Photo credit: @emilymorgann

Coming into training camp, the Washington Capitals had a few question marks around their forwards. Brooks Laich was sidelined by a groin injury, and Wojtek Wolski was tentatively slated [gulp] as a top-six winger. But on Saturday, as the lockout ended, George McPhee got himself some insurance, inking longtime-Cap Eric Fehr to a one-year deal worth $600,000. The signing made a lot of fans happy.

None more so than Kathryn Barry.

Kathryn took pride in liking third and fourth line players more than superstars. A year or two into Eric Fehr’s tenure with the Capitals, she found herself rooting for him in particular. Fehr, a two-time fifty goal scorer with the Brandon Wheat Kings, worked his way up through the Capitals minor league system, scoring 8 goals during the Hershey Bears championship run in 2005-06. Despite routinely scoring big goals for the big-league team, Fehr was injury-prone and often relegated to a checking-line role.

Kathryn gravitated to Fehr by way of those Capitals-produced videos on their website. She found Fehr charming and down-to-earth, which one supposes are peripheral qualities in a hockey player and crucial qualities in a human being.

Those qualities were affirmed a few years back when Barry was laid up in hospital. One night during her week-long stay, she noticed a new message in her Twitter inbox. It was Fehr, whom she had never met in person, wishing her well and rooting for a quick recovery. Kathryn’s friends had told Eric via Twitter that she was sick and how much of a fan she was, so he returned the favor with some cheering of his own.

Kathryn cried, but that’s not the end of the story.

Barry and her friend Emily both had Monday off. To celebrate they attended the second day of Capitals training camp. Arriving at Kettler at 10:30. Kathryn’s first goal was to meet Fehr, her longtime favorite player, in person for the very first time. So after practice ended around 11:45, Kathryn and Emily stood outside in the 40-degree weather. And waited. And waited.

After an hour and a half of standing sentry in the parking deck, they ran into Matt Hendricks. They asked Hendricks if Fehr was still inside. He said,”Yeah.” So they waited some more.

Three hours passed. Kathryn and Emily began to give up hope. And that’s when six-foot, four-inch, country-music-loving Eric Fehr finally emerged with a few other players.

Kathryn asked for a photo, and Fehr obliged.

She professed that he was her favorite player, but didn’t say why since the players appeared to be in a hurry. Joel Ward heard that and  said, incredulously, “He’s your favorite player, ever?” Everybody laughed.

The players left, and Kathryn and Emily got in their car to leave. And that’s when Kathryn had her moment.

“Oh my god. Oh. My. God,” Kathryn said. “I just met Eric Fehr! I’m crying. Oh my god. I’m shaking.” She wept in the car.

Maybe that’s a tiny moment in the scope of the whole league or the whole hockey world, but that’s kind of the point. Big or small, every fan and every player matters– and the connections between them, whether a homemade sign or an autograph or a quick message of support when you’re feeling crummy, are the most valuable part of a sport that is too often reduced to dollar amounts and shot totals.

Welcome back, Eric Fehr. You’ve been missed.

Photo credit: @emilymorgann

Five years ago, back when I had just recently graduated college, I’d have given a kidney for playoff tickets. Watching hockey with 18,000 of my closest friends in a rock concert-like atmosphere, it seemed to me, would be well worth it.

21-year-old Caps fan David Bower is a better person than I. To get the chance to see the Capitals in the playoffs this year, he’s giving up one of his prized possessions: this signed Alex Ovechkin ornament.

Bower, who lives in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, works for Laubscher Pools and professionally installs swimming pools and hot tubs. He became a Capitals fan a few years back when he started regularly attending AHL games in Hershey. “Seeing all of their prospects moving up from the AHL to the NHL got me interested,” Bower told RMNB. “Plus, there are no fans in the world like Capitals fans. I was just sucked in from then on out.”

When Bower went to see his first ever Caps game – an evening tilt against the Ottawa Senators on December 3rd of last year, he noticed a table set up on the lower level. Players were autographing Christmas ornaments to raise money for Mike Green’s charity “So Kids Can.” Since he was a huge Ovechkin fan, Bower spent big money to get the Russian machine’s signature on a Christmas bulb, his first ever Caps autograph.

Now David wants to see a Caps playoff game live. With money tight and gas prices ridiculously high, he didn’t have the funds to handle the costs of two tickets and driving down from Central Pennsylvania. So he made an excruciating decision: auction his Ovechkin-signed ornament on eBay.

Bidding for the ornament starts at $75, but David is crossing his fingers for more. “I’m hoping to make at least $150 — nothing crazy — for it so I can make up for most of the ticket price. It wouldn’t matter to me where I sit, as long as I was in Verizon Center rocking the red and watching the Capitals do what they do best!”

Which to David is kicking ass.

If you’re interested in putting a bid for an autograph from one of the world’s greatest hockey players, just know you’re donating to a good cause. David watches and listens to every Caps game online or on TV. He even referred to the 27/74 defensive pairing as Carlzner when I spoke to him.

When I asked David who he would take to a game if he were fortunate enough to make enough dough on eBay, he didn’t hesitate. “My girlfriend. Who else? She’s a huge fan too.”

Goat and Jill rock the wed. (Photo credit: Wes Johnson)

The madman of 105 (Photo: ESPN)

You might not know him by name, but William Stilwell is a legend to Caps fans. At any moment, the man known as GOAT can fill Verizon Center to the rafters with his boomy “Let’s! Go! Caps!” holler. Goat has become a Capitals institution, a good-natured leader of cheers, as reliable as he is boisterous. He is– in short– beloved.

This past Saturday, Goat married his sweetheart Jill. The ceremony, held at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel in downtown D.C., was attended by friends, family, and a smattering of Caps notables. Sam “The Horn Guy” Wolk and our own Ian Oland attended. The wedding itself was officiated by the voice of the Capitals (and perhaps the only guy louder than Goat), Wes Johnson.

The couple met by chance in Chicago, seeing the Black Crowes in concert back in 2005. She, a diehard Red Wings fan, and he, already a season-ticket holder for five years, found shared interest in music, hockey, and one another. Sometime later, Jill and her hero Sergei Fedorov both moved to D.C., where she was converted. “Brainwashed is the wrong word,” Goat assures me over the phone, but sure enough, she was soon among the Caps faithful.

In recent years, Goat and Jill have attended games, arriving together but sitting apart (he in 105, she in the 400′s). Afterwards they would celebrate or commiserate. “It’s a perfect arrangment,” Goat observes.

Capitals announcer Wes Johnson served as officiator. Johnson sought an online ordination (his official title: Universal Prophet of Absolute Reality) and summitted a mountain of D.C. paperwork to fulfill his duties. Johnson shares Stilwell’s same breed of enthusiasm and gregariousness, so Goat thought he’d be the perfect choice to lead the event. “No one else could do it with his verve,” Goat says of his friend Wes.

The Horn Guy and emcee Wes Johnson.

As the ceremony began, Johnson summoned his bellow and asked the crowd, “Are you ready… to rock the wed?” Answered by enthusiastic cheers, the D.J. cued up Europe’s “The Final Countdown”. At its conclusion, Johnson introduced the real star of the show in his signature half-growl: “Ladies and gentlemen… here comes the bride!”

Led by a flower girl in pink, Jill joined William up front, and Wes began his invocation. Perhaps unable to help himself, he began with a classic: “Mawwiage”. Placing the humor aside, the officiator delivered a reflection on Goat and Jill’s relationship. They are, as Wes reiterated it to me by phone, “two best friends, individuals on a journey through life that is better shared. But they do not have to sacrifice their individuality to be together.”

Individuality was in no short supply here. Goat wore his preferred sneaker, black Adidas Campus Two’s. Jill wore pink Chuck Taylors. The ceremony was as fun as it was short, but never short on smiles or personality.

The reception continued the heartful, but lighthearted atmosphere that Wes and the newlyweds set at the ceremony. Overflowing with sushi, pasta, barbeque, turkey and more, the celebrants were well fed. Jill’s preferred music, the devil-horns-not-hairspray stylings of Judas Priest and Ratt, filled the ballroom. The custom-made groom’s cake, decorated as an old-school Caps puck on top of sheet cake, was presented to much aplomb.

I caught up with William the next day, Sunday afternoon, a few hours before the Flyers game. I asked him if they were up for going to the game after the previous night’s celebration, “Yeah,” he replied, “We have to. We couldn’t let Philadelphia fans get the seats. Besides, it’s a nice way to bookend the weekend.”

Jill and Goat will take their honeymoon in December. Like the first time they met, they’ll be seeing the Black Crowes in concert.

Russian Machine Never Breaks congratulates Jill and Goat on their nuptials. An affable, passionate gentleman like Goat with such discriminating taste in sports teams deserves happiness. He is now off the market and has settled down. That’s great– so long as he never quiets down.

RMNB’s Wedding Album

Walking down the aisle, vows.

Wes pronounces Goat and Jill husband and wife.

The invisible handshake of matrimony.

A not-so-solemn invocation

The blushing bride, her pink Chuck Taylors obscured.

Exchange of rings. Muy adorable.

Goat could not contain his excitement anymore.

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the married couple for the first time.

The family!

Universal Prophet of Absolute Reality, Wes Johnson, and the Caps steel shield.

Congratulation cards from friends and family.

@TheHornGuy and his loving illustration of a noisy brother-in-arms.

“Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.” – Oscar Wilde

Non-traditional centerpiece.

The first dance.

Aww.

Wes signs the wedding certificate. Jill Hunt supervises.

Caps-colored M&Ms for the happy couple.

Custom-made Capitals cake. Nom.

Congratulations, Goat and Jill.

Thank you to planner Jay Brooke for all his help. Thank you to Sam Wolk for shooting video for us. Thank you to Suzanne Kang for the primary assist. Thank you to Wes Johnson for assorted photos. And thank you to the the Stilwell couple for their graciousness and hospitality.

Readers, please share your congratulations in the comments below.

Additional reporting and photos by Ian Oland

[Ed. note- this article has been updated since publication]

Anna Kournikova... in 3D. Yummy.

If you needed further proof that the apocalypse is indeed near, then check out the newest Maxim! In their October issue, not only can you marvel at Anna Kournikova and her wondrous curves in 3D, you can also read up on Caps Superfan Goat!

For those who have no idea who he is (how did you find our blog?), here’s the jumbotron video the Caps produced of him a few years ago:

Below the jump, we’ve transcribed the article he’s been featured in and included a scan of the page. You know, for the people who would never buy this kinda smut in a million years (Dan Steinberg).

Bob Gertenrich hasn’t skipped a Blackhawks home game in 44 years. The Green Men in Vancouver wear full-body spandex suits to every game and taunt opposing players. And in D.C. there’s 35-year-old William Stillwell, a.k.a. Goat, a man so damn loud the Caps made him a Jumbotron fixture to amp up the crowd.

What happens to you at Caps games?
It’s like an alter ego. As soon as I take my seat, there’s a massive adrenaline boost. I got a little upset once and broke the railing next to my seat.

How loud are you?
Last year a reporter asked about me, and Brooks [Laich] said, “Oh, yeah, we can hear that guy on the bench.”

Have you always been loud?
I grew up watching Redskins games with my dad, and the joke in the neighborhood was that no one needed TV – they could just open their windows and tell how the game was going.

Special thanks to Stevie K. for doing the uhhhh, dirty work? and purchasing the magazine. He assures us that “[he] does not get maxim willingly and [he] do not read it.” Liar.

Sometimes there are moments when I check out the other talented writers in the Caps Blogosphere and am just absolutely blown away. And readers, this is one of those moments. A week ago, I noticed that Lucy Brown, the maven behind the blog “Hockey Is My Boyfriend,” came up with lyrics parodying Katy Perry’s “California Gurls.” The parody, which has an effusively positive tone unlike most HIMB posts (see: Sing Us A Song You Drunk Jerkface & The Dissection of Bad Jeans), combines everything I love all in one song: The Capitals, humor & random nudity.

It should go without saying, but if any of you can record or film this for us, you will be rewarded handsomely. I’d ask Peter, but he doesn’t look good in candy-themed three-part suits.

So without further adieu, please check out this year’s hot, new summer anthem: Capitals Boyz. Start that beat up, my nizzle.

Greetings Caps Fans,
let’s take a magical journey.

I know a place
Where Ovechkin always scores.
Brads will kick your ass
Then he’ll compost your garbage.
Drinkin’ Gatorade
Sitting on the bench at Kettler
Flash
is a ginger.
You know they have no souls.

You could travel the world
but nothing comes close to this NHL team.
Once you come to the Verizon Center
You’ll be falling in love
Ooooh oh oooh

Washington Capitals
They’re unforgettable
Awesome prospects
And great merchandise.
Backstrom’s on a diet
So watch your fingers!
Ooooh oh oooh.

Washington Capitals
They’re undeniable
Bondra, Kolzig, Hunter
Konawalchuk
DC represent
Now shout “Go Caps!”
Ooooh oh ooooh

Tom Poti
Likes to walk around shirtless.
Riding,
The zamboni
Boyd Gordon will rap for everyone

You could travel the world
but nothing comes close to this NHL team.
Once you come to the Verizon Center
You’ll be falling in love
Ooooh oh oooh

Washington Capitals
They’re unforgettable
Mike Green on offense
And Knuble fist pumps.
Brooks Laich will change
your tire on the parkway
Ooooh oh oooh.

Washington Capitals
They’re undeniable
Langway, Peake, Juneau
Calle Johansson
DC represent
Now shout “Go Caps!”
Ooooh oh ooooh

And if you’re still not sold on Lucy, she’s illustrated Andrew Gordon as a Keebler elf and did her own mock arbitration hearing for Flash, Judge-Judy-style. Awesome.

Proof that Miss Virginia is one of us.

After making it into the Top 10, Miss Virginia Samantha Casey talks not about her humanitarian work, but HOCKEY!

It’s bittersweet, but we congratulate Miss Virginia USA and renowned Caps fan, Samantha Casey, for winning 2nd runner up in the Miss USA pageant tonight.  Samantha had all the beauty, intelligence, and poise one expects from a champion.  We Caps fans consider ourselves lucky to count her in our ranks.

(In the not-at-all unlikely case that Miss USA cannot perform her duties, the first runner up takes the crown, and Samantha will advance to Vice Miss USA.  And then comes coup d’état.)

Caps fans, please voice your congratulations for Sam in the comments below.  Let her know how proud we are of her.  While you’re at it, check out Love 146, the group Samantha helps to raise awareness for child sex trafficking.

And if you know of any other Caps fans are doing incredible stuff, like winning a Nobel prize or winning the Tour de France, let us know.  We’re here to support the fan community, and also we’re desperate for content.

So which lovely lady will you be trying to pick out on the Las Vegas stage? Umm, this one:

A good luck charm? Samantha Casey models our shirt in the dressing room before the Miss USA pageant.

OMG AWESOME!! Well since Sam left two weeks ago to get ready for the pageant, she’s managed to take some extremely gorgeous photos, stir up some controversy, mingle with a few celebrities and grab a very favorable 16 to 1 odds of winning the whole damn thing. And since like every other Caps Blog, we’re struggling for material, we’ll tell show you more!

The Gorgeous Photos

Sam's Portrait shot

Samantha's Official Swimsuit Shot

An unpicked swimsuit proof

Her Evening Gown Shot

The Risque Glamour Photo

The “Controversy”

Upon releasing the glamour shots to the press, a mini-controversy arose when it was noted that a few of the contestants sported only an open dress shirt and panties. For example, The Daily 10 said of Sam, “There’s miss virginia, too sexy to button up her shirt.” OMG THE DRAMA!!!

What followed was a hoard of media attention that saw Miss Virginia do an interview on Inside Edition and have her picture pop up on E! News and a special segment on the Today Show:

As an artist, I find these glamour shots beautiful and tastefully done, but I’m sure not everyone agrees. What do you think?

The Celebrities

Sam’s managed to hang out with such celebrities like the Trump himself, Trace Adkins, Joan Rivers, the band Boys Like Girls and Curtis Stone. If you want to know more, we encourage you to read up on her experiences on her Twitter Account and check out her TwitPics. Send her a tweet, we bet she’ll respond.

Our Prediction

Tomorrow night, we think Samantha will finish in the Top 5 and make all of us proud. And, in a perfect world Miss Maryland, will be first runner-up and Miss South Dakota will be wearing something more than a potato sack during the Evening Gown part of the competition. Well, we encourage you all to watch the competition with us tomorrow night and have some fun. Good luck, Samantha!!

My girlfriend teaches a lesson to her fifth graders: RUSSIAN MACHINE NEVER BREAKS.

Sometimes there are pinnacle moments in your life when you look at your significant other and go: Yes, you are the one for me. And today was one of those days. Since I was too busy slaving away on designing Vacation Rental Websites on the other side of Columbia, I’ll let Ashley tell her story. I hope you enjoy.

As a teacher in a conservative school, it’s not often that I get a lot of choice on my wardrobe. Today, however, was the finale of our spirit week, “Jersey Day.” Though I have managed to collect a few random t-shirts from the Capitals, Ravens and the Orioles, I have never made the jump to a costly Capitals jersey. So I donned my secret weapon, my incredible smile, and allured my boyfriend Ian into lending me his sacred signed Ovie jersey.

The conditions for the loan were thus; that I not eat, drink, or go outside in it, that I lock it up when doing one of those things, and that I take pictures for RMNB.

My school had a variety of sports teams, from Maryland to the Colts. I did pose for a photo strangling one poor girl with a Roth-berger jersey, but it was too violent to publish.

I proudly strutted with my oversized Caps jersey, realizing that it’s hard to discipline and manage kids when my sleeves are too long even to show my hands. I have a good enough Capitals base at my school to hear a few whispers of, “Is that really Ovie’s signature?” behind me as I ran copies and searched for troublemakers.

Coincidentally, I had promised a few of my students that we’d play hockey today after school, and that was a blast. I got the only adult-sized hockey stick and played on the blue team, a.k.a. my homeroom. We found a few fourth graders and played 3-on-6. When more 5th graders showed up, I took the happy neutral position of blowing my whistle when the fourth graders did something annoying or odd. I pretended that they were the Penguins, and sure enough, we -I mean, my students- won the match.

While you’re Rocking the Red at the Verizon Center during this playoff season, you might accidentally run into such esteemed ticket-holders as David Gregory from NBC’s Meet The Press, Pat Sajak from The Wheel of Fortune or even Redskins’ TE Chris Cooley. But RMNB thinks there’s one more famous Caps Fan you should now keep your eyes on the lookout for. Her name is Samantha Casey.

A 21 year old Business Administration major at the College of William & Mary, Casey is a bit of a multi-tasker. Not only is she heavily consumed with getting her degree – which has a concentration on Marketing and Entrepreneurship, Samantha also manages to promote student diversity at the campus through a multicultural organization called ColorBlind, co-founded the development of the Student Chamber of Commerce & has tried to increase awareness about child-sex trafficking through promotional activities for Love146, a non-profit dedicated to prevent international child sex slavery and exploitation.

But really, that’s only the beginning.

Samantha Casey is also the current Miss Virginia USA, and will be competing in Donald Trump’s Miss USA 2010 pageant LIVE in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 16th on NBC at 7 pm (please support her on Facebook here). Along with her title, there are certain duties she must perform as well such as doing autograph signings, answering fan mail, doing magazine cover photo shoots & oh yeah, a reality TV Show (the first couple episodes of which are up here).

The crazy part is that Samantha does all of this while still maintaining a 3.7 grade point average at one of the most demanding colleges in the nation. But what has us in love with the stunningly beautiful Casey is not her schedule, but the fact that she manages to squeeze Caps games and practices into it while living an hour and a half away in Jeffersonton, Virginia. We dig the dedication!

Recently after befriending the blonde-hair, green-eyed beauty queen from the Virginia heartland, we asked if we could do a Q/A with her so that Caps fans could get to know her better and also learn more about her upcoming May Cover of Northern Virginia Magazine with Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom – which has recently been profiled on Capitals Red Line. Thankfully, she agreed.

So below the fold learn more about the Capitals most beautiful fan, enjoy the gripping trailer of the reality tv show she participated in & find out what she thinks the chances are for the Capitals to win the cup! And oh yeah, one last thing, sorry for all the pictures I’ve included in here, but I think you’ll understand once you see them.

Our Samantha Casey Q/A

A. Haha! That’s a tough question– how do I choose between the two of those?! Actually, I owe my love for the Caps to the shoot I had with Nick Backstrom and Mike Green for the upcoming May cover of the Northern Virginia Magazine (check out the behind the scenes video here). They were both so down-to-earth and sweet, which was very refreshing. I was asked to one of the games and of course after experiencing what I like to call the “Red Fever,” I instantly fell in love with the game and even more so with the Capitals.

A. Yes, I actually have been to a lot of games recently, I’m hooked!
[Ed Note: These were her seats last game.]

A. I did get a chance to see the President’s Trophy and it is INCREDIBLE! I think I might try to convince Donald Trump (he owns the Miss USA Pageant) to give the winner one of those instead of a crown. Of course, it may be a little more difficult for the winner to bring with her to the events and appearances.

A. I can’t believe you caught me! I actually was wearing a yellow shirt, which was even worse because it was the Bruins game. I was wearing their colors! But I have a legitimate excuse: I was invited to the game last minute, and I didn’t have a red shirt with me (I live about an hour and a half away). Of course I ran into everyone I knew at that game and they gave me a hard time, but I deserved it. I would have done the same thing if I saw someone dressed like me!

A. I think we have some great players on this team, so it’s hard to choose just one! I’m looking at buying myself a jersey right now and am having a hard time choosing which number and name I want! [Ed. Note: Let us know which jersey Samantha should buy in the comments below. We'll pass your opinions along to her!]

A. I had such a great time! I have to admit; I didn’t really know anything about them before the shoot, which is unlike me because I follow just about every other sport. I’ve caught up on hockey in the meantime. Nick and Mike were so humble and kind-hearted. I have to give them credit because they definitely handled the whole hair and makeup situation well. They were good sports about it.

A. I am so glad that you asked me about this because this is actually the reason that I got involved with Miss Virginia USA in the first place. Love146 is an organization that helps to prevent child sex trafficking and exploitation around the world. Their mission is incredible and this is an issue that NEEDS to be stopped. I think if anyone were to spend 5 minutes watching the videos on the Love146 website they would see why I am so passionate about this organization. Please do!

A. There is an incredible video that talks specifically about this.  Check it out below!

A. Haha, yea I was. Definitely not something I ever expected to do, but it was in my contract and honestly I had a great time. I’m not a huge reality show “watcher,” so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but it was a blast. The show is called “B Girls” which is I like to think is open for interpretation (laughs), but really the “B” is supposed to stand for, I think, “Beauty.” Pretty much the story line is that 7 Miss USA and Miss Teen USA contestants went to Vegas and lived in a house for a week and half doing different competitions, etc. I’m really not a person that gets caught up in drama, which from what I’ve heard reality shows normally love, so I probably didn’t add too much excitement to the show. I am definitely competitive, however, so it was a lot of fun. Plus, the girls were wonderful and well I can’t complain because after all we were in Vegas!

A. I know that probably looking at this question most people would think I’m a big “pageant queen,” but that’s really not me, and anyone who knows me would say the same. What I enjoy about pageants are the opportunities they give you. They really force to become comfortable and confident in your own skin. What I mean by that is – you have to convince a panel of judges that you are the one that deserves the title. Not to mention you have to walk on national television in nothing but heels and a bikini. And if you make the top five, you have to answer a question in front of a live, national audience and have no idea what the question will be. After Teen USA I was given incredible opportunities to pursue acting and modeling, but I decided to take the college route instead because academics are important to me and thus went to William and Mary. I decided to go back and compete for Miss USA this year because I was so moved by the Love146, and I knew from my past experience as Miss Virginia Teen USA that I could really make a difference with and for the organization.

A. The Miss USA 2010 pageant! It will be LIVE at the Performing Arts Theatre, located at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino on Sunday, May 16th Live on NBC at 7 pm (ET).

A. I think they have a great chance of winning! They were really close last year, and they know exactly what to expect in the post-season. I honestly believe this is our year! LET’S GO CAPS!!!

A. I honestly have no idea if I am going to win or not; no one does. The difference between my competition and their competition is that my fate is in the hands of celebrity judges that only get to see us compete for a very short period of time, whereas with the Stanley Cup the team that plays best wins. With that said, I reiterate the fact that I believe the Caps will win because I truly do believe they are the most talented team with the hardest working players, this year is the year!