she loved the Ovechkin victory dance, and thought it was very classy of him to go and shake Bill McCreary's hand after the game (something I didn't even notice). We then watched the Jerseys Off Their Backs portion post-game, and my mom only said good things about the conduct of the players. It couldn't have been a better game to be her first.

I'd forgotten what it's like to be a hockey outsider at a Capitals game, but I'm fairly confident that she became a convert. Yesterday she emailed me to let me know that she wore her Kettler purchase, a Capitals track jacket, to school and was Rocking the Red in her classroom in Cary, Illinois.

We all were new to hockey at some point, and I can only hope that I made my mother into at least a casual Capitals fan - and not just because her daughter is a fan.

Canada Trip Leg Two: Montreal

2011-03-27T23:30:00.001-04:00

Hello from Montreal! After arriving on the train, host, Habs fan, and awesome blogger Amanda picked me up to head to her place. After dropping off my luggage and picking up our gamewear, we wandered down Ste-Catherine for a while, checking out the shops and battling the pedestrian traffic. We then stopped to have a nice Thai dinner and brought our own wine, but were expecting three people, not just the two of us (the famous Julie had a previous engagement go long) and so we had two bottles of wine with us. We had to bite the bullet and down the both of them ourselves. So, needless to say, we were more inebriated than we'd planned before the game.

The restaurant was only about two blocks from Centre Bell, so we walked over for the game. I had plenty of fans cajoling me on my choice of attire (a Mike Knuble Winter Classic jersey), but none in a harmful or personal way. Most of the comments were a good-natured "hey, you're wearing the wrong jersey" which of course wasn't too much of an issue for me.

Centre Bell is lovely, however the concourses are quite narrow, which is only a problem during intermissions when it feels like a human cattle drive. We were seated in the very last row, but at center ice. The press box is suspended over the upper sections so there was sometimes an issue seeing the top of the jumbotron from our seats, but again, as we were in the last row, there was no one to complain about us leaning forward. Or standing up and dancing to the arena DJ like idiots.

As to the game, it was like seeing a different team from the previous night. I was happy to see Marco Sturm get his first goal as a Cap, and I'm probably one of the few fans who can say they've seen Braden Holtby's first and second NHL shutouts in person. Holtby was outstanding. He still makes some rookie mistakes, but he's gotten a lot better about minimizing his mistakes and absolutely robbed some Canadiens. Oh, and, Bell Centre Holtby Shuffle.

the menu at the Habs tweetup, with each special named after a player

After the great game, we went to the Habs tweetup, where people had been gathered to watch the game. I met some tweeps I know, and some I didn't, and then we ventured off to another nearby bar. Lo and behold, Kirk Muller was at the bar in a back room. I got to shake his hand, and then later on I was standing talking to someone, and Muller rubbed my shoulders to get by me. I about died.

So, in general, Saturday was much better than Friday. But I've had a great time on my trip, and I'm sad to be leaving Montreal tomorrow to head back Stateside. But I'm glad that the Caps were able to redeem themselves for my trip!

Canada Trip Leg One: Ottawa

2011-03-26T12:51:00.002-04:00

I'm sitting on the train from Ottawa to Montreal, traveling through the Canadian countryside, Elliot in the Morning sitting right behind me, and I have some time to blog.

Ottawa is odd, but pretty. It's odd because it can go from houses to downtown in a matter of two blocks. Plus when I went through customs, the Border Agent was baffled when I explained I was in the country to watch hockey. Aren't you supposed to be Canadian?

When I arrived Thursday, beat writer Steve Whyno and myself went to get a few drinks and watch Habs/Bruins at McLaren's, a place I highly recommend if you're looking to watch hockey. Or any sport really.

Friday, gameday, I went up to Parliament Hill, which is beautiful. Of course I was there on the day that Stephen Harper got taken down, but that's besides the point at the moment. I then went to meet up with some tweeps near the campus of uOttawa, and we had poutine served to us by a waiter who looked suspiciously like DJ Pauly D. Of course, we asked him to Beat Dat Beat Up.

photo by Ashley/@SensCaps

I met up with Sens fan, Ottawa native, and game accompaniment Lewy, and we headed on the bus over to Scotiabank Place, which is maybe 20 minutes outside of Ottawa.

It's a beautiful arena. You enter in a soaring atrium, with steps leading up to the upper levels. There are three seating levels, but both the 200 and 300 levels are accessible from the second floor concourse.

One thing I did notice that I liked was that the Senators do not have their own version of the Red Rockers, but rather several mixed-gender groups of 20-somethings wearing white Senators t-shirts and carrying giveaways like t-shirts and small tambourine noisemakers to throw to children in all sections of the arena. They also pumped up the crowd by leading chants and cheering. I much preferred that to the Red Rockers.

I don't have too much to say about the game, because, well, it sucked. Caps didn't seem to show up at all, and Varlamov looked like he was never quite comfortable in the net. Anderson was solid in his own end, as evidenced by his subsequent shutout. He really has settled into Ottawa's system well.

Scotiabank Place is not only very nice, but is a great place to watch hockey. Sightlines are good from pretty much anywhere in the arena, and it has a very grand feel to it. My only gripes is that obviously it's quite far from downtown Ottawa, but also the seats have no cupholders (!) and the jumbotron needs an upgrade to the point where it made me realize how spoiled we are at Verizon with our gorgeous HD jumbotron.

Crappy game aside, I enjoyed my time in Ottawa, and I can't wait to get to Montreal and Bell Centre, as I've heard so much about the experience there.

You can see my photos from Ottawa on Flickr. I'll caption and tag once I have some more time.

Au revoir, and Let's Go Caps!

Countdown to Canada

2011-03-21T21:01:00.000-04:00

In case you haven't heard me squealing about it forever, I'm headed to Canada in just two days to visit my first non-Verizon NHL arenas, and watch the Caps while they're away in Ottawa and Montreal this weekend. The trip is courtesy of American Airlines frequent flyer miles and some generous tweeps who are hosting me, as well as showing me the sights and accompanying me, the enemy, to games.

It will be my first visit to Ottawa and Montreal, and my first time at an NHL game not taking place at Verizon Center. I will be attending games at not one, but two legendary arenas, Scotiabank Place and Centre Bell. I've never before been in "away team" territory, but I will have a Sens fan and a Habs fan, respectively, with me at the games.

I'll be blogging and posting photos of my adventure as I go behind enemy lines as a Caps fan and see the game from another side. Plus, you know, plugging how gorgeous Ottawa and Montreal are.

I'm looking forward to meeting so many people that I've talked to for ages but never seen in person. And I hope you'll all bear with me and maybe live vicariously through me this weekend. I'll also of course be constantly posting to Twitter during my vacation.

Stay tuned!

Andy Miele on the Frozen Four, the Hobey Baker, and His Future in the NHL

2011-03-15T19:45:00.006-04:00

photo by Cathy White/WCPO.com

It's been a while since I blogged about Andy Miele. With the awarding of the Hobey Baker coming up during the Frozen Four in just a few weeks, I set up an interview to chat with Miele, who is first in the nation in college hockey scoring (65 points) this season.

Saturday night, the Miami RedHawks completed their CCHA two-game quarterfinal sweep of University of Alaska-Fairbanks, and move on to the semifinals in Detroit, facing Notre Dame on Friday. In Saturday's game, Miele had a goal and two assists to lift the RedHawks to a 4-1 final.

The team has high hopes for this year's Frozen Four in the Twin Cities, after a disappointing 7-1 semifinal exit last year to eventual champions Boston College.

I spoke to Miele on Tuesday, three days after the last win over Alaska.

Rink Rebel: Congratulations on your season so far and on the quarterfinal wins over Alaska. What's the team's mentality heading into Friday's semifinal against Notre Dame?

Andy Miele: We know it's going to be a tough battle, it always is against Notre Dame. They're a good, skilled team that works hard, but they're young, and we're pretty experienced, so we're hoping that we can get the outcome that we want.

RR: Obviously last year's outcome at the Frozen Four was disappointing for you, but are you guys using that as motivation to make it even farther this year?

AM: Yeah, definitely. Everything that happens in the past you learn from, you move on from, and you get better from. Last year was obviously very disappointing, and so was the year before that, but it's something that we have in the back of our minds and will definitely motivate us come Frozen Four time.

RR: You've consistently improved each year with Miami, so looking at this season in particular, in what areas do you think you've improved the most?

AM: I'd say I'm more consistent, I'm bringing it every shift, instead of maybe one or two periods a game. I'm trying to go a full 60 minutes and staying focused, and that starts in practice. The consistency in practice is much better this year, and the time is showing in my statistics.

RR: How important was your time with the Capitals during the summer's development camp for your own development this past year?

AM: It was huge. Going there and doing pretty well definitely boosted my confidence. I had a great time there, I met a lot of guys. But the biggest thing was going there and succeeding, and that instilled so much confidence for me this year, on and off the ice.

RR: What does it mean for you to have your name floating around the top of the list for the Hobey Baker?

AM: You know, it's still hard to believe. I'd never really thought of myself as being a top contender for the Hobey Baker, so it hasn't really hit me how big of a deal it is. It's hard for me to still believe. I'm excited about it, and I look forward to what comes with it.

RR: Are you just looking to beat out [Carter] Camper (Ed. Note: Camper, Miami's Captain, is also a nominee) for it?

AM: No, no, my main goal this year is to win a national championship so that's my main focus, and if I can win a Hobey Baker, that would be awesome too.

RR: You've been getting a lot of attention with all the Hobey Baker talk, are you glad now that you weren't drafted? Because now after you graduate you're pretty much going to have your pick of teams.

AM: Absolutely. When you've had a successful season like I have, being a free agent is huge. You're not stuck in a place where you maybe don't want to be, I get to choose. Hopefully I'll have enough good options where I'll be happy with my decision.

RR: I've seen some New York Rangers blogs lobbying for [Glen] Sather to sign you. Do you think that the smaller, feisty players like [Mats] Zuccarello with the Rangers are helping your case to play in the NHL?

AM: Absolutely. Any little feisty guy that can succeed will open up scouts' eyes toward other players like that. It's just more recently that they've been looking at smaller players like myself. I think me and Carter [Camper] (Ed. Note: Camper is listed at 5'9", Miele at 5'8") are very excited about that, and hopefully our dream to play in the NHL someday will come true.

RR: After your experience with the Capitals organization this summer, all the fans want to know if you would sign with the Caps if they offered you a contract.

AM: [laughs] I'll answer that question when it comes my way. It's a great organization there, it's a great city, great coaching staff, the guys seem great, so that'll be a question to answer when it comes my way.

Knuble and the Caps Catch the Hawks in OT

2011-03-13T17:43:00.005-04:00

photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images

I don't usually do game notes, but it was too exciting a game to stay silent. A couple of notes on the overtime win over the Blackhawks:

This was by far Jason Chimera's best game of the season. He was showing off his speed and he had more chances than usual. It wasn't just Chimera though; the Chimera-Laich-Fehr line was the best of the day, generating a ton of scoring chances, and scoring the third Capitals goal. Eric Fehr fed Brooks Laich a great pass in front, and Corey Crawford had no chance to save it.
Mike Knuble's overtime goal was beautiful; dirty, but beautiful. Knuble's forehand-backhand-forehand dance around Crawford's crease was the best his hands have looked in a long time. Marcus Johansson's pass to Knuble was picture-perfect.
Speaking of Johansson, he was a force on the ice today. He led the team in shots on net with seven. The penalty he took late in the third period was dumb, as it led to the tying Blackhawks goal, but his pass to Knuble in overtime seemed to make up for it.
Braden Holtby looked a bit shaky in net today. The Blackhawks' first goal was a soft one through Holtby's five hole, and their second was a bad angle shot that squeaked through seven hole, and bounced off his back into the goal. You can bet that Arturs Irbe will be working with him on situations like the second goal in practice.
NBC seemed to be crediting everyone but Jason Arnott for Alexander Semin's reawakening. Semin also had a good, hardworking game today. His work ethic for the past seven games since Arnott entered the lineup has been consistently strong. I was in the locker room yesterday after practice, and when Arnott and Semin came in, they were chatting away. It was funny to see Arnott trying to figure out what the heck Semin was saying, but he was talking. Of all the times I've ever previously been in the locker room, I've never heard Semin say a single word. There's no doubt in my mind that Arnott is responsible for Semin's inspired play.
Who knew that Boyd Gordon had such a cannon on him? I definitely wasn't expecting him to bomb a shot from so far away - and have it go through Crawford's pads. This is why the Caps keep Gordon around; he is essential to the penalty kill.

Overall, the game had all the intensity of a playoff game. Both teams were running on all cylinders and playing their best hockey. Considering that the Caps came away with the win, it speaks favorably to their playoff hopes. With Montreal, Detroit, New Jersey, and Philadelphia coming up, hopefully the Caps can keep up the excitement.

Dmitri Orlov's North American Debut

2011-03-02T19:30:00.006-05:00

Me, my sign, and Dmitri Orlov (photo by Ian Oland, thank you)

Being a Spitfires fan for the past few seasons, I tend to follow former Spitfires in their careers. Adam Henrique, one of my favorite Spitfires, as well as former Spitfires captain Harry Young, were drafted by the New Jersey Devils during their time in the OHL. Both players aged out of the CHL this past season, and were assigned to the Albany Devils out of training camp.

When I saw that the Hershey Bears were playing the Devils on a Saturday at Giant Center, I bought second row tickets several months in advance.

Imagine my surprise when a week before the game, the news broke that the Capitals' 2009 second-round draft pick Dmitri Orlov was on his way to Hershey, and was expected to make his debut on the day the Bears played the Albany Devils.

Being an Orlov fan, I set about making a sign in Russian to welcome him to Hershey. He saw the sign during warmups and smiled and nodded to me, and as the game began, I put on my proverbial blogger hat and watched Orlov very closely as he made his entrance into the AHL.

It definitely was like watching a superstar in the making. Despite spending his entire career to date on Russian ice, which is larger than North American ice, Orlov didn't miss a beat and seemed completely at ease. Paired with veteran defenseman Patrick Wellar, the two were very aware of each other despite speaking different languages.

Orlov was remarkably composed and didn't many mistakes. He spent time on the power play, on the second unit, where he showed off his booming shot from the blue line. One of those attempted shots led to a Steve Pinizzotto goal - Orlov got the secondary assist on the PPG for his first AHL point in his first game (the next day, he'd follow it up with a primary assist on a Dmitri Kugryshev goal).

Coach Mark French was also impressed with Orlov's ability to seamlessly mesh into the Bears lineup. Though obviously concerned with Orlov's shaky grasp of the English language, French insinuated that in the short-term, it wouldn't get in the way of his play, as he "seems to have a decent hockey sense" and French said he was "impressed" with how Orlov played.

Capitals General Manager George McPhee agreed, telling reporters, "We got a report from someone that was at the game who said Orlov's first period the other night was the best first period he's ever seen from a 19-year-old in the American Hockey League... We're pretty high on this player."

Today, Orlov made the switch from PTO to ELC, signing his first contract with the Capitals. Given his work ethic and performance thus far, he's well on his way to a successful North American career.

Video highlights of Orlov's debut are here.

Video of Mark French's postgame remarks is here.

I'm a Crazy Person Who Drove 7 Hours for a Junior Hockey Game

2011-02-06T21:16:00.003-05:00

See the kid with the Fu Manchu mustache in the yellow? He ruined my night.

A few months ago, I butted into a friend's Twitter conversation. She and another friend (both live in Pittsburgh) were discussing heading up to Erie to see the Windsor Spitfires as they play the Otters on a Saturday in February. I interjected, saying I wanted to go, and so I bought the game tickets, reserved a rental car, and got a hotel room in Erie, Pennsylvania.

That Saturday arrived this past weekend. It was not only my first Windsor Spitfires game, but also my first junior hockey game.

I became a Windsor Spitfires fan about two years ago, in my first exposure to junior hockey: the 2009 Memorial Cup, broadcast on NHL Network. I think it was the Spitfires' color scheme that first attracted me: they sport the familiar red, white, and blue, with the same font used on the jerseys as the Capitals. They also reminded me of the Capitals in terms of playing style, with lots of offensive firepower, particularly the previous two years with Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique, Justin Shugg, and others in the lineup. They still retain arguably one of the best defensemen in the CHL, Ryan Ellis.

I set out early Saturday morning, and spent seven hours driving in the rain. Yuck. Seven hours and several cups of coffee later, I arrived in Erie to a light snow. I checked into my hotel and waited for a reasonable hour to head out to dinner. Well, it started snowing. A lot. By the time I set out for dinner and the game, the roads were covered, not plowed, and extremely slippery. My rental car was a Toyota Corolla. Not exactly a car made for snow.

It was a slidey trip over to Tullio Arena in downtown Erie. The arena reminded me of my high school gymnasium - before the renovation in 2000. It was pretty old and rundown, but packed with a little over 5,400 very rabid fans. I headed down to rinkside as the warmups began.

You couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I'd only ever seen these guys on my TV or on my computer watching OHL Live. There was Ryan Ellis! Kenny Ryan! Jack Campbell! Alexander Khokhlachev (please draft him, Caps)!

After the too-short warmups, I met tweeps Erika and Devin for the first time, and we found our seats, four rows behind the Otters bench.

Ryan Ellis scored first in the first few minutes of the game, but after that, there wasn't much for us to cheer about. The Otters struck again and again, and Jack Campbell was pulled after the fifth Otters goal in the second period. He was replaced by Michael Nishi (new trade acquisition John Cullen apparently had the flu).

Going into the third period, Zack Kassian, Alexander Khokhlachev, and Nick Ebert did not reappear on the ice (they were banished to the locker room for poor play). Brady Vail scored one late in the game for the Spits, but it was far too late. The Spits lost 8-2 as Otter Brett Thompson got a hat trick plus one, scoring four goals.

Remember the Capitals 7-0 loss to the Rangers? Yeah, it pretty much felt like that.

So, not a great first time seeing the Spitfires. But I was still so happy to actually SEE them. It allowed me the chance to see things you don't get from a score sheet or from a pixelated computer broadcast with TV timeouts.

Jack Campbell, after being pulled, didn't sulk in the corner of the bench. He was standing there leaning over the boards the rest of the game, opening the door for teammates as he intently watched the game.

Ryan Ellis proved himself to be the perfect choice for Spitfires captain in his final age-eligible season. He was constantly encouraging his teammates, offering constructive criticism when something went awry, and supporting his goaltender, most notably by skating over to Nishi after he'd allowed a goal and patting him on the head and offering words of encouragement. I can't wait to see Ellis in a Nashville Predators uniform.

Sunday, after making my first ever Tim Hortons stop at a location just down the street from my hotel (PS, coffee, delicious, amazing), I traipsed home, with a soundtrack provided by my phone's TuneIn Radio app. Which meant that I was able to listen to Kolbe call the 12:30 Capitals/Penguins game while I was on the road, and I listened to Michal Neuvirth and the Capitals gloriously shut out the Penguins 3-0 as I was passing just outside of Pittsburgh.

No, the trip wasn't exactly what I wanted, but it was worth it all the same. Next time, I'll just have to head out to the Spitfires' home WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario, and watch them win at home.

Photos from my trip are on flickr here.

The Concern Over the Capitals Goaltending Depth

2011-02-04T12:33:00.002-05:00

Possible moment of injury: Sabourin on the ice after being run by Louis Robitaille Jan. 21 (photo by Kyle Mace)

For Hershey Bears fans, it was the tweet heard 'round the world.

timleone: Sabourin slated for knee surgery. Out 2-3 months.

With Braden Holtby still nursing a mild knee injury, the Washington Capitals goaltending depth suddenly went from average to nil. It's a big blow, as Dany Sabourin, after a tough start to the season, has been doing really well in the past two months, going 10-2 in December and January starts, with one shutout. The Bears called up Todd Ford and Jared DeMichiel from South Carolina. Ford, while he has AHL experience, is not exactly an AHL starting goaltender, and DeMichiel, on his first callup, has never played in an AHL game.

For a team sure to be in some tough playoff battles in a matter of months, it's bad news. It's also concerning when it comes to the Washington Capitals - Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth have both missed games due to injury this year, and the prospect of calling up someone who played his last game in the ECHL doesn't exactly settle the nerves. Ford and DeMichiel will work in the short-term, but what about long-term?

Earlier today, South Carolina announced that they had signed goaltender Andrew Loewen of the SPHL in order to replace their losses in the crease. But should someone else suffer an injury, either in Hershey or in Washington, what can be done?

The recent re-emergence of Ray Emery, due to the timing of these injuries in Hershey, immediately comes to mind for me. Emery has successfully recovered from what could have been a career-ending hip injury, and has made it clear that he wants to get back on the ice. Obviously, he needs to get his start in the AHL to make sure that he is in top condition, and he's ready for the opportunity to play in the A.

Rumors are that Philadelphia, Anaheim, and a third, unnamed team are looking at signing Emery. But given the situation in Hershey, it's not a stretch to suggest that the Capitals take a look at him.

Emery is a very capable goalie, leading the Ottawa Senators to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2007. With all the hubbub surrounding the Capitals' postseason woes, he becomes even more of a viable long-term option.

Tim Leone, too, has made the suggestion, saying, "Ray Emery might loom as an intriguing long-term possibility. The free agent, who hasn’t played this season in the wake of hip surgery, is exploring playing opportunities to get back to the NHL and could theoretically use an AHL stint as a launching pad."

Sabourin is not yet scheduled for surgery, so his recovery timetable is still as unclear as can be. But should it be longer than expected (take a look at Patrick McNeill, who had surgery in the offseason and just returned in December), Ray Emery looks to be a very attractive option for a contract with the Capitals.

It's a tough but interesting situation in the Capitals organization's nets right now. Keep an eye on the Capitals front office, particularly around trade deadline time. There could be some goaltending shakeups in the works.

If the Capitals were to trade for a goalie or sign a free agent goalie, who would you like to see? Let me know in the comments.

Little Caesars: 2011 JWHL Challenge Cup Champions

2011-01-31T22:18:00.000-05:00

2011 JWHL Challenge Cup Champions Little Caesars

After playing their semifinals early in the morning, Warner School (Warner, AB) and Little Caesars (Detroit, MI) met in the championship game of the 2011 JWHL Challenge Cup.

It was a fiercely fought and heavily-penalized game (each team had nine power play chances), with a scoreless first period that looked more like a goaltending clinic for Warner goalie Jade Walsh. Little Caesars outshot Warner School in the first period by a 10-5 margin. The statistic wasn't surprising just by watching the gameplay - Little Caesars controlled the puck through the majority of the period, and they never let up the pressure.

Warner School scored first, a goal that the Little Caesars contested, as it looked like it may have come during a delayed penalty call. Samantha Sutherland was credited with the goal, her fifth of the tournament, capping off a great individual tournament effort for her.

After feeling they were wronged on the good goal call, the Little Caesars struck back quickly, taking advantage of a power play to tie it up. After an initial shot rang off the crossbar, Maryanne Menefee picked up the rebound and ripped it past Walsh to make the score 1-1.

The third period remained tied until Casey Dockus had a breakaway chance, and while falling as she tried to shrug off a defender, she managed to get a shot off. The puck slid into the net, and Dockus crashed hard into the boards. As her teammates surrounded her to congratulate her for the goal, she remained on the ice, and took a few moments to get up. Based on how she was after the game during the on-ice ceremony, it looked as though she injured her arm/shoulder in the collision.

Warner School went to the power play in the last minute of the game, and Warner threw everything they could on goaltender Taylor Fairchild, but nothing got through. Little Caesars won the championship 2-1.

After the game, the ecstatic Little Caesars team were presented with medals and the championship banner to display in the rafters of their home arena in Michigan.

The tournament was a great experience that all the girls really seemed to enjoy. A lot of talented hockey was displayed, and it was great watching athletes that will be playing hockey in college (I saw scouts from Yale, Minnesota, and more), and maybe even in the Olympics someday.

And more than a few players non-native to the area left with a plethora of Capitals gear picked up at the team pro shop.

Three stars of the Championship game:

3rd - Maryanne Menefee (one goal)

2nd - Jade Walsh (30 saves)

1st - Casey Dockus (game-winning goal, one assist)

Game Recap: Colorado Select v. Edge School

2011-01-29T00:01:00.002-05:00

Brittney Brooks makes a save

In the first grueling day of round robin competition, each team played in two games. Imagine that you just got off the ice from a full game two hours ago. Guess what? Now you have to play again, and play just as hard.

At 6:30 this evening, that's what the Edge School had to do after a tie earlier in the afternoon with Belle Tire. But yet they didn't seem to have lost any of their steam despite having finished the game at 4:00. They came out with a lot of firepower and didn't let up against the Colorado Select, ending up with a 6-2 win over the Select.

The Edge School dominated the first period, scoring four goals in the first period alone. Colorado goaltender Brittney Brooks was excellent, but didn't have much help from her defense, especially against the explosive Edge School offense.

Colorado's defense picked it up in the second period, and the period was dominated by a defensive battle between the two teams. It was the only period in which the Select outshot the Edge School (11-9). It seemed the Select were about to turn it around - they did, but not quite enough. Alexandra Karlis and Shara Jasper scored for the Select in the third period, but the Edge School scored two more late in the game to eliminate any inkling of a Select comeback.

It might not be obvious from the score, but Colorado goaltender Brittney Brooks was fantastic. I chose to watch this game because I wanted to see more of her. And she didn't disappoint. Again she showed her athleticism, making yet another save in the splits, but it was a toe save in the third period that put my jaw on the floor.

The initial stop was routine, but an Edge School player was waiting on the other side of the net for the rebound. Brooks quickly flung out her right leg to seal the hole in the corner of the net. Were she in the NHL, it would have been a highlight-reel save.

Soon after, she was able to stop a flurry of shots from the crease and ended up lying on top of the puck to get a whistle. Her play even moreso reminded me of Varlamov during that particular save, as there have been a couple times this season where the puck has ended up under his back. In addition to the several snappy glove saves Brooks made, I remain impressed by her talents.

I'll be attending several games tomorrow, look out for those recaps!

JWHL All Stars Show Their Star Quality

2011-01-27T23:58:00.003-05:00

Walking into Kettler this evening, I didn't quite know what to expect. My experience with women's hockey starts and ends with my high school girls' hockey team. We were terrible; since there were only three high school girls' teams in the area including us, we were regularly beaten by embarrassing margins by boys in peewee leagues.

But once warmups began for the JWHL All-Star game, I knew that this was on a whole different level.

Simply said, these girls are good.

The teams were divided into Team White and Team Dark. One team wore their individual team's white jerseys, and the other team wore their team's alternate jerseys (which were red, black, green, dark blue, depending on the team). The game was just two periods long for the sake of scheduling, with a very short intermission between the two periods.

Three of the four Challenge Cup participants that were part of the gold medal-winning Team USA team were in the All-Star game (the fourth is on a team that has not yet arrived in DC). Despite an attempted comeback by Team Dark in the second period, Team White was victorious over Team Dark 5-4.

Though gold medal-winning goaltender Megan Miller finished up the game for Team White, it was Brittney Brooks, who played the first period, that made an impression to me.

Brooks, playing for the Colorado Select, is 6-4-2 this season with the Select, with a 2.63 GAA and .893 SV%. She reminds me of Semyon Varlamov; she's quick with her lateral movement in the crease, has great reflexes, and benefits from her flexibility (she made one save in the splits during the game). She allowed one goal, early in the game, and faced 13 shots.

In terms of forwards, when I signed up to cover the tournament, I was told about Haley Skarupa, a native of Rockville, MD. One of the scoring leaders in the IIHF Women's World U18 Championships, she is also the Captain of the hometown Washington Pride and has 33 goals this season - in 18 games. Playing for Team Dark in the All-Star game, Skarupa racked up four assists (assisting on all Team Dark goals) and was awarded third star of the game. She's fast, a very smart skater, and puckhandles like a pro.

One more that deserves a mention is Amanda Pelkey, another member of the gold medal-winning Team USA. She is Jason Chimera-fast, no joke. Imagine Jason Chimera with Alexander Semin's puckhandling and you've got Pelkey. She is fancy on the skates, and is not only fast but incorporates her skillful skating with her keen ability to control the puck on her stick. It's no surprise that with her skill set, she was tied for first in scoring in the IIHF tournament.

After having seen the level of talent these young women have, the tournament should be an exciting one. Be sure to check the schedule and get to some games this weekend. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

An RoaRR Exclusive

2011-01-25T16:41:00.003-05:00

In case you haven't heard, Capitals Youth Hockey asked me to cover the Junior Women's Hockey League (JWHL) Challenge Cup, coming up this weekend. The Challenge Cup has been sponsored by the Washington Capitals and hosted by the hometown Washington Pride for the past several years, and the tournament is held at the Capitals practice facility, Kettler Capitals Iceplex.

The Challenge Cup (essentially the Memorial Cup for women's teams) consists of 16 teams from throughout North America. Four athletes on participating teams were members of the USA Women's U18 team that won gold at the 2011 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship in Stockholm earlier this month.

If you were at the Caps game last night, you may have seen members of the Washington Pride exhibit their skills in a shootout during second intermission. Many of the young women in the tournament will go on to play college hockey, some may become women's pro hockey stars.

The tournament begins with an All-Star Game on Thursday, January 27 at 8pm at Kettler. Games run all weekend, culminating in the Championship game on Monday, January 31 at 1:30pm. The full game schedule is here.

I'd like to thank Caps Youth Hockey for giving me the opportunity to bring you tournament coverage. Please come out to Kettler during the weekend to support these young women!

Capitals Prospect Cody Eakin Involved in Blockbuster WHL Trade

2011-01-11T19:07:00.004-05:00

Eakin scores against the Czech Republic in the 2011 WJC (photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

Particularly after his strong showing in the World Junior Championships, just how much is Cody Eakin worth?

For the WHL's Kootenay Ice, the answer is five players and three draft picks.

More specifically, the Ice lose current forward Christian Magnus, as well as prospects Ryan Bloom, Jarett Zentner, Colby Cave and Steven Myland. The Ice are also surrendering to the Swift Current Broncos three draft picks: a first and second round draft pick in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft and a third round pick in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft.

As the season ticks down, CHL teams were looking to beef up their rosters before the January 10 trade deadline. With this trade, Kootenay makes themselves a lot stronger in the short run, as Eakin is aging out this season. Conversely, Swift Current is going to be stronger in the long run with the addition of prospects and high draft picks.

But the teams involved made the trade for opposite reasons, since the teams are on opposite ends of the standings spectrum. Kootenay Ice are first in their division, second in the WHL Eastern Conference, and tied for second in the league. The Swift Current Broncos are under .500 so far this season. One team is making the playoffs - the other, probably not, even with Eakin on their roster.

With the addition of Eakin, Kootenay all but guarantees that playoff spot. He brings leadership and scoring ability, and his current statistics put him at second in points with his new team.

Swift Current had to put aside their desire to keep their star player and captain in order to think about the future of the club. Though they say they of course didn't want to trade Eakin, it was something they had to do to improve their club in seasons to come. "Eakin has been the best player to come to this team since Joe Sakic," Broncos head coach and general manager Mark Lamb said. "It's a trade we didn't want to do, but it's the best thing for our hockey club in the long run."

What does this mean for Eakin himself? The trade of course does not affect his NHL rights - those still lie with the Washington Capitals. But it means that Eakin is about 99% certain to gain Memorial Cup playoff experience. He already has Calder Cup playoff experience that he can use to help Kootenay in their playoff run. It gives him a chance to develop with players that are more talented than his former teammates, and further build his skills with teammates who are on his level of development.

The trade does mean one bit of bad news for Capitals and Bears fans - with Eakin on a playoff-contending team, he won't be available for at least some of the Hershey Bears postseason.

But that's bad news we can bear.

Happy New Year from RoaRR!

2010-12-31T21:28:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who reads this blog. I started Ravings of a Rink Rebel in late January 2010, and much to my surprise, it's turned into a (mildly) legitimate blog and also a gig with a major hockey news outlet.

2010 has been an amazing year for me personally and I want to thank each and every one of you for the support that's been given. I really appreciate every comment, every compliment, and even constructive criticism that I have received.

I truly love hockey and writing about hockey and it makes me so happy that I am able to do what I love almost every day (regular day job notwithstanding).

So here's to 2011 and to good hockey. Let's Go Caps!

Special thanks go to Nate Ewell from the Caps, Dennis Bernstein from TFP, John Walton from the Hershey Bears, Anna, and countless others for everything they've done for me.

Game Recap: Bears 1, Bruins 2

2010-12-18T22:21:00.006-05:00

The Hershey Bears controlled the puck throughout the first two periods, outworking and outshooting the Providence Bruins, but a brief lapse in the early minutes of the third period cost them, with the Bruins scoring two quick consecutive goals in mere seconds that the Bears couldn't match.

The Bears lost their fire a bit in the first five minutes of the third period, and the Bruins quickly took advantage. After the two surprise goals, the Bears seemed to wake up and put the pressure back on the Bruins. It took about five minutes for the Bears to score their first and last of the night.

Scoreless in the first two periods, the Bears had a lot of quality chances, but Bruins goaltender Nolan Schaefer always had the answers. Coach Mark French acknowledged that Schaefer was on his game tonight. He was seeing the puck very well, and French said that the Bears needed "to take away his eyes. I didn't think we did that enough."

With top scorer Andrew Gordon as well as Mathieu Perreault and Jay Beagle currently on the Washington Capitals roster, scoring goals hasn't been coming quite as easily to the Bears. French praised his team's defensive effort, but defense won't necessarily win you hockey games.

"We're not giving up much defensively," French said. "But the object of the game is to score goals and we've got to do a better job of that."

He later added, alluding to call-ups and injuries, "We've got to find a way to score goals with the guys we have."

Defenseman Zach Miskovic, the third star of the game (and the only Bear to receive a star), was a real presence on the ice. He had an assist on the Bears goal, and was the player who sent it on the way to the net where Andrew Joudrey was able to tip it in.

Miskovic also showed a new side of himself, getting chippy with Bruin Jeremy Reich in the first period, and later dropping him with a cross-check to the chest after he interfered with Keith Aucoin. Speaking about the altercation with Reich, Miskovic said, "He wanted to mess around with Coiner (Keith Aucoin) a little bit, and we just can't have that with one of our top players. So just trying to stand up for some of our guys and do a little extra job there."

Miskovic, who's not typically known for chippy play, was the subject of praise from his coach. French was pleased that Miskovic "physically stepped up without hesitation. I think that plays to his maturation."

Miskovic credited the experienced defensive corps on the Hershey blue line with his development. Specifically, he named Nycholat, Fahey, and Souray as the veterans he's learning from most on the defense. Should he continue on the trajectory he's on, he should be a complete and solid blue-liner for the Bears.

The Bears face the Charlotte Checkers Sunday, and former teammate Oskar Osala. The Checkers defeated the Binghamton Senators in a 4-2 victory Saturday night.

Focus on Prospects: Garrett Mitchell

2010-12-01T20:12:00.003-05:00

photo by Don Healy/Regina Leader Post

Name: Garrett Mitchell

Position: RW
Shoots: Right
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 185 lbs
Birthdate: 1991-09-02

Hometown: Regina, Sask.

In the Capitals rookie game at the culmination of rookie camp, a couple of prospects made their names known. Players like Cody Eakin, Dustin Stevenson, and Philipp Grubauer performed extraordinarily well and were praised by coaching staff. One of the more behind-the-scenes players that made an impression was Garrett Mitchell, a 19-year-old kid from the WHL Regina Pats. On the second line with Nikita Kashirsky and Cody Eakin, Mitchell made the breakaway pass to Eakin that led to his game-winning goal.

Coaches were impressed with Mitchell, a physical forward with strong positional sense and a good work ethic. His leadership on and off the ice earned him the Captain's "C" for his final year with the Regina Pats this season. Of the honor, Mitchell said, "My whole hockey career I've tried to be a leader, whether you have a letter on or not."

Hockey's Future places the 2009 sixth-round pick on an energy line, likely third or fourth line depending on linemates. He has a defensive mindset and is best for those grinding, forechecking lines, as well as the penalty kill. He's not much of a puckhandler, but he's very fast and does what's needed to wrestle for the puck and win battles along the boards. He's willing to drop the gloves in defense of his teammates, and it shows in his penalty minutes - he had 110 PIMs in 57 games with the Pats last season (8 recorded fights). He backed up his physical tendencies with a total 31 points for the season.

For his confrontational, gritty style, Mitchell has drawn comparisons to Matt Bradley. When he was told of the comparison, Mitchell said, "Definitely that’s the kind of role I like to play. I’m not the biggest guy but I kind of like to be an in-your-face player and I don’t shy away from dropping the mitts or whatever. I do think that’s a good comparison."

If you need an example of the sacrifices Mitchell is willing to make to help his team, take a look at this fight from just last week against Sena Acolatse of the Prince George Cougars. Acolatse, a known heavyweight in the WHL, was absolutely hammering away at Mitchell, but Mitchell didn't back down and didn't give up, and even ended up drawing blood from Acolatse. The Pats lost that game 5-3, but after Mitchell's scrap late in the second period, the Pats went on to score three goals in the third period.

Once Mitchell ages out of the CHL this coming spring, depending on the outcome of his next Capitals training camp, Mitchell is likely to be sent to either South Carolina or Hershey to further develop his skillset. He has played one game with Hershey in April, a 3-1 loss to Syracuse, but Coach Mark French indicated that he would like to see more of Mitchell in the future.

In Which Peter Bondra Made Fun of Me

2010-11-17T22:54:00.001-05:00

During tonight's Caps game, as always, I went to the tweetup during first intermission to say hello to all the Caps tweeters.

But there was a... "special guest" today. As I was talking to some people, I looked over quickly and Peter Bondra was standing there about 10 feet away from me. Of course I did a double take. And then got extremely distracted in all my conversations. So I started to explain to people I was talking to why I was all distracted, vaguely pointing over in Bondra's direction.

And then, Bondra noticed that I recognized him. And was pointing at him. As he was talking to someone, he started laughing and pointing to me, much as I was pointing to him. But in an odd way I felt completely honored that he was making fun of me. He noticed that I knew who he was and responded to it.

Definitely an interesting first interaction with Bonzai.

A Sad Time for NHL Fans

2010-11-17T11:39:00.000-05:00

It's never easy when tragedy strikes in the NHL family. On Saturday, news broke that the 14-year-old daughter of Ottawa Senators assistant coach Luke Richardson committed suicide. This is a terrible tragedy and my heart goes out to the Richardson family.

Suicide prevention is a cause that hits home to me. I have several friends who have had issues with self-harm, and some have attempted suicide. One high school classmate succeeded on December 26, 2003. I myself have struggled with depression, and now hold a degree in psychology due to my interest in mental health.

The Richardson family has asked for donations to be made to the youth program of the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health. I'd also like to ask people to donate to the Hopeline (Kristin Brooks Hope Center). If anyone feels like they need someone to talk to, they can call 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) to speak to someone 24 hours a day. The Hopeline is a great cause with phenomenal people. After I donated in honor of my high school classmate, I got a personalized thank you card from the founder, Reese Butler, asking if I wanted to notify her family of my donation. They do wonderful work.

Thanks for reading.

Kirill Kabanov Traded to Lewiston

2010-10-28T19:35:00.005-04:00

photo by Harry How/Getty Images

There were mixed feelings when the New York Islanders selected Kirill Kabanov in the third round (65th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Kabanov's skill is undeniable; his offensive talent was good enough for him to be drafted in the first round, but his history of problems with his teams and agents dropped his draft value. Teams didn't necessarily want to risk the drama, and the Islanders took a gamble by drafting him.

Kabanov was drafted from the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL where he excelled on the ice. In the 2009-10 season, his first season with the club, he averaged over a point per game (23 points in 22 games). He missed the first ten games of the season due to a dispute over his rights between the QMJHL (who selected him seventh-overall in the 2009 CHL Import Draft) and his KHL club (Ufa). The IIHF, mediating the dispute, ruled in favor of the QMJHL, and Kabanov headed to Moncton.

But Moncton wasn't too secretive with their feelings on Kabanov as the season went on. After coming back in February from injuring his wrist (an injury which required surgery), he was a frequent healthy scratch, including during Moncton's playoff run. Moncton actually released him during the playoffs so that he could play in the U-18 IIHF World Hockey Championships for Russia, but he was rejected from the team due to disciplinary reasons. Russian team Head Coach Mikhail Vasiliev told Sovietsky Sport:

"I removed him from the team because we thought Kabanov would help us, but he brought only confusion to the team. Kabanov came and thought 'Here I am, a star from Canada, who will save all.' But it's the team that wins rather than an individual player."

Kabanov's father had also had a great deal to do with some of the issues clubs have with Kabanov. Kabanov has gone through at least five agents, most leaving due to the demands of his father, Sergei. Jay Grossman is a former agent of Kabanov's, and Ilya Moliver, who is an agent in Grossman's firm, spoke to Sovietsky Sport about dealing with Kabanov's father. Here are some excerpts from the English translation:

"Sergei Kabanov believes that an agent is a player's servant. He doesn't know how to communicate with people. In view of this, he incorrectly educates Kirill."

"I've told Kirill once: 'You have to choose. We either work with you or with your dad.' Kabanov's dad is hard to please. I work with players and their parents since 1992, and I never had to deal with such a complicated person."

"When we just started working together, Sergei told me: 'My son is considerably better than Kovalchuk, Ovechkin and Malkin at 16.' Why all this arrogance? This can only spoil the kid. And I understand why scouts and agents changed the attitude towards Kabanov. Because Kirill isn't progressing as he should, but the guilty ones are the ones surrounding him."

And perhaps the most pertinent excerpt vis-a-vis Kabanov's talent:

"A couple of years ago I visited a tournament in London, Ontario, and Kirill played great. Elegant, intelligent, he made beautiful rushes to the net. It was evident that the guy can play. The fans were crazy about him and he became the top contender for the first overall pick. But what can you do when you have so much pressure from your father? And Kirill himself has a talent to get into awkward situations."

Had Moncton just had enough with Kabanov's antics?

Maybe, but the Lewiston MAINEiacs paid a big price to get Kabanov. His deal gives Moncton backup goaltender Jordan Kennedy, a second round draft pick in 2011, a fourth round draft pick in 2011, a first round pick in the 2011 CHL Import Draft, and a fourth round draft pick in 2012. And the MAINEiacs (who have struggled in recent seasons) seem to be excited about the idea of getting a talent such as Kabanov. Lewiston Head Coach Jean-Francois Houle said in the press release announcing the trade:

"He is very gifted offensively, and is a threat every time he touches the ice. Adding him to this team adds speed and skill to an already dynamic offense. With open arms, we welcome Kirill to our organization."

With his history of being late (more than once) to his first NHL Training Camp, bizarre statements to the press, and intense tattoo obsession, it's difficult to tell how Kabanov is going to take this opportunity. For his, Lewiston's, and the Islanders' sakes, I hope he takes it as a second chance, to prove that he can take his hockey career seriously and show that he's not as high-risk as initially thought. But will his father ruin everything for him once again?

Kabanov will join Lewiston once his visa is sorted out (Lewiston is in Maine, so he obviously needs a U.S. visa to play there). It should be an expedited process, so he may make his Lewiston debut as early as next week. Capitals prospect Samuel Carrier plays for Lewiston, and will have a new teammate.

Game Recap: Bears 5, Phantoms 1

2010-10-24T02:56:00.005-04:00

After a disappointing home opener last Saturday, as well as a loss last night, Hershey needed a big win. They got it tonight, coming out hungry and putting the pressure on the Adirondack Phantoms until the final buzzer.

Despite the Bears' recent call-up losses of Mathieu Perreault (who ended up having a productive night in Washington), Jay Beagle, and Dany Sabourin, they had no problem filling the voids left, absolutely dominating the very young and offense-challenged Phantoms. The Bears had control of the puck for the majority of the game, as shown by the Phantoms total of 18 shots on net. The Bears, on the other hand, put 37 shots toward Phantoms goaltender Johan Backlund.

The Bears power play returned to its former glory after going 0-5 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last night, with the Bears capitalizing on two of their eight (yes, eight) power play chances. Throughout this season, the Phantoms have had trouble staying out of the penalty box, and tonight was no exception. The Phantoms' disciplinary problems turned into an early lead for the Bears, with Brian Willsie scoring a power play goal on the Phantoms' first penalty.

Kyle Greentree followed up with another power play goal at the end of the first period, but it was really only Greentree's goal on paper. His shot deflected off of Phantom Oskars Bartulis' shoulder and went straight past Backlund for a goal.

Greentree, on the Phantoms squad when they were based in Philadelphia, says Bartulis is a friend, and joked that he "owes [Bartulis] a beer." Previously going through a goalless streak, Greentree said he later told Bartulis, "thanks a lot, I appreciate that, it got me out of my little funk that I was in. It's probably the easiest one I'm going to have this year."

Ashton Rome, a guy not normally known for scoring goals, netted two in the win. Rome was modest after the game, saying, "I've been told I have a pretty good shot. I look for a pass, if it's not there, just keep it and shoot and hope for the best... I think that's my first two-goal game since I was in Idaho on the East Coast [ECHL]. It's been a while."

Rome also spoke to the very physical nature of the game - with the rivalry between the teams, it's typical for a Bears/Phantoms game to be rough, and three fights broke out (including an excellent bout between Sheldon Souray and Matt Clackson, in which Souray absolutely dominated). Rome said, "We gotta step up when teams try to push us around and show them that they can't."

Some quick notes:

Zach Miskovic had his face drilled into the half wall during the second period, and stayed crumpled on the ice for about a minute as blood poured from his face. Thankfully, it seems only stitches were needed, as he returned to the game shortly thereafter.
Braden Holtby had a couple of worrying instances where he wandered out of his crease to play the puck, but with one awesome exception. As a Phantom player was streaking toward the puck in what could have been a total breakaway, Holtby stepped out to play the puck, and (unbelievably) passed it through his own legs to the boards. It totally confused his opponent and brought puck control back to the Bears.
Speaking of Holtby, the Phantoms spoiled his shutout bid with just 4:23 left in the game.
Trevor Bruess and Zac Rinaldo had a little re-match of their rookie game fight, but Bruess started off on uneven footing and I don't think any punches were actually landed before linesmen got between them.
Steve Pinizzotto's goal was a thing of beauty. He wrapped around the net, and unleashed a quick snapshot from the top of the circles. Backlund didn't have a chance.
Joel Rechlicz is still, to put it lightly, not looking so good. I got a closer look in the locker room and while the swelling in his face has gone down since last week, he still is wearing a bandage over the bridge of his nose and his eyes are still quite black. In short, he still looks pretty frightening.
Dmitry Kugryshev had a decent game. This was the first time I was really able to see him in a Bears game, and he had a fantastic breakaway chance, passing in front of the net to Willsie, who had come up behind him. How he could have possibly seen Willsie coming just speaks to Kugryshev's instincts. Heck, even I didn't see Willsie coming.
Assistant Coach Troy Mann seemed pleasantly surprised to have women covering the game (and not in that sort of way, more as in 'good, we haven't had enough of that diversity'). In the locker room, as I was with Hershey Bears Examiner Lauren (the only female press of the night), he turned to us and said, "Hi, ladies!"

UPDATE: Check out the video highlights below. And don't miss Souray's fight (starting at the 0:43 mark). It was awesome.

The View Behind the Bench

2010-10-20T10:15:00.002-04:00

Johansson on the bench just after scoring his first NHL goal (photo by me)

The best seats I've ever had for a Caps game were still in the days of the Student Rush promotion, when I sat sixth row in section 112 or 113 for a November 6 game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

My friend's fiance is a season ticket holder, and while she usually accompanies him to games, I tag along if she's unable to go. So I was planning to be at last night's game against the Bruins anyway. But turns out, through some miracle twist of fate, he managed to snag glass seats behind the Capitals bench.

It was an unbelievable experience sitting right there. I couldn't see much of the action due to Bob Woods being parked in front of my face for 2/3 of the night, and Dean Evason for the other third, but it was interesting to watch the players interact on the bench no more than two feet from where I was sitting. So here are some random observations of the evening, since my night was near limited to watching the guys on the bench.

No one seemed more excited for Marcus Johansson's first NHL goal than Alexander Semin. Off on the other, small bench where the backup goaltender usually sits, Johansson joined Semin there after coming to the bench from his goal shift. Semin gave the rookie a huge hug.
Speaking of Semin, he had a great game. In one shift, he picked up at least three giveaways that his linemates gave up and singlehandedly kept the puck in the offensive zone. He also was very in tune with what was happening on the ice while he was on the bench. He jumped to his feet and protested a questionable penalty call on the Capitals (I believe it was when David Steckel was taken to the box for tripping in the second period).
The guys who ask the most questions to coaches on the bench are David Steckel and John Carlson.
Michal Neuvirth must have really been sick, because not only did I not even see him leave the ice, but he never returned back to the bench.
The smell of sweaty hockey equipment does get pretty rank as the game goes on, but for me it just brought me back to my days of playing hockey and smelling like crap.
A big chirper on the bench is Jason Chimera. I'm not sure who the Bruins player was (it was quick, it may have been Brad Marchand), but as he skated by the Caps bench, Chimera said something to him and the player responded, "Hey, f**k you." That's hockey, folks.
Matt Hendricks is a creature of habit and has OCD tendencies worse than most goalies. I've noticed that when the guys get on the ice for the game, he instantly starts stretching his arms and shoulders using his stick. Sitting behind the bench, I discovered that after every single shift, he takes a water bottle and douses the back of his neck. Every shift. Without fail.
I situated myself at the tunnel as the guys came down to take the ice for the first period. Getting the glove bumps from several of the players was awesome.
For my first appearance on the Versus telecast... I was busy tweeting. Quite fitting, really. (on second look, I may have actually been taking a picture)

My photos from the evening are on flickr. Despite the loss, I think it was a pretty hard-fought game from the Caps.

Anton Gustafsson Hangs Up His Skates

2010-10-18T14:04:00.004-04:00

photo by Getty Images

In a shocking move, it was announced today that Anton Gustafsson has quit the South Carolina Stingrays and is headed home to Sweden, per Mike Vogel. Instead of trying to prove his worth (being the Capitals' first first-round draft pick at 21st overall, John Carlson was also selected in the first round at 27th) to the Capitals organization in the ECHL, he has informed the team that he is "not enjoying hockey." The Capitals have made moves to immediately suspend Gustafsson's contract.

Gustafsson, the son of Capitals great Bengt Gustafsson, was ranked by scouts as 5th among Europeans in the 2008 Entry Draft, but ended up going at 21st to the Capitals, who presumably decided to keep the organization in the family. Reading the scouting report, now having seen him go through three NHL camps, is interesting:

"Anton is a highly skilled player with strong puckhandling skills and playmaking ability. He is an effective passer through traffic who also has a good selection of shots. He's a tall, strong and talented two-way center with good vision and a fine understanding of the game. He plays a mature game even when playing against opponents who were two or three years older."

One scouting report even stated that he could end up replacing Michael Nylander as the second-line center behind Nicklas Backstrom.

But in camps with the Capitals, he never seemed to show those abilities. Though the talent level was there, the motivation was not. He had great success with his junior club in Sweden (the Frolunda Indians' U-20 team), registering nearly a point per game in 2007-08. After being drafted in 2008, he attended Capitals training camp, but was extremely limited due to a back injury.

Regardless, Gustafsson was signed by the Capitals in May 2009 to a three-year entry-level contract.

In 2009 during development camp, he suffered a concussion (his second of the year) after falling and going headfirst into a goalpost. In training camp, he still was battling injuries, but was sent to Hershey and played in a handful of preseason games before returning to Sweden once again for the 2009-10 season.

He returned just before Hershey headed to the Calder Cup playoffs, and played his first game in April, recording two assists in his professional debut and earning the game's third star in the win over Norfolk. While he was on the roster for the Calder Cup playoffs, that April game was the first, and last, game he played with Hershey.

2010's training camp was his chance. He was healthy and in his third camp. It was one of his last shots at cracking the roster in Washington, or at the very least, Hershey. But he still didn't seem to be all-there. After Coach Boudreau had pointed him out during development camp as being a player who had improved from the previous year, Gustafsson was nearly invisible in training camp. Subsequently, on September 22, he was sent down to Hershey.

There, he appeared in one preseason game for the Chocolate and White, notching one assist on a goal by Nikita Kashirsky. On October 3, it was announced that Gustafsson was sent down to South Carolina. He played in their opener, a 3-2 OT loss to the Greenville Road Warriors, but failed to record a single point and went -1 for the night. He also had zero shots on net.

Who knows what is going through Gustafsson's head right now, but perhaps it is a good idea for him to step back and re-evaluate himself and what he expects out of himself. If he decides to come back at some point, he's able to - the Caps are suspending his contract, not voiding it. With his attitude lacking at training camps, he needs to make a decision about whether or not hockey is something he really wants to do.

Is There Such a Thing as Career AHLers? The Case of Alexandre Giroux

2010-10-04T20:16:00.002-04:00

photo by AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward

It was tough for Bears fans to say goodbye to AHL All-Star winger Alexandre Giroux, but I know at least I wished him the best in his quest to finally break into an NHL lineup - in Edmonton. This summer, Giroux accepted a one-year, one-way deal with the Oilers, and he went into camp in the hopes of surviving cuts.

But today, it was announced that he didn't survive. He's been put on waivers, and if he clears, will be starting the season with new AHL affiliate the Oklahoma City Barons. It was clearly a disappointing end of camp for the 29-year-old Giroux, who has gone through nine NHL training camps in his career without being offered a roster spot by close of camp.

"In four [preseason] games, I had one goal. I'm a goal-scorer, I've got to score goals. I'll work on it and we'll see."

Not like he hasn't been working on it for the last nine years in the AHL. Drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 7th round of the 1999 NHL Entry draft, Giroux began his AHL career with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2000-01. His rookie year, he racked up 27 points in 70 games. His AHL numbers steadily improved through free-agent signings to several other clubs, but he always ended up in the A.

He finally landed in Hershey in 2006, and instantly made an impression. In the next four seasons with Hershey he broke several AHL records (including Brett Hull's record for most consecutive games scoring a goal), and in the 2008-09 season, was MVP of the league.

But in 30 total games with the Capitals, he tallied four goals. So why can't his success in the AHL translate to the NHL?

One thing that Oilers coaches pointed out was that Giroux's skating was not very strong. He can put pucks in the net, but it can be difficult to score when there are NHL defensemen in your way who are stronger and faster than you.

The other issue with Giroux is that in his case, there is someone better available. After the most recent cuts, the Oilers are still two bodies over the roster limit. With powerhouse rookies like Jordan Eberle, Magnus Pääjärvi, and Taylor Hall, it may have just been a poor time to come into Edmonton. Those are three forward roster spots that weren't filled last season, and while Giroux could have fit into the lineup at that time, the three rookies are ready for their NHL debuts. A top line of Shawn Horcoff, Taylor Hall, and Jordan Eberle combined for ten points in four preseason games.

Giroux encountered a similar problem in Washington. In an interview after his signing with the Oilers, Giroux talked about his and Keith Aucoin's similar problem (Aucoin was cut from Capitals camp last week):

"Me and Keith Aucoin had a lot of points (in Hershey) and a lot of good stuff on the ice the last two years, but with Ovechkin and Semin and Brooks Laich there, it was hard for us. I don't want to give up. I want to get better."

Though "getting better" now looks to mean starting a new legacy for the Oklahoma City Barons, Giroux can at least take solace in the fact that this is not his last chance. The Edmonton Journal predicts that should an injury occur in Edmonton, Giroux will likely be at the top of the list for a call-up. If he can finally prove that his talent can also work in the NHL, he may be able to make that temporary call-up permanent.

In the meantime, best of luck to Alexandre Giroux. In my fan dealings with him, he's been nothing but kind and professional. Hershey fans are rooting for him.

Capitals Sign Brandon Anderson

2010-09-21T20:48:00.002-04:00

photo by Bridget Samuels (bridgetds/Flickr)

Just three days after being cut from training camp and returning to his team in Lethbridge, the Capitals announced today that goaltender Brandon Anderson has been signed to a three-year entry-level contract. Anderson was undrafted and came into camp as a free agent.

Last year, Anderson was a step away from being sent down to the Junior A league, sitting as the third string in Lethbridge, having played just 5 games in 2008-09. However, two injuries in 2009-10 meant that he got his chance to play for 37 games. Despite his own lingering injury, he proved to Lethbridge coaches that he deserved the position of No. 1 goaltender this year. He's expected to start in Lethbridge's season opener this Friday, and apparently, Anderson also proved his potential to Capitals management this past week.

Despite his youth and inexperience, Anderson showed promise during rookie camp. He played half of the rookie game against the Philadelphia Flyers, and held the Flyers without a goal against him in the second period. He let in two goals late in the third, but still played well against a Flyers rookie team with much more experience in the CHL and AHL. After rookie camp, Anderson was invited to stay for training camp. He participated in a practice with Group A on Saturday, but was returned to Lethbridge on Sunday.

Coach Bruce Boudreau indicated that Anderson improved during the camp, and that's no surprise. Anderson had the chance to work with goaltending coach Arturs Irbe, a former NHL goaltender himself as well as an IIHF Hall-of-Famer. In an interview with a local Lethbridge paper, Anderson said that he learned a lot from working with Irbe, and plans to continue to work on things Irbe discussed with him.

Anderson said that he was disappointed when he wasn't drafted, but is obviously thrilled to have the Capitals offer him a contract:

"Not getting drafted was a bit of a bummer. But then getting the invite to the Capitals camp there and you know, I guess I made the most of my opportunity and I thought I played well there."

His coaches are also happy with the outcome of camp. Lethbridge Head Coach Rich Preston says that the signing gives them even more confidence in Anderson's abilities, and they were excited to see him signed to an NHL contract as an 18-year-old free agent - a rarity in the CHL.

Anderson's growing confidence is already evident. All he said about stopping shots from stars like Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom was that it was "pretty tough."

Other news and notes:

Tom Poti was signed to a two-year $5.75 million contract extension today. Poti had been signed through the end of the 2010-11 season, and the new contract now has him signed through the 2012-13 season.
Several cuts were made after today's training camp. David de Kastrozza, Anton Gustafsson, Jake Hauswirth, Nikita Kashirsky, Dmitry Kugryshev, Ashton Rome, Patrick Cullity, Joe Finley and Todd Ford were assigned to Hershey training camp, which begins this weekend. Samuel Carrier, Brett Flemming, Stanislav Galiev, Philipp Grubauer, and Garrett Mitchell were returned to their CHL teams.
The Capitals roster for the preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets has been released. Cody Eakin, Andrew Gordon, Marcus Johansson, and Mathieu Perreault are among those seeing action tomorrow night.
Group A (featuring the top line of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Mike Knuble) came away with the Duchesne Cup today. All three groups were 1-1, but Group A scored the most goals over all games, and thus were crowned the winners.

P.S. Told ya to keep your eye on Anderson.

Rookie Camp Day 5: Rookie Game

2010-09-16T22:44:00.005-04:00

celebrating the 4-3 win (photo by me)

The rookies took the ice for the last day of their week of camp, and they hit the ice wearing brand-spanking-new Capitals sweaters. Not the red practice jerseys of development camp, but actual home Capitals jerseys. They certainly looked the part as they faced the rookies of the Philadelphia Flyers, and many of them lived up to the tremendous hype.

The same guys we've been talking about all week were the ones who impressed in the 4-3 win over the Flyers. 2010 third-round draft pick Stanislav Galiev opened up the scoring in the first period, with assists from Dustin Stevenson and Marcus Johansson.

Mike Testwuide answered midway through the second period, going high glove side on Philipp Grubauer. A few minutes later, Brandon Anderson relieved Grubauer in net so the two could get some equal work.

A major presence on the power play unit was defenseman Josh Godfrey. Setting up on the point, Godfrey unleashed his tremendous slapshot, beating the Flyers goalie not once, but twice, on two separate power plays in the second and third periods. We hadn't seen much of Godfrey's offensive prowess before, but Coaches French and Boudreau say that his shot is why he was drafted. French adds that his hard shot is "probably NHL-level now" but "his five-on-five play has got to be better."

After Godfrey's goals, the Flyers came back, with Eric Wellwood and Marc-Andre Bourdon scoring on Anderson, and leveling the scoring 3-3 with less than five minutes to go in the third period.

With less than two minutes remaining, Cody Eakin led a breakaway into the offensive zone, swept around the back of the net, and potted the game winner unassisted.

But in the locker room after the game, Eakin was the picture of modesty.

"It was a perfectly executed controlled breakout. The goalie didn’t play it, so I just kind of wrapped around to the back end and it squeaked through."

Despite the goal being recorded as unassisted, Eakin credited his teammates for the setup.

"It was kind of lucky, but it was a good chip by Mitch [Garrett Mitchell]. It was a good breakout, and it led to a good opportunity."

Coach French gave a little bit more credit to Eakin.

"Cody scoring the winning goal there, he’s the type of guy we saw last year in the Calder Cup that relishes those big-time opportunities. When you need him he seems to come through; I thought he was excellent in the second and third period."

Eakin's looking forward to showing his chops in the upcoming preseason games. He knows it's "a long shot" but says,

"I’m here, I want to prove that I can play here."

Marcus Johansson didn't score any goals, but assisted on two goals and was a critical member of the power play. Coach Boudreau also pointed out that he was "strong on faceoffs and on the puck" and was "the most consistent player we had all night." But Johansson said that he learned a lot from playing a game as opposed to just practice:

"Well of course you learn more in games, that’s what you’re practicing for. I try to play my game as much as I can to learn about time and to be at the right point at the right time."

On possibly making the roster, Johansson added:

"I'm going to work hard for it."

Other notes and observations:

Trevor Bruess was excellent on the penalty kill. He showed speed and stickhandling skill that we hadn't yet seen from him. His fight with Zac Rinaldo wasn't exactly the bout he had with Stefan Della Rovere in development camp, but at least he made good on his promise.

Samuel Carrier was solid on the blue line, but needs to work on his passing play. On some passes he had trouble hitting the tape of his teammate.

Bruce Boudreau's honorable mentions after the lengthy discussion of Eakin and Johansson (and Godfrey) were: Philipp Grubauer, Dustin Stevenson, Brett Flemming, and Patrick Cullity.

When asked about Joe Finley, Mark French did express doubts on his playing at the AHL level next year. He said that Finley needs to "play at a higher pace" in order to make it in the AHL.

At several points, Flyers rookies were trying to get under the skin of Marcus Johansson - chirping at him after whistles, playing him a little more physical. Johansson never engaged, and always shrugged it off. In post-game interview, he proved himself extremely smart and mature.

Alex Ovechkin stuck around for the rookie game after the vet skate in the morning, and came into the locker room after the game ended to congratulate the guys and chat with them for a few moments. The captain was all smiles, and according to Jared DeMichiel's Twitter, Ovechkin and Mike Green took the rookies out for a sushi dinner.

Rookie Camp Day 1: Catching Up with Dustin Stevenson

2010-09-12T19:04:00.001-04:00

Stevenson is on knee, center, blue sweater (photo by me)

Dustin Stevenson started off our interview with "Sorry if I smell bad." Think I'm going to like this kid.

(And for the record, I couldn't smell anything. Probably because I was so cold at that point that all my senses were dulled.)

Rink Rebel: You were the first player from the SJHL to be signed by the NHL, so how did that feel?

Dustin Stevenson: Oh, it felt great. It's everyone's dream, I think, it was my dream for sure, to sign an NHL contract. I didn't think it was going to happen this soon, but it definitely felt real great.

RR: Most of the guys here are from collegiate hockey, KHL, CHL, how do you think your game would differ from that?

DS: I think I had good coaching where I played so I feel like I'm right with everyone in this camp, I don't feel out of place at all. There are some good players here, and there's definitely a little bit more skill, but I feel like I fit in.

RR: Bruce had singled you out saying you had a good development camp, what did that do for your confidence?

DS: It helped my confidence a lot. I mean especially for this camp, now coming back I kind of know where I fit in and where I sit with the guys and it definitely pumped the confidence up a bit.

RR: Obviously I understand why you picked the contract over your scholarship to St. Lawrence, but do you feel disappointed in a way that you had to forgo that scholarship?

DS: [shakes head] Not at all. I don't look back on that decision at all, I think this is the best for my development, and that's a decision that me and my family made as soon as I got offered a contract. So no, I'm not looking back on it. I'm happy with the decision I made.

RR: People tend to compare your style to Chris Pronger, is that accurate? Or who do you think your style of play is like?

DS: I guess it's fair to compare me to him, I'm not sure really, I just try and play my own style of game, but I guess I can see we're both kind of tall, puck-moving defensemen.

More interviews to come on Thursday!

Rookie Camp Day 1: Catching Up with Philipp Grubauer

2010-09-12T18:33:00.002-04:00

photo by Dan Janisse, The Windsor Star

On day one of Rookie Camp, the guys went through various drills and then off-ice weight training. After all that work, I got a chance to speak with goaltender Philipp Grubauer for a few minutes about his upcoming OHL season.

Rink Rebel: Are you looking forward to your season with Kingston?

Philipp Grubauer: Oh yeah, I'm looking forward to it, I think we have a good team, and we should be going back to the championship with this team. Everybody has to do their job, and I'm looking forward to this year.

RR: And you'll also be in the WJC with Germany, are you looking forward to that as well?

PG: Yeah, I think we have a pretty good team as well there... So we should stay in the group [Germany is in Group A with USA] and our goal is getting a medal this year.

RR: During your playoff series with Barrie, you got run over by Darren Archibald. When you got up you had sort of a smile on your face, so what were you thinking?

PG: Yeah I mean I kind of knew it was coming to that point, we won that game 6-2 and there was only one minute left so they tried to do everything to disturb me. It was kind of funny to me because I knew it was coming.

RR: You had a shutout against your former team Belleville just a couple days ago, how was that feeling?

PG: It was an awesome feeling to get that shutout, because you're getting back to the old building, playing against your friends, and it was just an amazing feeling to show them that we can do it in Kingston too.

RR: Goalies are kind of known for their weird little quirks, I don't know if you've watched Braden Holtby prepare his crease, but do you have any quirky little things that you tend to do?

PG: I think I have my own game routine, every player has, but I don't do anything special. Just a nap before the game, I always eat pasta, but that's pretty much all I do.

I should have more exciting interviews after the rookie game on Thursday. Dustin Stevenson interview is coming up next.

Rookie Camp: Guys to Keep Your Eye On

2010-09-09T19:55:00.004-04:00

Rookie and training camp rosters were released today, and while everyone knows names like Cody Eakin, Dmitry Kugryshev, and Marcus Johansson, there are the unknown guys that are poised to impress.

photo by Getty Images

David de Kastrozza

The University of Maine alum was signed by the South Carolina Stingrays this past March. He joined the team after the signing, and in the three games he played, he registered two assists. At 6'3" and 205 pounds, the winger is best known for his physical presence (particularly in front of the net), and despite his size, he's a skilled and agile skater. de Kastrozza was responsible for a Team Red breakaway goal during the final scrimmage of this year's development camp.

Similar to: Brooks Laich

photo by Norwich Athletics

Nikita Kashirsky

Another college alum, forward Kashirsky was a standout on the Norwich University Cadets, earning accolades like RBK first-team All-American (twice), ECAC East's "Player of the Year," and a spot on the ECAC all-conference first team. Kashirsky grew up in Bethesda, but also played in Moscow - he is a close friend and former teammate of Alex Ovechkin. Kashirsky joined the South Carolina Stingrays after graduating from Norwich in 2009, and with his skillful puckhandling and knack for scoring, helped them towards the Kelly Cup that year. Last year, he split the season between the AHL's Springfield Falcons and Manitoba Moose.

Similar to: Alexander Semin

photo by goaliej54

Dylan Yeo

The 5'11" defenseman debuted in the ECHL in 2007 with the Victoria Salmon Kings (with whom he was named ECHL's Defenseman of the Year for 2008-09), and spent 23 games over 2 seasons with the Manitoba Moose during callups. In 2009, the South Carolina Stingrays signed him, and in 49 games played, he earned 30 points. He also spent 4 games in Hershey last year after being called up. Yeo tends to be more offensive, perhaps due to his height, but he's certainly strong at 210 pounds. Yeo also has other talents - during his time with the WHL's Calgary Hitmen, he once sang "O Canada" before a game.

Similar to: Mike Green

photo by Lethbridge Hurricanes

Brandon Anderson

The only goaltender attending rookie camp who has not been drafted or signed by the Washington Capitals, Anderson is an 18-year-old undrafted free agent currently with the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes. He played his first full season as the No. 3 with the Hurricanes last year, but is still inexperienced and had a shaky start to the season, later improving to a 3.49 GAA and .892 SV%. His stats, however, can also be attributed to an injury that nagged him last season. Hurricanes coaching staff believe in his potential - next year, he is expected to be the starting goaltender in Lethbridge.

Similar to: Too early to tell!

Note: The fan becomes a member of the media - I've been awarded credentials for rookie and training camps, so expect some in-depth content here and on The Fourth Period's website during camp! If you have questions for any attendee, let me know in the comments. I may ask them!

Focus on Prospects: Caleb Herbert

2010-09-05T19:31:00.003-04:00

This is the third installment of my countdown to rookie camp series.

photo by mnhockeyprospects.com

Name: Caleb Herbert

Position: C
Shoots: Right
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 180 lbs
Birthdate: 1991-10-12

Hometown: Bloomington, Minnesota

When Caleb Herbert got the news from his agent that he'd been drafted by the Washington Capitals in the 5th round (142nd overall), he was at work. Selling parking tickets to cars coming onto a beach in his hometown. It seemed a fitting situation for a humble high school grad from Minnesota. "It was an awesome feeling," Herbert said.

For the past three years, Herbert played with Bloomington-Jefferson High School's team. Known for his speed, he was a standout on the team, scoring 55 points in just 25 games played in 2009-10, and he finished the regular season with a +37. But while Herbert comes from high school hockey, he's no stranger to professional hockey situations. In the summer of 2008, he was on Team USA in the Ivan Hlinka U-18 tournament. He scored two goals in the final game of the tournament, and helped USA to a 6-5 win over Switzerland. For his efforts, Herbert was named Team USA's Player of the Game.

Graduating from high school earlier this summer, Herbert is getting ready for the next step in his hockey development. He was snapped up in the 2009 USHL Entry Draft by the Sioux City Musketeers with the 172nd pick. He'll spend one year in Sioux City, as he's committed to University of Minnesota-Duluth starting 2011-12. On his college selection, Herbert seemed excited about his team:

"The [University of Minnesota] Gophers didn't really cross my mind. I just had an interest in Duluth. I really liked the coaches there, they're getting a brand new rink, and their program is on the rise, so I think it's a good time to go in there and work hard, and hopefully move on to the Capitals after that."

Herbert had a lot to learn at this summer's Capitals development camp, but coach Bruce Boudreau indicated that he was impressed with Herbert's quick learning.

"Skill-wise, Caleb is doing really good. When you've only played high school hockey, the structure isn't what it is at this level. He had a little trouble catching on a little bit on the- not on the drills, but on the way we play because it's more go go go."

With NCAA rules about signing NHL contracts, we likely won't see Herbert in the Caps organization for another 5 years. But in 5 years, he'll still be only 23 and will have gained valuable experience at a collegiate level. Look for him to make a splash in the world of college hockey.

Focus on Prospects: Samuel Carrier

2010-09-02T20:58:00.006-04:00

Second in my series counting down to rookie camp, we have Samuel Carrier. Let me know if there's someone you want to know about.

photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Man I love this awkward photo shoot

Name: Samuel Carrier

Position: D
Shoots: Right
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 186 lbs
Birthdate: 1992-04-28

Hometown: Varennes, Québec

To set the tone for this post, I'd like to share someone's first-hand experience of Samuel Carrier. Twitter friend Sarah (of somethingsbruin.net) went to a QMJHL preseason game of the Lewiston MAINEiacs as they played the Victoriaville Tigres. She promised to keep an eye on our Sam to see how he played. I'll let her take it away:

"[Carrier] got elbowed from behind by [Tigre] Vincent Marcoux into the half wall. He fell down, stood up, turned around and punched the guy in the face."

Now THAT'S what I like to hear.

The feisty French Canadian was the 2010 6th round (176th overall) pick of the Washington Capitals, and seemed delighted to be coming to the team. He's said that he enjoys watching Mike Green, as Carrier is also an offensive defenseman who enjoys occasionally joining in on the rush. And like Green, he too is valuable on the power play due to his offensive skills.

Carrier was drafted by the Québec Remparts in the first round (10th overall) of the 2008 QMJHL Entry Draft. He had set several records with his Midget team (he has the record of most goals by a rookie defenseman in a single game, as well as landing in the top 5 of most goals by a rookie defenseman in a season). But yet Carrier's offensive instinct didn't seem to kick in until last season. He spent his first QMJHL season with the Remparts (home to Dmitry Kugryshev and head coach Patrick Roy). But despite the talent there, he didn't exactly have a breakout rookie season. Although he had some success in Midget, in 56 games with the Remparts in 2008-09, he scored only 9 points.

After the season's end, Carrier was traded to a struggling Lewiston team in a multi-player, multi-pick deal. His first season there in 2009-10, he seemed to hit his stride. In 66 games, he scored an enviable 42 points (10 goals, 32 assists). Five of those ten goals came on the power play. Carrier helped the MAINEiacs to the playoffs last year - a team that was last in the Central division the season before Carrier arrived. The MAINEiacs didn't make it past the first round, but Carrier did score a power play goal in the series against Drummondville.

Hockey's Future stresses Carrier's youth and inexperience when they point out areas where he needs improvement. He sometimes is out of position chasing after the play (though it's not like we haven't seen that before; see #8 on this list) but he is effective along the boards in the defensive zone, puckhandles well, and has a heavy, accurate shot from the point. Carrier may not ever make the NHL, but he was still draftable due to his potential:

"Carrier is by nature an offensive player from the backline and has some skills and creativity that set him apart from prospects his age - which is why he was drafted. He is still young enough to develop the complimentary elements to make him a successful attacking defenseman and potential power play specialist at the NHL level."

Carrier is only 18 and therefore will return to play with the MAINEiacs this upcoming season, but he seemed to take a lot from this year's development camp. While not making a huge impression like Johansson or Kuznetsov, he was solid on the blue line and took the experience very seriously. He showed maturity in his approach to camp, but I also loved Carrier's naïveté - in an interview on a Potomac cruise for the attendees, Carrier admitted that he "didn't know" there was a river in Washington:

Ah, to be young and Canadian.

Focus on Prospects: Dustin Stevenson

2010-08-31T20:55:00.007-04:00

With rookie camp coming up in under 2 weeks, I wanted to look at some of the prospects that may be invited. I'll do profiles of a couple of guys until rookie camp - if there's someone you want to hear about, let me know! But for my first choice, let's take a look at defenseman Dustin Stevenson.

photo by bridgetds

Name: Dustin Stevenson

Position: D
Shoots: Left
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 220 lbs
Birthdate: 1989-08-12

Hometown: Gull Lake, Sask.

While one of the Caps prospects not currently playing in the CHL, KHL, or Collegiate, Dustin Stevenson is arguably the star of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). The SJHL, for those curious, is a Junior A league, which is considered to be a step below leagues of the CHL (which are Major Junior leagues).

But don't count Stevenson out based on that. Last season, the La Ronge Ice Wolves (which Stevenson captained) won the Credit Union Cup, making the Ice Wolves SJHL Champions. At the end of that same year, Stevenson was named the SJHL Player of the Year after notching 11 goals and 36 assists, third among defensemen in the league. He also became the first SJHL player to ever be signed to a pro contract while still with the SJHL (signed right in the middle of the SJHL Credit Union Cup finals).

Not too shabby for a hulking kid from a town of under 1,000 people.
(To provide perspective, when I was a senior in high school, my high school's student population was about 2,500.)

However, SJHL players age out once they are over 20, and with Stevenson just turning 21 this month, he must move on from his team. Before his signing, he had a hockey scholarship to attend St. Lawrence University, which has produced Hershey Bear Zach Miskovic as well as a handful of current NHL players and coaches. However, in signing a pro contract, Stevenson had to forgo his turn at a college education and NCAA play. Though it's not like he's terribly upset that the Capitals signed him.

"For sure, it's a dream come true. Ever since I was a young guy, my dream was to sign with an NHL team. I still haven't wrapped my head around it completely but it's definitely a dream come true."

Many reports say that Stevenson has a Chris Pronger style of play, but he's no goon. With the size and strength perfect for a defensive defenseman, the speed of a power forward, and the work ethic of a seasoned captain, Stevenson is a coach's dream. His coach in La Ronge, Bob Beatty, was delighted but not surprised by the signing:

"There's so much potential there. He's such a good character kid. We know he's going to put in the effort to get better and obviously Washington feels the same way."

Stevenson is also on Bruce Boudreau's radar after an impressive development camp showing. Stevenson was one of the players that Boudreau singled out in his "all-camp team." Since Stevenson will not be able to return to the SJHL and will not be attending St. Lawrence due to the fact that he's signed a pro contract, I'd expect him to join the South Carolina Stingrays next season. A little more pro experience is needed for this self-proclaimed "late bloomer," but he's well on his way to becoming a great addition to an NHL blue line.

The Case for Willie Mitchell

2010-08-18T20:06:00.005-04:00

photo by Getty Images

GMGM has remained vague about signing any more free agents, saying that the Caps were done but not sounding definitive while saying it. With Willie Mitchell visiting the Capitals and Kettler Capitals Iceplex this week and having "a very good meeting," could Mitchell be the ace up McPhee's sleeve?

A related question could be: Do the Caps really need Mitchell? In a word, yes. One of the persistent issues with the Capitals roster has been the lack of defensive defensemen - the "stay at home" guys who aren't afraid to make the tough hits and are valuable on the penalty kill. The Caps lost perhaps their only good stay at home defensemen when free agent Shaone Morrisonn (who last year trailed only Alex Ovechkin for the team high in hits) signed with Buffalo.

The Caps are gaining John Carlson and Karl Alzner, but both are rookies who lack the experience of a seasoned blue-liner. Jeff Schultz has stepped up his defensive play in recent years, leading the league in +/- last year, leading the team in blocked shots (129), and improving his hit count with 66 last year. However, for some perspective, John Erskine bested Schultz in hit total (by over 40 hits) while playing 30 fewer games.

While Willie Mitchell, 33, missed almost half of last season with post-concussion syndrome (thanks to a hit by Evgeni Malkin), his 2008-09 stats show a definite knack for defense. In that season, he had 82 hits (one per game) and blocked 125 shots. He was fourth on the Canucks in takeaways with 39. He also led the team in +/-, finishing up the season with a career-high +29. Mitchell was awarded the Canucks' trophy, the Babe Pratt Trophy, for best defenseman on the team in 2008 and 2009.

With Kevin Bieksa, Mitchell has been a one half of arguably the best defensive pairing on the Canucks - Bieksa's offensive mindset complements Mitchell's strong defense and long reach (Mitchell uses a stick at the league-maximum of 63 inches). I'd love the idea of a top defensive line of Mike Green and Willie Mitchell - Green would be a little more free to explore his offensive side without too much worry over the blue line going unprotected.

Only time will tell who Mitchell decides to sign with - Los Angeles and San Jose are in the signing mix with the Caps. The Canucks haven't been ruled out either; re-signing Mitchell may be an option for them. But Caps fans are pushing for McPhee to sign someone of Mitchell's physical presence. The Caps have a decent amount of room under the salary cap. And it's undeniable that the Caps could use him.

Mitchell is expected to make his decision by the end of the week.
UPDATE 8/25/10 - Willie Mitchell has signed a 2-year contract with the LA Kings.

Hockey is Everywhere

2010-08-15T13:52:00.003-04:00

On the way back from vacationing in Hilton Head Island, I stopped for gas at a station off I-95 in Selma, North Carolina (Population: 7,008). Pumping gas in my Capitals John Carlson shirt, the guy at the pump on the other side of me noticed my team loyalty.

"Is that your team?"

"Yup."

"At least you have a team. I'm from just north of Toronto. We haven't had a team for a while. But Brian Burke's working on it..."

The conversation got me thinking. First of all, hockey really is everywhere, even between a Capitals fan and a Maple Leafs fan in bumblef*ck North Carolina.

But it also reminded me how lucky Caps fans are. When I think about all the moaning thats been going on this offseason about the moves the Caps have made, it just makes me realize that we are so much better off than the majority of NHL fans. And we really do take it for granted.

We have a coach who took over a team in the middle of a complete renovation, and turned them into a President's Trophy-winning Cup contender in just a few seasons. Boudreau constantly pushes his players to be better, admits it when his players are wrong, and defends them when they're being unjustly criticized. In fact, he won a Jack Adams trophy for his tremendous coaching in his first season at the helm. He hadn't even coached a full season when he won - he joined the team in the end of November and won that June.

People have also been tough on General Manager George McPhee this offseason. Yes, the ending to last season was extremely disappointing, but it wasn't GMGM's fault - Montreal is a good team that had a hunger greater than ours. McPhee has been one of the most adept GMs in the biz. He's one of the smartest drafters in the entire league, bringing little names like Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, Semyon Varlamov, and John Carlson to the Caps. And when necessary, developing them through one of the greatest minors systems available and bringing them in to the big leagues just when they're ready. He's also smart when it comes to money. The Caps are one of the few teams not in a load of trouble right now with the salary cap. His sharp decisions earned him a nomination for the first-ever General Manager of the Year award this June.

Basically, at least we know that our team will have a postseason. Our season isn't a total crapshoot - we know our team can win, WILL win. So stop complaining, Caps fans. At least we aren't the Maple Leafs.

Sorry, Leafs fans. No offense intended. We were there once too.

In Case You Missed It...

2010-08-12T14:10:00.002-04:00

My first article for The Fourth Period has been posted on their website. I review the Capitals' off-season here: http://www.thefourthperiod.com/news/was100811a.html. Check it out!

I've also added a sidebar named "The Fourth Period Article Archive." I'll be linking to all my TFP articles from there in the future.

Marcus Johansson: A Solution at Center?

2010-08-11T16:39:00.002-04:00

photo by Neil Greenberg

TFP ended up posting this article! So go to the TFP website to view it here: http://www.thefourthperiod.com/news/was100811.html.