Russian Machine Never Breaks

Concussions, Collisions, and More: Our NHL Head-Injury All-Stars

On January 31, 2012, In Exclusive, Injury, By Fedor Fedin

NHL All-Stars Suffering from Concussions and Head Injuries

Special thanks to Gary Bettman for letting the guys out of the Quiet Room long enough for us to snap this pic. Enlarge. (Photo illustration by Ian Oland)

The stars of the All-Star Game were a little less bright this year. Some of the familiar faces that fans expect were absent for reasons that are becoming all too familiar in the modern NHL: head injury. Approximately 85 head injuries have been reported this year, meaning that nearly ten percent of all active players have been injured. 28 of 30 teams have reported at least one head injury, while some franchises have dealt with as many six or seven. With star center Nicklas Backstrom now sitting out due to concussion, the issue has hit close to home for Caps fans.

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • •
 
4 Comments
Leave A Response

Alternate Cut of the Alex Ovechkin Suspension Video

On January 24, 2012, In Exclusive, Video, By Peter Hassett

Our Russian spies have infiltrated NHLHQ and recovered this alternate cut of Brendan Shanahan‘s suspension video for Alex Ovechkin. This video, archived by RMNB contributor Max Duchaine, contains several revelations about Shanahan’s mental state.

What we find is a broken man at the edge of madness, hated by all, who retreats to a lonely room to watch teen dramas and weep quietly. Do not loathe this man. Pity him.

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • • • • •
 
18 Comments
Leave A Response

Rene Bourque Guest Stars in Mike Tyson Punch-Out

On January 18, 2012, In Exclusive, Video, By Ian Oland

On January 3rd, Rene Bourque — then of the Calgary Flames — elbowed Nicklas Backstrom in the jaw. The reckless play resulted in both a concussion for Backstrom and a Shanaban for Bourque. Capitals players thought the elbow was a cheap shot, but they failed to exact retribution. Sigh.

“It’s one of those things where it kind of sucks because we’re not able to play (the Calgary Flames) again this year,” Troy Brouwer told reporters after the game.

Troy is in luck. Bourque was traded Montreal last week. And look at that! The Caps play the Habs… tonight!

DING! DING! DING!

Inspired by my favorite NES video game of all-time — Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out — here’s how we think tonight will play out for Bourque.

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • • • • • •
 
16 Comments
Leave A Response

Dmitry Orlov: “There is More Hitting Here – I Like That”

On November 24, 2011, In Exclusive, Interview, By Igor Kleyner

Photo credit: Mitchell Layton

In Russia, they say the first crepe is always a clump. It describes the low expectations when something is attempted for the first time. The first NHL game for Dmitry Orlov, who debuted on the big scene Monday night against the Coyotes, was certainly not a clump – but it did turn out to be quite uneventful. His next game — a Thanksgiving Eve fixture against Southeast Division rival Winnipeg — was quite different. Dima’s name was in bold on the playing roster handout as one of the six Capitals’ starters. When the starting line-ups were introduced over the PA system, a loud cheer came from the crowd as the youngster was named one of the starting defensemen. Orlov was even featured on the jumbotron walking alongside his captain to the locker room. Expectations were certainly higher this time around.

Well, Dima certainly turned it up a notch or two for his second NHL game. Of course there were the obvious moments: his first NHL point – an assist on Nick Backstrom’s goal in the second period, a textbook-perfect hip-check on Blake Wheeler that sent the big Jets forward tumbling to the ice head-over-heels, and another thunderous collision with Evander Kane that launched his opponent’s stick into the stands. He even made an appearance on NHL Network. But as I talked to Dmitry in the Caps’ locker room immediately after the game, it quickly become apparent that helping his team win the game mattered much more to him than getting on the score sheet or landing a spectacular hit.

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • • •
 
10 Comments
Leave A Response

Catching Up With Former Capital Andrew Gordon

On November 2, 2011, In Exclusive, Interview, By Ian Oland

Photo credit: Kyle Mace

Andrew Gordon won two Calder Cups with the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears in four seasons.  He played nine games with Washington last season, scoring his first career NHL goal on future hall of famer Martin Brodeur, a feat he celebrated by kissing assister Marcus Johansson on the bench. But Andrew left the organization over the summer to hazard the free market. After a promising performance at Anaheim’s training camp, Gordon was added to the team’s roster (and then cheated on us in Finland with another blog).

I caught up with the notoriously well-spoken Andrew Gordon after the Ducks’ painful 5-4 overtime loss to the Capitals on Tuesday. We talked about California weather, competing against his former teammates, and the enduring adoration of Washington’s fans.

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • •
 
7 Comments
Leave A Response

Kanooblian, a Work of Art Inspired by Mike Knuble

On October 7, 2011, In Artwork, Exclusive, By Peter Hassett

Mark Burrier is an artist (and my friend and colleague) from Frederick, Maryland. One of his many projects is a website called Rare Words, where users submit words that become the starting point for drawings. To ring in the new season, I submitted a word to the blog. It’s a word I use a lot: kanooblian. It means As of or pertaining to Mike Knuble’s net-crashing ways.

Here’s a tiny version of the drawing:

"Kanooblian" by Mark Burrier

You’re gonna have to follow me past the jump to see the whole thing. You’ll be glad you did.

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Dmitry Orlov: Learning the Game with Swagger

On September 22, 2011, In Caps Prospect, Exclusive, Interview, Translations, By Igor Kleyner

Dmitry Orlov

Photo credit: Kyle M.

It was over 30 minutes past the scheduled end of his practice session, but Dmitry Orlov simply did not want to leave the ice. With almost all of his teammates from Group C already in the locker room, the 20-year-old defenseman had the secondary rink at Kettler Capitals Iceplex all to himself, effortlessly gliding around invisible opponents with the puck seemingly glued to his stick. Dima was clearly enjoying the moment.

Group C included such standout blueliners as Roman Hamrlik, an NHL veteran of almost two decades, and John Carlson, not much older than Dmitry, but already recognized as one of the top young rearguards in the league. The young Russian appeared to be unfazed by such company. Every time the players gathered around a member of the coaching staff to receive instruction, Dima took his spot, usually in the front row of the huddle, and listened and watched very intently. He no longer relies on anyone’s help in order to understand — a very timely improvement in his command of the English language — as all of his Russian-speaking teammates were assigned to Group A.

Having finally completed his puck-dangling routine, Dima finally went off into the locker room, but not before he patiently signed autographs for a small group of his fans waiting for him rink side. A few minutes later he made his way into the media area — by then completely empty, aside from a couple of reporters finishing up their stories — and spoke candidly with RMNB about his improving English, participating in shootouts, and his first and only fight.

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Gregg Mace’s Memories of Baltimore Hockey

On September 19, 2011, In Exclusive, Preseason, By Gregg Mace

Baltimore Hockey Classic Washington Capitals

The Baltimore Hockey Classic marks the return of hockey to Charm City for the first time in 20 years. The Capitals will host Nashville on Tuesday night at 1st Mariner Arena. Gregg Mace, Sports Director of abc27 WHTM-TV in Harrisburg, grew up in Baltimore and shares his special thoughts about the return of hockey to his hometown.

Here's some footage of a bench brawl between the Skipjacks and the Rochester Americans back in the old days.

Every hockey fan has a special story to tell. A story of how they became interested of this great game. Mine began in the mid 1960′s. As a seventh grader at Baltimore Friends School, I became an avid fan of the Baltimore Clippers, the first Baltimore team in the American Hockey League. The team played in what is now called 1st Mariner Arena. To me, it will always be the Baltimore Civic Center. When the building opened, the Baltimore Bullets (now Washington Wizards) and the Clippers were its prized tenants. The Clippers were just one of a handful of teams in the AHL, a far cry from its nationwide exsistance today.

My parents or grandparents would drive myself and my friends to nearly every game. Tickets in the 300 level were just $1.50. After the first period, we perfected the art of moving to an empty seat in the more expensive sections. The four rows behind the net cost just $4.00 each.

Younger fans will find this hard to believe, but there was chicken wire to protect the fans from the puck, not plexiglass. You could hear everything that was being said. There were no helmets and the Clippers had claim to the last goaltender to not wear a mask, Andy Brown.

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • •
 
4 Comments
Leave A Response

Rep. Quigley Will Give Wounded Warriors a Good, Hard Game

On September 7, 2011, In Exclusive, Interview, By Doug Johnson

Doug Johnson of PuckBuddys writes for Russian Machine Never Breaks.

“It’s tough, it’s fast, and you better be highly skilled,” says the Chicago pol bluntly. “Believe me, I’ve got my share of bruises and stitches over the years. There’s a brutal beauty to it.”

Rep. Quigley during last year's Warriors game.

You could be forgiven for thinking the not-quite-second term Democrat and former Cook County Commissioner was talking about politics– Chicago-style or otherwise. But he’s talking about his other hard-knocks passion: hockey.

Stocky and pugnacious, Rep. Quigley looks and talks like a guy who’s been around the rink a few million times. He should. “I’ve been playing since I was eight years old, skating around on old frozen lagoons,” he says. “Twenty degrees below zero, all of that. And I never stopped. I played every chance I could get.”

Quigley loves everything about hockey. Watching it: “Sitting at the old Chicago Stadium – 3rd row, 2nd box behind the blue line– man, that place just shook. Never shoulda torn it down.” Playing it: “My favorite play out there is setting up a bang-bang play, you know, a real good-looking goal.” Even tweaking his opponents about it: “When I was Cook County commissioner, I passed this resolution, right before the Winter Classic between Detroit and the Blackhawks. All the whereas’s and here-to-for’s … but if you read every red capitalized letter, it spells out “DETROIT SUCKS.” (We checked it out. He really did.)

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • • • •
 
1 Comments
Leave A Response

USA Warriors: “Hockey Was a Life-saver For Me”

On September 6, 2011, In Exclusive, Interview, News, By Doug Johnson

Wounded warrior

Doug Johnson of PuckBuddys writes for Russian Machine Never Breaks.

Retired Army Staff Sgt. Drew Hill doesn’t sound like a guy whose life needed saving. He’s confident and friendly, with that ingrained Army habit of calling you “Sir,” and he loves talking about hockey. “Chippy,” it turns out, is one of his favorite descriptions for just about everything.

The Warriors pose for a photo after a recent game.

We spoke recently just as he stepped off the ice after practice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. He was tired — “Sorry about being winded, Sir,” he said — but eager to talk about his team of military pals who don skates as often as they can. Whether they have all their limbs or not. After all, they have a big game coming up.

Hill is a member of USA Warriors Ice Hockey, a project of USA Hockey and the NHL, that gets wounded American combat veterans out on the ice, playing hockey, no matter if they’ve ever played before or not.

Hill was one of those who had. “I played off and on through high school and up from there,” he told me. “But when I got into the Army I had to back it off a bit. Then I got hurt in Afghanistan in 2006; I picked it back up. Hockey was a life-saver for me.”

In fighting, Hill’s right ankle was essentially shattered and had to be completely rebuilt. “I’ve got titanium and all kinds of metal down there,” he said. His rehabilitation was long and, as they often are, difficult. “Physical therapy was great, but it just wasn’t aggressive enough. I was still walking with a cane. Well, I strapped on a pair of skates and started skating around, and the therapy I got from being on the ice basically got me working my right leg again.”

Hill’s story is a familiar one to anyone who plays with, or knows of , Warriors Ice Hockey. Composed of wounded vets from Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s part exercise, part amateur league, and part therapy. And this Thursday at 7pm, the puck will drop at Kettler on a big game — the Wounded Warriors vs. the Congressional hockey team.

Continue Reading

Tagged with: • • • • • •
 
2 Comments
Leave A Response
« Older Entries