Photo credit: Chris Gordon

In addition to the Kids Press Conference hosted by Karl Alzner and John Carlson, I also attended the “I Made It To The NHL” panel at the Caps Convention on Saturday.

Dennis Wideman and Mathieu Perreault sat down for an hour and answered questions about what it was like to finally see their dreams of playing in the NHL come true. There were a lot of great moments. One such example was when Perry was told by a fan at the podium that there are group of ravenous Caps supporters out there that refer to him as “Perreaultcho-Cinco,” a nickname inspired by Patriots’ Wide Receiver Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. Perreault, confused and honored all at the same time, responded with a huge grin and a shrug: “I don’t really follow football that much.” Sigh.

Dennis Wideman also shared many interesting stories from his career including the one day he roomed with Brooks Laich. Below the jump, check out some highlights from the panel courtesy of my flip cam.

Which player do you room with on the road?

What was the first thing you bought after you signed your first contract?

What is the Rookie Dinner like?

What are some of your superstitions?

Who’s the toughest players you’ve ever played against?

Photo credit: Chris Gordon

On Saturday, the Washington Capitals hosted their third annual Capitals Convention. A sold-out crowd of over 6,000 fans descended on the spacious confines of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to get autographs, pose for photos, and have questions answered by their favorite players.

Ted Leonsis, a mastermind behind the yearly event, was ecstatic for the turn-out. “That we’re able to sell out everything we touch really shows how wonderful the fan support is and my goal is to build a team as good as our fan base,” he said.

And really. What’s not to love? There were so many great moments. A few of our favorites: the Knuble’s Knights got knighted by GM George McPhee, Brooks Laich’s mom Jane participated in “The Support it Takes to Make it to the NHL” panel, and Braden Holtby and Jay Beagle played floor hockey with some kids. And oh yeah, this too.

“Hockey players are so approachable,” Bruce Boudreau said. “They could be walking amongst [the crowd] and they’ll sit down and talk to you. I think it means a lot to [the fans] that they are so human.”

Below are my pictures of from the day including Alex Ovechkin giving out some free hugs, Mike Green signing a baby, and a lot of smiling players — and when I mean a lot, I’m talking some sort of world record.

(All photos by Chris Gordon — Click to enlarge)

 Ted Leonsis answers questions from fans.

NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan reacts to Matt Cooke’s latest hit?

 Dennis Wideman during the “I Made it to the NHL” panel with Mathieu Perreault.

 Troy Brouwer smiles during his panel on what it is like joining a new team.

 Mike Knuble and his son during #22′s autograph session.

 Jeff Halpern signs a guitar for a young fan.

Troy Brouwer signs an autograph.

 Michal Neuvirth signs for fans.

 Karl Alzner speaks during the Kids Press Conference, an annual highlight.

John Carlson laughs during the panel.

Alex Ovechkin hugs a fan. 

Ovi signs an ol’ ESPN The Mag for our own Rachel Cohen.

 Jason Chimera signs an autograph for a young fan.

A baby is probably not the oddest thing Mike Green has signed.

New Caps radio voice John Walton interviews new assistant goalie coach Olie Kolzig.

Photo credit: Kyle M.

After two straight years of being unable to attend, I finally had a chance to experience the Capitals Convention on Saturday. And boy, did I have a good time. Last year, one of the most memorable parts of the event was the Kids Press Conference. Alex Ovechkin, Matt Bradley, and Eric Fehr were grilled by precocious young Caps fans and the players gave some fantastic answers. They even sung Happy Birthday to a little girl in both English and Russian.

So naturally I decided to check out the Kids Conference myself this year, featuring brothers-from-another-mother Karl Alzner and John Carlson. The players answered questions like “What player do you have the most pleasure hitting?” “How do you celebrate a win?” and ‘What’s your favorite animal?”

Below, check out my somewhat not terrible footage of the event from my trusty ol’ Flip Cam.

What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever signed?

Not sure what’s funnier here: Alzner’s frank response or the kids problem-solving when the original questioner returns to his seat.

What’s it like being around Alex Ovechkin?

best!ahahaha

Who’s the player you’ve most enjoyed hitting?

To the joy of the crowd, the normally long-winded Alzner only needs two words to answer this question. And really, no explanation was needed.

What is your favorite animal and why?

Admittedly, this one kinda came out of left-field, but I can’t blame the kid. When I was young, I remember always wanting to know what cereal Wayne Gretzky ate. For some reason now, I’m sure it was Raisin Bran.

What are four things to keep in mind when playing hockey?

So cute.

What’s the worst fight you’ve ever been in?

I thought Carlson was going to talk about this brutal bout he had last year.

What’s your good luck charm?

Great story from Alzner, though I’m surprised he didn’t just say “this guy to the left of me.”

How do you celebrate a win?

Fist-pumping!

The crowd sings Happy Birthday to Karl Alzner

Aw.

Here’s the story.  WARNING: It’s sickeningly cute.

The birthday girl, MacKenzie, poses with Capitals great Olie Kolzig.

Staci and her family moved to the area right before the 05-06 season begun, right after the dark days of the lockout. They had season tickets and attended a whole bunch of games. Staci’s youngest, MacKenzie, picked Olie as her favorite player, even though she rarely stayed awake past the first period.

MacKenzie met Olie in February 2006 at a “Meet the Team” party for season-ticket holders. Precocious ‘Kenzie, all of four years, waited in line for an autograph from Olie before announcing, “You are my favorite player, and I want to marry you!”

Apparently not within earshot of his wife, Olie responded, “I will wait until you get older.”

In subsequent years, Staci and her family would return to these events. Each time they’d run into the goalie, he’d remember the little girl and tell her that he’s still waiting. In 2008 Olie fulfilled MacKenzie’s birthday wish of a kiss on the cheek. That summer Olie the Goalie left the Washington Capitals for Tampa Bay and what would become his disappointing final season in the NHL. Staci reports that MacKenzie cried when news of the signing broke.

The signed photo reads "To MacKenzie, I'm still waiting. Olaf Kolzig #37"

Skip forward to 2010.  MacKenzie, about to celebrate her ninth birthday, heard that Olie would be attending the Capitals Convention and demanded to go. During his appearance with fellow Capitals superhero, Peter Bondra, MacKenzie approached the microphone.  She squeaked, “Are you still waiting for me, and can I have your autograph!?”

Olie responded, “Yes, I am still waiting for you and of course you can have my autograph.”  Then he recounted to the audience the story I’ve just told you.

After all the tumult of his career’s end and the years that separated him from the fans of Washington, Olie remembered his biggest fan utterly.

Olaf Kolzig is a Vezina-winner goalie, a titan of the Washington Capitals franchise, and an accomplished philanthropist. But he also loves his fans as much as they love him. I know I’m not the first to say this, but the rafters of the Verizon Center would look awfully distinguished in the company of his numbers.

Photo by our very own Kyle Mace.

Saturday’s Caps Convention featured appearances from all sorts of celebrities in the Caps universe. Neil Greenberg’s photos testify to that. But there’s all kinds of gritty, street-level stories that the plutocratic inner circle of RMNB could not see from our rarefied heights. That’s why we asked you, the huddled masses, to share your experiences. Thanks for your participation, everyone. Your fictional check is in the fake mail.

Follow us past the jump to get the scoop on:  D.J. King’s prize fighting techniques, Caps vs. kids, Semin vs. Ovie in a giant vat of pudding (Yeah, I dunno either), Mike Green’s chivalry, Alzner’s short shorts, Rachel Cohen’s superb Ovie poster, Neuvi bored, and a heckuva lot more.

Kids Presser: “What do you like most about Bradley?” Video, submitted by Meredith J.

Marcus Johansson and Mathieu Perreault play with kids, submitted by @itallfallsdwn

CapsCon featured much of the usual: panels, autograph signings, merchandise sales, 12-year old girls asking for Brooks Laich’s phone number, screaming girls chasing Ovechkin while Nate Ewell played his harried bodyguard. One of the more, say, endearing things we came across was Marcus Johansson and Mathieu Perreault playing “street” hockey with a bunch of kids for well over a half an hour. (One might say it would have been difficult to tell Perreault from the actual kids playing, but it was pretty easy, as he clearly had more hair than them.) One of the things that stuck out to me, at least, was how even when playing with kids half their age (well, mostly), the two centers retained their on-ice habits. Perreault was running around, heckling the kids to shoot, high-fiving when his team scored a goal, harassing the goalies, flirting with the (adult) females … Johansson, on the other hand, maintained the calm demeanor that is apparently genetically coded into all Swedes, pitched in when necessary, and encouraged the kids. Some of the kids were actually fairly good; the goalie on the right side stonewalled Matty and his team a few times, which apparently led to Matty booing in his face. I particularly enjoyed the kid who relentlessly stick-tapped if he didn’t have the puck, which likely reminded Matty of his long-lost French Canadian soulmate, Francois Bouchard. Both Matty and Marcus seemed to genuinely enjoy themselves — as Matty’s goal celebrations can attest to — and hopefully the kids did as well. Thanks to those two for spending so much time playing hockey with the kids, and for being classy guys.

D.J. King and the art of single combat, video submitted by Meredith J.

Report by Bridget, @ikeastan

Caps Con, the crowning jewel of Hocktoberfest, arrived on the perfect weekend this year: fresh off five straight preseason wins, the players and the fans were all in great spirits. For me, apart from getting to meet some of my favorite Caps, the panels were definitely among the highlights of the day. Some things were to be expected–approximately five hundred jokes at Sidney Crosby’s expense, and Ovi taking the lord’s name in vain within the first five minutes of the Kids’ Press Conference–but others came as welcome surprises.

For example, Eric Fehr’s favorite animal is the giraffe, because it reminds him of Jeff Schultz. Also, if Ovi could fight anyone in the league, it would be Semin. I hope I’m not alone in thinking that this needs to happen now, on videotape, in a giant vat of pudding [Ed. note- If this happens, RMNB wants the exclusive].

In the Standing Up for Your Team panel, D.J. King’s encyclopedic knowledge of NHL opponents’ fighting styles was truly impressive. Coming to America was probably my favorite, though, with Fleischmann and Varlamov’s hilarious personalities really shining through while Backstrom flirted with ladies of all ages, and Arturs Irbe gave extremely thoughtful, articulate responses to questions about everything from international hockey to where to find good Latvian food in D.C. (answer: knock on a Latvian’s door around dinnertime). Plus, Arturs revealed that he used to be addicted to Spongebob, which in itself was worth the price of admission.

The vendors and giveaways were also neat, particularly since I managed to score a life-sized Ovi poster which, posted appropriately in front of a window, will surely scare away any intruders. All in all, it was a great day to be a Caps fan and one that made anticipation for the coming season all the sweeter.

I was seriously giddy and nervous all day. I hardly ate anything, and I had to drink a Sprite a few hours before photo time to settle my stomach. After getting signatures from Brads and Johansson, I went to check in with my friends Dave and Stacey.  A woman came up to us and asked if we’d like her wristbands. We gladly took them, and I went to get Chim and B. Gordon’s signature with Stacey while Dave went off to get one from Greener. Stacey and I whipped through our line and went to go see Dave get his jersey signed. Of course, when he went up, he told Green that his girlfriend in the white knit hat (me!) was about to get her picture with him and asked if we would he wave or something to freak me out. Embarrassed, I tried to hide, but Stacey pointed right above my head. Green gave a little wave from the table.  So now I was even MORE nervous standing in line for my photo, but when I stepped up onto the platform Green smiled and said, “Nice to meet you,” and shook my hand. The picture turned out perfect.  Right before I left, Green said, “I was supposed to wave at you,” and I had my official geek out moment. I quickly said something intelligent like, “You did! I saw it!” and rushed off the platform. Totally perfect day D

Dave very rarely splurges to spend money on himself, so when I saw that Kolzig was going to be at the convention, I was determined to buy him a photo ticket whether he liked it or not-and I did ;o) Olie is one of his favorite goaltenders and an icon, so I may have been more excited than he was, but I wanted Dave to have a special moment at the Convention, too, since Stacey and I were getting our photos taken with our loverboys. This is one of the few pictures I’ve ever seen Dave smile in and I seriously think it was just the magic of Olie the Goalie. Seeing my goaltender up there next to one of DC’s greats was something I’ll definitely never forget, especially since Olie was nice enough to sign Dave’s jersey as well!

After getting Elyssa through her photo with Green, it was my turn to start really getting excited. Brooks had eluded me so far that day, but he was signing autographs right before the photos, so I stood and watched him at the table until he walked right past me in line. Elyssa stood off to the side taking pictures on my camera as I moved forward in line and as I walked up Brooks gave a little grin and said, “Hey, I know that hat. It looks nice.” Just like Elyssa with Green, I was a bit starstruck, but managed a “Yea, thanks!” as I walked off stage. I swear I could die a happy woman after that 30-second moment with him!

Majority owner, Ted Leonsis, addresses the crowd at the start of Caps Convention.

Andrew Gordon and Karl Alzner’s short-shorts playing hockey.

Andrew Gordon demonstrates excessive celebration after scoring on a 6-year old. Also, Alzner’s shorts.

Eavesdropping on Alex Semin’s phone call, featuring fluent English that gets quieter the nearer you get.

Stalking Nick Backstrom like it’s my job!  Which it’s not. But security staff does carry photos of me around.

Ovi is all smiles. Until he finds you digging through his garbage can at 5 am in the morning.

Ovi signs autographs, while Perry doodles Led Zeppelin logos on his Trapper Keeper.

The
 day
 could 
be 
described 
as 
“exhausting,” 
“amazing,” 
and 
perhaps 
even 
“holy
-crap-I- can’t-
believe-
this-
is-
happening-
to-
me.” 
I 
arrived
 at 
the 
Washington 
Convention
 Center 
Saturday
 morning 
with 
my 
family, 
having 
no 
idea 
what 
the 
day 
had
 in 
store.
 As 
soon
 as 
I 
walked 
through 
the 
convention 
entrance, 
lights 
flashing 
and 
Guns N’ Roses’s “Welcome
 to 
the 
Jungle” 
blasting, 
my 
face 
lit 
up,
 and 
that
 smile
 never 
left 
my 
face.

After 
hearing 
Ted 
Leonsis 
welcome
 the
 crowd, 
the 
majority 
of 
the 
morning
 was
 spent 
just 
walking 
around, 
exploring
 the 
convention 
floor. 
There 
were 
all 
sorts of 
different 
displays
 set 
up. 
One
 of
 the 
largest 
was 
on 
the 
Original 
Six 
teams
 of 
the
 NHL:
  
ranging
 from
 modern‐day 
equipment 
to
 goalie 
pads
 that 
looked
 twice 
as 
old 
as 
I 
am!
 Another 
display 
was 
a 
locker‐room
 setup 
featuring 
the 
equipment
 of 
several 
Caps 
superstars, 
and
 the
 organ
 that plays
 during 
games.
 There 
was 
also 
a 
place
 where
 you
 could 
take 
your 
photo 
on 
a
 Zamboni and 
play 
games
 like 
a 
slap‐shot 
challenge 
and
 street 
hockey.

After the Winter Classic uniform unveiling, I 
had 
to 
leave 
the 
main
 stage
 area 
very 
quickly
 since 
I 
had
 a
 ticket 
to 
take 
a photo 
with 
Semyon
 Varlamov! 
Meeting
 Varly 
face‐to‐face 
was 
so 
cool.
 We
 shook
 hands, 
exchanged
 hellos, 
and 
after
 the
 photo, 
told 
each 
other 
to 
have 
a 
great 
day.
 His 
English 
has 
gotten 
quite 
good,
 he’s
 learning 
very 
fast. 
I
 was
 also 
taking 
a 
photo 
with 
Olie 
Kolzig 
later, 
so 
to 
pass 
the
 time, 
I 
went 
over 
to 
the 
street
hockey 
area 
to 
watch 
the 
kids 
play. 
Shortly
 after
 I
 got
 there, 
I
 heard 
a 
very 
familiar 
voice 
ask 
us
 something 
(I 
can’t 
remember 
what).
 Standing
 right 
behind 
me 
was 
Coach 
Bruce 
Boudreau!!! 

It 
was 
such 
an 
unexpected
 and
awesome
 surprise. 
We
 talked 
for 
a 
couple 
minutes,
 shook 
hands, 
and 
snapped 
a
 quick 
photo 
before 
I 
had
 to 
go 
get 
in 
line 
to 
meet 
with 
Olie 
Kolzig.

Seeing
 Olie
 in 
a 
Caps
 jersey
 again 
was 
one
 of 
the
 best 
things
 I
 saw 
all 
day.
 Godzilla
 was 
the 
player 
that 
got 
me 
into 
watching 
the 
Caps 
and 
hockey 
when 
I 
was
 younger.
 When 
he 
left 
to 
Tampa,
 I
 was
 devastated. 
Seeing 
him
 in 
Caps 
colours, 
back
 here 
in 
DC,
 and 
talking 
about 
how 
he 
will 
always 
consider 
himself 
a 
Capital 
for 
life
 brought
 joy 
to 
my
 heart.

The 
autograph
 session 
I 
had
 been 
designated
 for was 
soon
 after. 
They 
don’t
 announce 
what
 players 
are 
signing 
where 
until 
20 
minutes 
before 
the
 session
 starts;
 it’s 
a 
mystery
 until
 then.
 When
 they 
put
 the 
names
 up
on 
the
board, 
it 
took 
two
 letters 
to 
realize 
who 
was 
going
 to 
be
 at 
my 
session. 
Those 
letters: 
O‐V. 
My
 reaction:
 RUN,
 RUN 
TO 
THE 
LINE 
AS 
FAST 
AS 
POSSIBLE. 
So 
I 
did 
(though
 with 
the 
crowd’s pace, 
it
 was 
more 
like 
a 
power‐walk).

I’m 
an 
illustrator 
who 
loves 
to 
draw 
signs 
for 
Caps 
games, 
so
 the 
item
 I
 had
 for 
Ovi 
to
 sign 
was 
my
 sign
 for 
this 
year: 
a 
comic‐book 
style 
interpretation
 of 
Alex
 as 
“The
 Russian 
Machine.” 
I 
was 
nervous 
the 
whole 
time 
I 
stood
 in
 line.
 What
 would
 Ovi 
think 
of
 my
 drawing? 
Would 
he 
like
 it? 
Would
 he 
not 
care?
 Would 
he 
say
 anything?
 That 
hour 
felt 
like
 days.
 Finally,
 it 
was
 my
 turn 
to 
go 
meet 
The 
Great 
8. 
I
 carefully 
placed
 my
 sign 
on 
the 
table,
 saying 
hello 
and 
telling 
Ovi 
I 
drew 
that
 picture 
myself. 
His 
response?
 He 
gives 
me 
his 
signature with a 
wide 
grin 
and
 says,
“It’s 
very
 nice.”
 I
 left 
that 
autograph
 table 
ecstatic 
beyond
 imagination.

My
 day 
ended
 with
 the
 blogger’s
 panel,
 hosted
 by
 the 
guys 
who 
run
 Japer’s
 Rink,
 On
 Frozen 
Blog, 
and
 Off‐Wing
 Opinion.
 It 
was 
very 
interesting 
hearing 
them
 talk 
about 
how
 blogging 
has 
gotten 
so 
large,
 running
 a
 blog,
 and
 how 
hockey
 benefits 
from
 bloggers.
 I
 learned
 a
 lot 
from
 them, 
it 
was 
a 
great
 panel 
(plus
 the
 RMNB
 shout‐out 
from
 On 
Frozen 
Blog
 was 
quite 
awesome
, too).

Caps Con 
2010
 is 
a 
day
 I
 won’t 
forget. 
Like I 
stated 
before, 
words 
can’t 
really
 describe 
everything
 I
 felt 
that
 day. 
But 
if 
I 
had 
to 
just 
choose 
two 
words,
 I’d 
take
 them
 right 
from
 the
 mouth 
of 
the 
Russian 
Machine 
himself:
 “Very 
Nice.”

Photos by Dennis Kan

Lindsey: RMNB Spy

If there were to be one word that encompasses Caps Con, it would be magical. Simply magical. Where to start?

The Winter Classic throwback jersey is so much nicer than I assumed it to be. It looks pretty sick compared to the horrific powder blue they have in Pittsburgh.

The panel discussions were riveting and sometimes hilarious, and I so luckily scored front-and-center seats as to awkwardly catch eye contact with the players when they looked bored (namely Neuvirth, who resorted to peeling the label off his water bottle & checked out mentally after the first five minutes). The beloved Andrew Gordon also made mention of Ian Oland and RMNB after prompted by an audience member; although he said he may hold off on contributing to any more entries until playoffs citing something around the lines of, no one wants to hear about a Tuesday. Lies. We totally do. Neuvy, Alzner, and Gordo also discussed the high emotions post-win for the Calder Cup and Gabby had to call them out on how low-key they made it sound. Considering they were in Canada and all were of legal drinking age, it’s safe to assume that it was a party none of us can compare and none of them remember.

It wasn’t all just eye candy, I did get some fantastic tips and ideas on hockey pranks from Steckle (Green hardly contributed, it’s safe to say he isn’t one of the best pranksters) and Brett Leonhardt definitely wins best panel interviewer award- he’s actually funny. My autograph pass scored me a meet with Brads & Johansson (Mojo) although Bradley couldn’t have written anything more endearing than what is on Peter Hassett’s jersey. I did, however, make a joke about the somewhat unusual spelling of my name and said “thank you” in Swedish to Mojo. Again, my awkwardness probably got the best of me. It was simply overwhelming to be in a place I can only describe as hockey utopia.

It was seven straight hours of geeking out, but the best part probably had to be a completely unmonitored and very shiny Calder Cup just begging for love; if it didn’t weigh 30lbs I probably would have made a decent effort to jack it from the Convention center. I mean, it was just sitting there in all of its gorgeous Hershey glory.

The Caps Convention was like Christmas: if your family consisted of thousands of Capitals fanatics.

I arrived at the convention entrance on the dot of 10:00 am (a little later than I’d intended because of the vagaries of the Metro) and went directly to the Ask the GM panel room to take a seat in one of the front rows. This panel consisted simply George McPhee answering questions from moderator Nate Ewell and various audience members. The GM was charming, warm, smiling, and — most surprisingly — candid. (He was rarely evasive, and only once did he refuse to answer a question outright, explaining that the league had advised team personnel not to discuss the topic.)

After that panel I had some time to see the main hall, which seemed mostly to consist of lines — people waiting for photos, for games, for food.… Moving to the convention center enabled the organizers to improve on last year’s event, but there were still some glitches — notably a lack of soundproofing between the two panel rooms, and a failure to separate and identify the queues that snaked throughout the main hall. I got away from the lines to watch the unveiling of the Winter Classic sweater, and then I spent a bit of time in the shop deciding which Winter-Classic-themed item I should buy.

The first part of my day seemed to consist of always being wherever Caps players weren’t — which was honestly OK with me. I did find them eventually, though. The highlight of the day for me was the Calder Cup Champions panel featuring RMNB favorite Andrew Gordon alongside Karl Alzner, Michal Neuvirth, and Bruce Boudreau. Though more willing to share his thoughts than in 2009, Neuvirth was still far quieter than any of the other guys at that table. There was a lot of entertaining back-and-forth between the players, when asked about some of the challenges of AHL travel, and the coach, who called them “soft” in comparison with his minor-league days. “You ride in a sleeper bus,” Boudreau said. “We had whisky, and cards, and that was it!”

I ended my day at the very fun Locker Room Stories panel, a.k.a. the “Make Fun of Matt Bradley While He’s Not Here to Defend Himself” session. I had honestly hoped that long-tenured trainer Greg Smith would be more talkative, but I still enjoyed hearing the stories from Mike Green and Dave Steckel — egged on by moderator Brett Leonhardt.

For the most part the convention ran smoothly, sessions were entertaining and informative (or at least one of the two), and everyone was in a good mood. My overall impression is not just how much I appreciate this team’s management and players, but also how much I appreciate my fellow fans. No matter where I found myself, the person next to me was happy to strike up a friendly conversation about our shared love for the Caps — or, really, anything at all. I knew that we’re the best fans in the league, but I didn’t necessarily expect to find proof in such a big and occasionally chaotic crowd.

Elliot Segal glares as Alex Ovechkin high-fives an invisible child.

The second annual Caps Convention was held this past Saturday at the Washington Convention Center. Along with the entire Washington Capitals roster, a number of prominent alumni made appearances, including Olie Kolzig, Peter Bondra, Yvon Labre, and Rod Langway. Fans got to meet and greet their favorite players, get autographs, and demand “Happy Birthday” be sung to them.

The event was a tremendous success. RMNB’s own Neil Greenberg was there to document the day. Enjoy!

Alex Semin signs… is that a volleyball?

Sasha again, this time blowing a raspberry at a fan for no good reason.

Tom Poti, vouching for the quality of his dental work over the summer.

Doo-wop group, Semyon and the Varlamovettes, are playing Merriweather Post Pavillion on 10/18.

Matt Bradley didn’t say anything funny to make Ovechkin and Fehr laugh; they’re just astonished that someone asked him a question.

That 2D fan behind Ovechkin is about to commit sexual harassment.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the head of hair on Karl Alzner? He looks like a Von Trapp child.

“Living in America” by James Brown was playing in the background during this shot.

Rife with troubling sociological subtext.

This kid could beat Fleischmann on the faceoff 67% of the time.

Neil took this photo just to scare Peter and Ian. Nightmares.

Fake locker room. Real locker room smell.

Bonzai signs for people who WERE NOT ALIVE WHEN HE WAS PLAYING.

Looks like Ted Leonsis is wearing M.C. Hammer pants.

The jersey Ovechkin wore in the Turin Olympics. The Russians did not medal, so this is kind of a bummer.

GMGM’s pantomime telephone routine delights Nate Ewell and the audience alike. “Listen, Eric Belanger, I’ve got some bad news…”

GMGM pretends to listen to a question, but he’s actually thinking about the roster for his fantasy hockey team, McPheeling Groovy.