Photo via Brett Leonhardt on Twitter.

Alex Ovechkin sponsors a lot of things: hockey equipment (duh), razors, fancy t-shirts, banks, shoes with wavy soles. He has even lent his likeness to ESPN for a SportsCenter spot and his vocal stylings for an Eastern Motors commercial. Now there is something else to add to the list — giant Canadian candy bars.

Friday, former Capitals’ Web producer and back-up to the back-up to the back-up goalie Brett Leonhardt tweeted a photo of the new Ovi-themed packaging for Mr. Big Deal, a spinoff of Mr. Big bar which gets its name due to the fact it is, well, pretty freakin’ big.

The wrapping features some words of encouragement to the would-be eater from Ovi, as he urges them to “Be big deal like me!” and chomp down on the vanilla wafer, peanuts, caramel, rice crisps, and, of course, chocolaty goodness.

The Great Eight isn’t the first star athlete to promote Mr. Big bars, with NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal pushing the brand for a number of years.

For now, we’ll have to wait for Ovechkin’s next endorsement. Perhaps he can become a sponsor of Xenadrine like his boy Ronnie from Jersey Shore.

Update, 8/3: Via Tarik El-Bashir, here is another look at the wrapper.

Ian Oland contributed to this post.

A mask is more than just protective gear for a goalie. It is a ‘keeper’s face on the ice, often showcasing parts of his personality. Capitals Red Line caught up with Semyon Varlamov to give fans the story behind Varly’s buckets.

Editor’s note: One year ago, Emily Karol gave a newborn RMNB a kick in the pants with her report on the first Casino Night. This year she does the same with the added bonus of Chris Gordon’s photos.

By the way, Emily is looking for a roommate. Available February 1st, she’s got a single bedroom with a private bathroom and a walk-in closet located just 3 miles from Kettler Capitals Iceplex. Email her if you’re interested. Awesome people only, please. Take it away, Emily.

When I learned that the 2nd annual CapsCare Casino Night and Auction would take place on January 9th, I couldn’t be more excited. I attended the first Casino Night and had a blast, but this year’s festivities hit on the birthdays of both Bruce Boudreau and me. Who could pass up the chance to wear a pretty dress, drink some cocktails, and schmooze with fabulous people on your birthday? Not me.

But this evening was very different from the first. I was a year older ,and even though I still attended alone there were many more people I knew and wanted to visit this time around. I purchased the VIP ticket again (hey, it’s for charity!) and was granted access to the coaches and players for a hour before the event really kicked off. I’m guessing the VIP room had fewer people this year; it seemed more casual and the players definitely mingled a lot more. All the guys I met were very sweet. I was surprised at how many of them didn’t know about the blog, Russian Machine Never Breaks. Regardless, they obliged to pose with friendly smiles when I asked, and a few even said they would look up the blog. Ian, Peter, and Neil: I will take my payment in cash or credit.

I made a point in the VIP room to wish Bruce Boudreau a happy birthday and apologize for the dirty looks. That comment provoked a double take from Bruce. I chuckled and said I was the girl in the Mercedes Benz commercials that glared at him during his bird calls and track suit dance. Bruce gave a big smile and said no worries and wished me a happy birthday right back.

The hour flew by quickly, and it was time to venture out into the the main ballroom for food, music, mingling, and gambling. The ballroom was set up completely different from last year, with the food all in the middle by the dance floor. The number of gambling tables doubled. After a quick introduction of the team to the crowd, the party really started. Fans and players scattered throughout the main ballroom and the lobby, which hosted Wii bowling, Rock Band, and the silent auction. I should note that Semyon Varlamov is a sweetheart, staying out in the lobby to sign autographs and take photos with fans for most of the event. Fans were not allowed to take posed photos or ask for autographs in the ballroom, so the fact that Varly stayed in the lobby for most of the time meant a lot to this fan.

I didn’t really partake in any events during the evening. I just wandered around and watched fans interact with their idols. I did see Schultz and Neuvy play on Wii Rock Band, and a year later Mr. Nasty is still intense about that game. Semin and Ovi seemed inseparable, and I loved the wives all hanging out at a poker table together trying to win some chips. The place was really hopping this year.

I’m eager to see what next year’s Casino Night will bring. Two years, two completely different experiences, both enjoyable in their own right. Thanks for reading!

Photos (Click to enlarge)

Nicky Backstrom can manage only a crooked smile after 16 games without a goal.

During a hand of NLHE, Alex Semin checks his wristwatch. It is apparently zebra o’clock.

BBBBBB (Bench boss birthday boy Bruce Boudreau) tells the Slap Shot story for the billionth time.

Karl Alzner: happy and wholesome. Tom Poti: sinisterly counting Karl Alzner’s stack.

Jason Chimera then unhinged his jaw and swallowed this partygoer whole to a smattering of applause.

George McPhee, on the button, raises pot value and then throws in D.J. King’s contract.

Marcus and Nicky pore over an Ikea catalog (out of frame). Billy the Bookshelf FTW.

Tyler Sloan and Jeff Schultz are either throwing dice or watching MoJo and Backy playing Twister.

Okay, Alex Ovechkin’s suit is sharp. No jokes. I need that thing. Fashion bugs: where can I get it?

Ovi’s ongoing Wii Bowling slump has him almost 20 strikes off his 2009-2010 pace.

John Carlson (not yet 21 here ) and Jay Beagle applaud for BBBBBB’s kegstand (not pictured).

The guy from the gaming commission had a stroke when he saw this picture.

Mathieu Perreault sits at the kids table. In the background, Ovi is clearly peeking at someone’s cards.

Alex Ovechkin shuffles his chips. The dealers haaaaaate when you do that, but c’mon: it’s Ovi!

Semyon Varlamov and Alex Semin recite a Plath poem from memory. JK, it was Russian.

Mr. Nasty and Mikey Neuvirth ditch the party for a Rock Band sesh. Band name: Puzzle Crotch.

“So Hendy was like, ‘if you blindside Crosby in the head, I’ll buy you a beer’, and now here we are.”

Beags and Carlson’s persistently cold rolls wiped out the entire table table in two orbits.

DJ Brett Leonhardt simultaneously checks Facebook and updates his iTunes playlist.

BBBBBB’s birthday wish was that this cake was made out of cheeseburgers.

Semyon Varlamov is unamused by BBBBBB’s “I’m not touching you! I’m not touching you!” taunt.

Capitals players and staff with a rousing rendition of Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way.”

It looked like an ordinary birthday high-five until Bruce went for the Top Gun follow-through.

Jason Chimera and Alex Ovechkin laugh at you. Damn, that suit is cool.

Don’t we all?*

The Capitals (along with DC101′s Elliot Segal and Alan May) participated in the laudable Toys for Tots at Toys R Us, and there’s awesome video. File this alongside Caps-in-police uniforms, pouring beer for charity, and skating with kiddies: nice for the community, but severely undercutting the bloodthirsty, grandmother-kicking reputation we want for our team.

The visit also seems to have sparked a Twitter brawl between Alan May and Capitals video producer/warm-up DJ/only-guy-who-can-reach-the-top-shelf Brett Leonhardt. You need to see that.

More silly pics behind the jump.

Screencaps and Our Dumb Jokes

Penguin stomp: Alan May did the same thing to Jay Caulfield in ’91.

Season-ending injury.

To be fair, the penguin started it by high-sticking Jason Chimera.

Bieberama for BL21

Brooks Laich consults a manual on flipping the net over Varlamov’s head.

* NOTE: For the uninitiated, Fedor claims to look like Justin Bieber.

Prepare to have your heart-strings tugged at. The Washington Capitals participated in a public skate at the D.C. Sculpture Garden this morning. Our hero Suzanne K. was on the scene and snapped some superb pictures. If you’ve been waiting for photos of Nicky Backstrom skating hand-in-hand with adorable little girls, your wait is now over.

Photos (Click on them to enlarge)

Videos

Meg, a staff member of the National Gallery of Art and a hockey player, races with Peter Bondra around the rink. Bonzai had a rough start.

Craig Laughlin asks the crowd what they want to see Peter do. They asked for him to skate on one leg, backwards. He gives us a little extra at the end.

Capitals Official Video of the Event

John Carlson Gets Behind the Camera

Emily's View from her Madison Square Garden Seats where the Caps celebrate a 12th Straight Victory

One of my Christmas gifts this year was a ticket to see the Washington Capitals play the New York Rangers at the infamous Madison Square Garden. I didn’t realize on that rainy Christmas morning that the ticket would gain me admission to witness the record-shattering winning streak, Alex Ovechkin’s 500th career point and Bruce Boudreau’s 200th game as the Capitals bench boss. Wow. To say I was anxious to attend the game, would be an understatement. I had never followed a team into a rival arena, and there I was amongst all the of the Rangers faithful. The Rangers were having a rough time recently and the Washington Capitals were unstoppable for 2 weeks. All the elements were in place for MSG to get rocked last night.

I had been in Manhattan the week prior to the game trying to find an apartment to move into. This gave me a chance to figure out the NYC public transit (FYI, DC’s is far superior and a whole lot less confusing). So after taking the green 4 to the gray S, to the red 2, I arrived at Madison Square Garden, total trip time: 45 minutes to travel a little over 4 miles (Oy!). I figured I could follow the masses of blue and red to the main entrance of MSG. Wrong! The Rangers fans don’t support their team the way Caps fans Rock the Red. I made it through the bag check and up to where my ticket was going to be scanned and was halted. It was 15 minutes before 6pm, and no one was allowed inside the arena yet. So there I stood in my red coat concealing my Capitals gear, surrounded by people much bigger than me decked out in blue. It took me 10 minutes to work up the courage to show my Capitals pride, that and it was hot as hell and I couldn’t take it anymore.

I survived those first few minutes of being a Capitals faithful in unchartered territory (Ed note: The second RMNB Fan in consecutive games. AWESOME.); feeling like a deer during hunting season, awaiting someone to end my peace and quiet. Except for a few dirty looks no one bothered me. My own little bubble expanded with each Capitals fan I encountered. There weren’t a ton of us, but just enough to show our support for the guys during the game. I detoured to a concession stand to get my traditional bottle of water. To find out that at MSG, they take your bottle top. What the heck? Are fans that immature at MSG that they can’t be trusted with a little white piece of plastic? Really? I grumbled and took my bottle and headed off to my seat, almost directly behind the net that Theo protected twice.

Madison Square Garden is very old inside and the Rangers organization will definitely benefit from the reconstruction. The arena lacks the streamline affect of the Verizon Center, and the atmosphere that Ted Leonsis promotes during a game. Honestly, the place was rather empty until right before the puck dropped and didn’t completely fill until 10 minutes into the first. I know, it’s sometimes like that at the Verizon Center but at MSG, people were willing to wander around while the puck was in play and leisurely take their seats. Which drove me nuts, my seats were 4 rows up from the walk way that would take you around the whole arena, which made it really difficult to see the puck if it was along the boards behind the net. I loved the fact that people would yell at others to sit down in their own special New Yorker way, without even batting an eyelash. I would love to do that at Verizon Center sometimes but I digress.

I wandered down to the glass during warm-ups. To get really close the glass, you had to be on the sides, people are not allowed to crowd around behind the net. Some noteworthy moments from warm-ups: the Capitals being booed when they came onto the ice followed by Rangers fans watching intently and begging for pucks to be dropped over the glass, Eric Fehr making one 13 year old Caps fan’s night when he tossed him a puck while exiting the ice, and Semin giving the crowd the stare down while awaiting his turn for a shot. I was amongst that group and the only Caps fan right there, so I hope he was happy to see a supporter. Warm-ups came and went and I hurried back to my seat to find myself surrounded by a handful of Capitals fans. The Rangers fans that were directly around me were nice and actually chit-chatted with me during the intermissions. Guess I lucked out being that close to the ice, I have a feeling the “blue seats” would have been brutal.

I’m not going to re-account every detail of the game, you saw it on CSN. You read about it here on RMNB, but there were moments I was over-joyed followed by the sheer annoyance of being surrounded by opposing fans. Nothing stung more than getting that first goal of the game and standing up, cheering loud and proud; to being silenced not even 30 seconds later by the raging crowd as the Rangers reclaimed the lead. I wanted to curl up under a rock and hide, man was it going to be a long game. This roller-coaster of emotions continued throughout the 2nd period, capping off with Ovechkin scoring that beautiful goal with 8 seconds left in the period. That 500th point happened right in front of me and it felt amazing to stick it to the Rangers fans after all of their cheering and chanting of “Ovechkin sucks”.

After that huge momentum swing to end the 2nd period, I had to go celebrate with some familiar Capitals faces. I went on a search to find the North Side Press Box, because it housed Caps Employees Nate Ewell and Brett Leonhardt for the evening. Okay it was no easy task to find exactly where they were sitting in the box, and along my journey through the upper levels of MSG, I was getting booed and harassed by angry Rangers’ fans. Hey! Don’t take it out of me, it’s not my fault Ovechkin just rocked your [house]. I finally found them but only had 5 minutes to spare before the final period began. We got to catch up for a bit, and I was asked by Nate where my jersey was. I support the whole team not one player so no jersey for me, I just rock my Capitals hoodie. As Nate and Brett had a good chuckle about how the fans were getting annoyed with us cheering on our team, I left the press box with hope that the Caps would turn this game around and pull out a win. Recently, the 3rd period had been good to us, and I hoped the trend would continue.

The Capitals faithful dispersed throughout MSG were in full force in the 3rd period. We were down 1 goal to tie it, 2 for the win. I found myself longing for a little “Unleash the Fury” or the Horn Guy to start a “Let’s Go Caps” chant but that all had to take place in my head. Speaking of “Unleash the Fury”, the Rangers have a poor man’s version that barely got the crowd going and some weird bald guy that danced to a song. Yeah, I’ll definitely take our Verizon Center fixtures any day of the week. I went completely nuts when Tom Poti tied the game and then Nicklas Backstrom scored what is now dubbed the game-winning goal. Now I just had to keep my fingers crossed that we could hold out those last few minutes. It was nerve-wrecking and I kept dreading the moment the masses would jump up and scream and cheer with the tying goal. You know what, it never came. It never happened, I stood up and screamed my head off and gave the biggest cheer that my single voice could give from my section when the Washington Capitals completed the 12th straight win. It was highly amusing to see the annoyed Rangers fans, especially the one’s around me who were trying to ignore me. Life was good.

I slowly made my way out of Madison Square Garden with my head held a little bit higher and I felt extremely lucky that I witnessed all of that in one evening. It was a great Christmas present and I would definitely travel to another arena to support the Washington Capitals.

Here are my tweets from the game:

Back at the apt, exhausted, freezing, with the biggest grin on my face! #CAPS won!! 12 straight baby. MSG was an experience, I tell ya

@nateewell I’ll take our @TheCapstronaut over that bald rags fan dancing any day…

Booyah!! #CAPS score on PP

Heading to the press box to visit some #CAPS pr guys!!

Some kid has the rangers logo shaved on the back of his head. I’m having an 80′s flashback…

This hurts to watch. This cheering is pissing me off. Ugh dammit! #CAPS

Third time is the charm! First the glass, second the rags, third the net! #CAPS fans stand and cheered here at MSG

The King was not happy with that goal. He just got pissed off at himself. Yayayayayay #CAPS

Really #CAPS?? Score one and let one in. And I got the dirtiest looks from people when I cheered our goal

It’s okay #CAPS. This place is going nuts now, ugh dammit

Ugh a penguins fan just walked in front of me. Ewwww #CAPS

Bunch of young guys rolled in with #CAPS gear and a dad in tow. Don’t feel so out numbered now… Well I lie. I do!

Come on!!! Let me to my seat you jerkfaces. Grrrr #CAPS for the win in crowd appeal!