After 100-plus days in Russia playing for Dynamo Moscow, Alex Ovechkin is finally back in DC. Via the Washington Capitals twitter account, here’s the Russian machine as he arrives at the airport. GAME ON!
On January 7, 2013, In Photos, By Ian Oland
On January 7, 2013, In News, Translations, By Peter Hassett
Photo credit: dynamo.ru
No duh. Alex and Nicky have left Dynamo Moscow to return to North America.
From the Dynamo Moscow press release:
Today our team departed for Ufa without three forwards: Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Leo Komarov. Due to the end of the NHL lockout, these players departed for North America in accordance with their contracts.
Translated by Igor Kleyner.
On January 7, 2013, In Hershey Bears, Interview, By Ian Oland
Photo credit: Ian iPad
Over the offseason the Hershey Bears saw several key veterans sign elsewhere, such as future AHL Hall of Famer Keith Aucoin, 2011-12 AHL leading scorer Chris Bourque, and fan-favorite enforcer Joel Rechlicz. The team also had to deal with a peculiar problem due to the lockout: two head coaches, Mark French and new Caps bench boss Adam Oates. Capitals general manager George McPhee mandated that Hershey learn Oates’ new system, so that the organization’s minor league players could be used to it by the time NHL games started being played. All this change has seen the team scuffle to a .500 record through 34 games this season (16-16-1-1).
But now things are starting to look up. Before it was announced that the lockout had been lifted, Hershey had been getting its best goaltending of the year from Braden Holtby, who was recently named AHL player of the month for December. Stan Galiev, who had been struggling with his transition from junior hockey, is starting to look more comfortable on the ice and more worthy of his #29 prospect ranking from Hockey Prospectus. The organization also has a surplus of quality goaltenders in the ECHL knocking at the door of the AHL: Philipp Grubauer and 2012 seventh-round pick Sergey Kostenko.
On Saturday, after the Bears’ 3-1 loss to the Binghamton Senators, I asked French if this is the best he’s seen Braden Holtby play, if the sky is the limit for Riley Barber, and if Caps fans should be worried about Galiev’s early season struggles.
My full Q&A with French is below the jump.
On January 7, 2013, In News, By Ian Oland
John Carlson’s hair at the Redskins game. (Via @DCSportsBog)
At 5:45 on Sunday morning, we learned that the NHL and NHLPA had reached an agreement on a new collective-bargaining agreement. Washington Capitals players took to Twitter, and yes, they were happy.
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