James and Shannon show off their jerseys at Front Page Arlington. (Photo credit: Ian iPad)

On Sunday, the Washington Capitals officially opened training camp at Kettler Capitals IcePlex in front of about 1,000 raucous Caps fans. There wasn’t an empty seat in the bleachers, and rows of red-clad fans, four to five people deep, surrounded the rink. It was as if the lockout never happened.

But there were some fans not in red. They stood out from the pack, and that was intentional.

Ryan shows off his awesome beard and his Swedish national team jersey.

“I wanted to come here, but I specifically did not want to wear something Caps-branded,” Ryan Fisher told me. “It’s my own ineffectual protest.”

Fisher, wearing a bright yellow Swedish National jersey with the number 19 and Backstrom sewn on the back, said he was fed up with the NHL’s latest tiff with players. “It’s annoying that it’s the same thing happening,” Fisher explained. “Three straight CBA’s have expired and three straight lockouts have happened. You would think someone would want to get their act together.”

But the NHL hasn’t. The league has lost part or all of its seasons on three occasions during the life of most fans, giving it the worst track record of all major sports in that respect.

And now some fans have found a nimble way to express their disgust for the league without abandoning the players they love: wearing their overseas jerseys.

Sitting with his wife Becky in the front row of the stands, Brandon Peiler caught my eye wearing a blue Dynamo Moscow Alex Ovechkin jersey. “As me and my wife were keeping an eye on the lockout talks, we became less and less positive,” Peiler told me. “We wanted to support the Caps players in some way.”

James Murphy and Shannon Morse, Capitals season-ticket holders who own six seats near the top of Verizon Center, also made the trip to Kettler. Murphy, dressed in a blue Brooks Laich Kloten Flyers jersey, and Morse, in a black and green Tom Wilson Plymouth Whalers ditty, stood in front of the glass near the net. They arrived early to get a prime standing position.

“We had a hockey budget, and we weren’t spending it,” Murphy explained on the jersey choice. “We were frustrated at Ted and the NHL so we spent our money on other places actually playing hockey.” Also new in Murphy’s wardrobe is a Dynamo Moscow Nicklas Backstrom jersey and a Filip Forsberg Leksands IF jersey.

Brandon shows off his Ovi Dynamo jersey.

Murphy went to great lengths to get his new jerseys. Using Google translate, he sent emails to the Kloten Flyers and Leksands websites. “I hoped for the best when I sent the emails,” Murphy said. “Thankfully, it worked out.”

The quiet protest of these fans — supporting their favorite individual players without supporting their team– marks a shift in attitude towards its owner, Ted Leonsis. For most of the last decade, Leonsis enjoyed the role of an avuncular benefactor.  He built an exceptionally entertaining team, made himself accessible to fans, had the most blogger-friendly media policy in the league, and engaged in tons of charity work.

And now, the labor dispute in which Leonsis was allegedly a “hardliner” has eroded much of that good will.

“For Ted specifically it was a double standard of he wants to create happiness and it’s a public trust to own the team,” Murphy said. “I’m not sure how he enhanced the public trust with this lockout.”

“Everyone could have predicted what the final CBA would have looked like,” Morse interjected. “So why put everyone through this?”

“I loved Ted before,” explained Murphy. “But now, he went from high-flying internet stock to an Enron-like crash.”

“He’s got to earn the trust back,” Morse said. “It’s absolutely gone.”

Regardless, the two’s love of hockey is too great.

“It was hard not to feel like a sucker coming back, but we also love the game,” More said. “We didn’t want to punish ourselves.”

Thanks to Katie Brown for the help on the interviews.

Photo credit: Len Redkoles

Over the past eight years, there have been too many games lost to lockout, especially for a “fringe” sport that once had lower TV ratings than poker. In 2004-05, the NHL scrapped a whole season to cram a salary cap down the players’ throats. If that weren’t enough, in 2012-13, fans lost 34 games because the owners and players played chicken with record-high revenues, finding compromise only when the drop-dead date drew near. It’s friggin’ stupid.

We’ve lost 116 games in which Alex Ovechkin would have played at or near his prime.

On Monday, the Pittsburgh Penguins handled things right. Ron Burkle, Mario Lemieux, and CEO David Morehouse just straight up said sorry.

“We offer our apology,” the note said. “There is nothing we can say to explain or excuse what has happened over the past four months.”

Capitals owner Ted Leonsis sent out his own message on Sunday. There was no apology. Instead, it was an empty PR-y message that sweeps nasty feelings under the rug, assumes support, and looks forward.

“Thanks to all of you for your patience, support and understanding during this process,” Leonsis writes in his closing paragraph. This message was sent out during the middle of the Redskins’ first playoff game in five years.

I was not patient, supportive, or understanding of this lockout. I’m sure a lot of you feel the same way. Two fan comments near the top of the page articulate how a lot of people in this area feel right now.

“100-plus days of locked out hockey and you expect two paragraphs is going to do… what, exactly?” writes ZacharyB. “Show us you care? Forget it, Ted. You’ve lost this fan for a very long while.”

Mr Ka-Boom! goes a step further: “I have asked for my money back. I am done with [hockey.]”

The fact is Leonsis, reported to be one of the hardline owners during negotiations, has some fences to mend. I’ve got an idea on how he could begin to mend those fences.

Ted, on Opening Night, you should donate your suite to the loyal season-ticket holders who had been left out in the cold until now. Instead, sit with fans in the upper bowl of Verizon Center. Let your most ardent supporters eat exotic cheeses and drink fancy wine. Come upstairs. Shake hands and sit with the people who have given hundreds and thousands of dollars (a big deal in this economy) to support your team and make it among the best in the NHL. Painting “Thank you, fans” on the ice will not suffice. You know that.

This is your opportunity, Ted. Take the challenge. It’s not a publicity stunt, it’s an opportunity to genuinely interact with fans. And if you want, I can tag along. I’ll help absorb any popcorn thrown your way.

Our readers have suggested this idea and ones like it in our comments and emails to thecrew@russianmachineneverbreaks.com.

Think it over, and let us know what you think. You have been one of the most ardent supporters of RMNB; let us help you extend the first olive branch to fans this year. We promise, like everything we do, it’ll be a big deal, and hopefully, everyone will be left smiling in the end.

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.

“Uhhh, can somebody pick me up?” (Photo credit: VF-Sport)

After sixteen straight hours of negotiations, the NHL and NHLPA agreed to the framework of a new CBA at 5:45AM Sunday morning, effectively ending the lockout. Across the globe in Sweden, Washington Capitals forward Marcus Johansson, who had been playing for BIK Karlskoga of the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan league, was on the bus heading towards Skåne for his team’s game against Malmö on Monday.

As Johansson and the team received word the lockout was over, the bus immediately pulled over at a Karlskoga gas station and dropped Johansson off. “It all happened very quickly,” cracked Johansson to the Swedish website VF-Sport (Värmlands Folkblad) an hour later.

Below, the jump, Jacob Ware (@JacobWare95) translates Johan Eriksson’s full conversation with Mojo, as the Capital travels home to Karlstad.

Marcus Johansson hangs out at the gas station. (Photo credit: VF-Sport)

What happened on the bus?

I had received little information, like all the players. Then we read on the internet about everything that had happened, and the decision to get off felt right. It would have been wrong to go to Malmö and sit there for two days and then suddenly find out that it is time to go. We were lucky the bus didn’t get too far.

I assume you’re happy the lockout is over?

Yes, very. It feels so nice. That’s where I want to play and that’s where I’ve lived two years and made a life for myself. Most of all, it’ll just be nice to stop living in constant uncertainty.

Marcus, what was it like to play in Karlskoga and the HockeyAllsvenskan?

It’s been really great to play, especially on such a fun team. The actual hockey has been up-and-down, but the team has been good and we’re on top of the Allsvenskan.

Compared to other players, you must feel well prepared [for the NHL season]?

Yes, I’ve played some games and I feel in good shape.

When are you going to North America?

I’m not sure exactly when I’ll fly over, but it will be in the next couple of days.

Our long national nightmare is over!  Everyone is reporting that a shortened NHL season will finally begin this month .

We have weathered the storm. We have emerged from the long, dark tunnel that is a hockeyless autumn. We have been sometimes patient and sometimes irascible. We have lobbed verbal grenades and made empty threats. We have considered watching basketball and then thought better of it.

In front of us: hockey. Ovechkin, Backstrom, Green, Holtby, and the rest. We’re filled with excitement, relief, and a sense of unity with the city of Pittsburgh that we desperately hope is fleeting.

There’s a lot to do, but for now let’s celebrate! QOEWUWFBIQWUWUF *&@IR@#B#RI QWD
CRASH THE NET!

BO: Don’t forget, you promised to come to a game!

As President Barack Obama tries to gain more public support for his plan to avoid the fiscal cliff, he did an interview Thursday with Minneapolis’s Frank Vascellaro of WCCO-TV. Vascellaro, who traveled to Washington DC to meet up with POTUS, was given permission to ask five questions. So Frank asked about the fiscal cliff negotiations, spending cuts, trust on Capitol Hill, the medical devices tax (?), and… hockey!

Frank Vascellaro: Minnesota’s known as the state of hockey, and we’re under the NHL lockout right now. Would you be willing to intervene in that lockout?

President Obama: You know, look. I’ve got to say, because we’ve had an NBA lockout, we’ve had an NFL lockout during the course of my presidency, the president of the United States shouldn’t have to get involved in a sports lockout. My message to owners and to players is, you guys make a lot of money and you make a lot of money on the backs of fans, so do right by your fans. You can figure out how to spread out a bunch of revenue that you’re bringing in, but do right by the people who support you. And I shouldn’t have to be involved in a dispute between really wealthy players and even wealthier owners. They should be able to settle this themselves. And remember who it is that’s putting all that money in their pockets.

That’s the stuff, Barry O.

This is the second time Obama has addressed the NHL lockout since it began three months ago. On October 24th during an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Obama once again implored the NHL and NHLPA to remember the ones that are really suffering: the fans.

“Every time these things happen I just want to remind the owners and the players, you guys make money because you’ve got a whole bunch of fans out there who are working really hard, they buy tickets, they’re watching on TV,” Obama said. “Y’all should be able to figure this out. Get this done.”

Those comments didn’t work then. And his comments tonight won’t work either. But hey, regardless of your political affiliation, this is a message we can all get behind.

Now, Barry, sing us home!

During the third period of the AHL Showcase between the Hershey Bears and Norfolk Admirals, Caps fans broke into several “Fire Bettman” chants. It’s especially clear at the 4 second mark above.

Full disclosure: that noise at the 2 second mark is my ferret sneezing.

Photo credit: Rachel B.

We shoulda made some PUNCH THIS FACE signs with Gary Bettman’s face on ‘em.

Photo credit: @frankgiblin

Photo credit: @lottapub

Photo credit: @capsoutsider

If you encountered any other protesting fans, send your photos to thecrew@russianmachineneverbreaks.com.

Photo credit: dynamo.ru

In Dynamo’s 3-1 win over Lokomotiv Wednesday, Alex Ovechkin extended his KHL point-streak to nine games with a first period assist on a Leo Komarov goal. But it was Ovechkin’s comments after the game with Sport-Express, where the real fireworks happened.

When asked about his recent interview with the Russian newspaper Vechernyaya Moskva (Evening Moscow) where he said that his “soul was still with Washington,” the Capitals captain revealed that he never said such words.

“I did not give this interview,” Ovechkin said. “Dynamo’s PR called the newspaper and tried to investigate how it happened.”

The article has since been deleted from VMDaily.ru’s website. Hmm.

When asked about the positive developments in regards to the NHL lockout, Ovi stressed that he hasn’t heard much from New York.

I’ve said it 300 times and I’m gonna say it for 301st time: I’m still in Russia and there’s no progress across the ocean. I haven’t talked with [anybody in] America about the latest meetings. I don’t know what terms of agreement will be there. 15 players and 5 owners said “yes”. But the decision should be made collectively by the League and Union and not by the 20 people who talked for six hours and have made the decision. We’re not talking about making favors to anybody or getting credit in the bank — we’re trying to get a long-term deal.

Ovechkin would go on to avoid promising to play in Dynamo’s game Friday against CSKA. “I’m not ready to say that. Even if an agreement is reached tonight, I still need to figure out what the conditions are.”

Ovechkin’s assist comes at the very beginning of the video.

Photo credit: Bruce Bennett

The last few days, there have been a number of positive signs that the NHL lockout may be near an end. In a Russian interview, Ovechkin revealed that his soul was still in DC and in two seperate reports from The Pittsburgh Tribune Review’s Rob Rossi and WBZ-TV’s Steve Burton, sources have revealed that the two sides are finally working together constructively.

Now, former NHL player and current Sportsnet broadcaster Nick Kypreos has gone a bit further, saying that Bettman, behind-the-scenes, wants a new CBA completed in a matter of days.

“Apparently Gary is ready to get a deal done,” Kypreos said on Sportsnet’s Hockey Central show, which was reported in a story by The Edmonton Journal. “He wants this thing done Friday. Friday!”

The panelists of Hockey Central also speculated that training camps could open within 10 days.

[Former NHL GM] Doug MacLean said there had been great progress in Tuesday’s talks between the players and the owners. “The owners are saying they’re going to be flexible and the players are saying they’re going to be flexible.”

Rumours are circulating that coaches are now calling players, telling them to be ready for training camp on Dec. 14, MacLean and Kypreos said.

The players are being told to, “Be ready!” Kypreos said.

You can read the entire Edmonton Journal story here.

I’m not sure what to believe here, but please, please, please let it be right.

Ice returns to Verizon Center! (Photo credit: @bitler7)