Semyon Varlamov Finally Breaking-In New Mask Bought Last Year

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Semyon Varlamov took to the ice this morning sporting a sharp-looking freshly painted goalie mask. You know, that one he purchased way back in January and wore in a rehab-stint with Hershey right before the Olympics. Well it appears Varly’s finally breaking it in for good this time for the upcoming season [Ed Note: Nope, bad assumption].  

Since I was at Kettler I decided to take a few photos the of the red mask which is a majority Capitals-themed, in contrast with his mask last year which was split between the Caps and Russian halves. The mask features Varly’s nickname on the chin with American and Russian flags, airbrushed eagles (single on the right and double on the left) and the word “Capitals” on the sides, a beautiful Weagle surrounded by red stars on a white background on the top, and a solid red back with several white stars.

Follow us past the jump for some more photos.

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Andrew Gordon Answers Our Readers’ Questions: Part II

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In part two of our Q/A with Andrew Gordon (part one can be read here), Gordo discusses his favorite NHL players and teams as a kid, if he reads blogs or newspaper articles about himself and what he did on his day with the Calder Cup this year. Mixed in is also a question submitted from a 9 year old reader, Cody, who asks Gordo what he thinks it would take for him to make it to the NHL someday.

In conclusion, all of us here at RMNB hope that you have enjoyed Andrew’s insightful responses to your questions over the past two days and his blogging throughout the Calder Cup Finals. Please join us in wishing him good luck for the upcoming season and a successful training camp. With that said, let’s get started with our first question.

Bill C. asks, “Andrew, who was your favorite player as a kid growing up and why?”

Thanks for the question, Bill. As a kid growing up I had all kinds of guys I really looked up to. When I became old enough to really follow hockey and understand the game, it was the 1992-93 season and I was 8 years old. This may have been the year that hockey took over my life, as my favorite team (brace yourself people…and I apologize in advance) the Montreal Canadians won the Stanley Cup and Teemu Selanne scored 76 goals on his way to a record-setting rookie season. Seeing as my father grew up in Winnipeg, the Jets were the other team I followed closely. So Teemu became my instant favorite. My father and I actually went to see a game in Winnipeg that season where the Jets faced Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings. Although I don’t remember all the details of the game (aside from Seleane getting two goals), I remember being amazed by the stadium and the fact that the guys on the ice were real live NHL players! In the same room as me! It was a day I hope I never forget.

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Andrew Gordon Answers Our Readers’ Questions: Part 1

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A few weeks ago while the blog took a week hiatus, we asked if any of you had questions for player-turned-blogger Andrew Gordon. And boy did you! Tonight we present to you the first five answers out of the ten best questions we received. Also, make sure to check out the photos in this entry. They are from Game 6 of the 2010 Calder Cup Finals where the Hershey Bears celebrated the franchise’s 11th AHL Championship. The photos are from Gordo’s digital camera that he had on the ice. Take it away, Andrew!

Hi, everyone! Looks like this will be my last blog of the summer. Training camp is right around the corner, and once that hits my focus will be on hockey, not writing! I’m going to try to answer all these questions as best I can, but keep in mind some of them would take me forever to fully explain, so I’ll try to cover as much ground as I can without making this a complete yawner of a read. Thanks for reading!

tfirey asks, “Gordo: I have a lot of questions about how pro athletes train (as it’s a world that I’ll never know — alas!). Can you tell us what you do in your workouts? Are any exercises hockey-specific, as opposed to standard endurance and strength-building? How does your routine change throughout the year?”

Thanks for the question, tfirey.  All players have different things they like to do to prepare for upcoming seasons. It’s kind of a trial-and-error thing. The majority of us have had trainers growing up, in junior, in college, and at various pro levels.  They each have their own philosophies and training methods to get a player to the optimum level of fitness.

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Oh look! It’s another adorable promo. This time featuring everyone’s favorite Caveman Captain, Alex Ovechkin. In the above clip, Ovechkin joins the Capital One Vikings on the ice to help prepare customers for the end of the Chevy Chase Bank name. I’m not sure how checking a viking through the glass is gonna help me with said transition, but boy am I entertained. And God, Ovi’s gap-toothed smile at the end there connects with my inner bro-ness in a way some of you will never understand.

Anyways, let us know what you think of Sasha’s acting chops in the comments below! I’m sure we all agree this is Oscar worthy material, no?

S/T to Wyshynski and long-time RMNB reader Michelle (Thanks!)

NES Ovechkin: Stick Of Fire, I Score Goal

Enjoy. Created by clockwize. S/T to Puck Daddy.

Mike Knuble And Fine Wine: Both Better With Age?

Will Mike Knuble have a career year at 38?

It’s no secret that Mike Knuble is a fan favorite not only among Capital fans, but around the NHL in general. He’s a hard-working winger who lurks in front of the net, regularly crashes the crease and & capitalizes on rebounds in front of the net. This garbageman-mentality helped him score goals at a higher rate in 2009-10 (.42 per game) than in any other season in his career. And he did it all at the ripe age of 37.

But we here at RMNB are worried. Should Mike Knuble’s age cause us to temper our expectations in 2010-11?

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Does Everyone Need More Bradley?

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Everyone Needs More Bradley, right? Whether Matt Bradley was scoring game winning goals, working the PK against some tough competition, staying out of penalty trouble or just plain acting like a superhero, the Caps definitely needed more of it.

But do all players benefit from playing more with Brads?

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Andrew Gordon: No Rest For The Weary

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For those of you who weren’t able to make it to #rmnbparty, we announced that Andrew Gordon will be blogging with us again this month. August is traditionally the slowest month when it comes to NHL Hockey news, so it’s a great change of pace to hear from Gordo about his mental and physical commitment to training through the summer. This is where players build the strength, speed and skill to compete in the upcoming season. Below Andrew talks about the mental toughness he’s developed to get him through. Photo by Kathryn Hedrick.

Hi Folks! Just when you thought you got rid of me, I’m back with a summer blog! The guys at RMNB and I thought it would be interesting to try and put into words a bit of what’s going on in my life (and in my head) since the season wrapped up a few short weeks ago.

I’ll start right up where my last entry left off: the post cup celebration. This season’s win was a much different feel than the first time. I remember a much deeper feeling of relief as opposed to the rush of excitement that I had as the buzzer rang in 2009. Don’t get me wrong, I was still on cloud 9, but as the heavy favorites going into the season, and again in the playoffs, the win was more of a weight off our shoulders than a celebration of our accomplishments. We were expected to win, and we did, so our job was done. No miracles or underdog stories. Just a job properly executed.

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Leap Towards a Cure Charity Hockey Tournament

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Andrea 'Froggy' Henderson poses for a photo with one of her students.

The late Andrea 'Froggy' Henderson poses for a photo with one of her students.

Abram Fox, friend of the blog and contributor to the DC Sports Box, recently wrote to us asking if we could promote the Leap Towards a Cure Charity Hockey Tournament happening this Friday and Saturday at The Gardens Ice House in Laurel, MD. As a former art student myself, Abram’s story below particularly affected me. If any of you are free this weekend, I highly encourage you to attend the event and give to a great cause.

Earlier this year the local youth hockey community lost an unsung hero when Andrea “Froggy” Henderson, long-time art teacher at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, MD, passed away from complications from breast cancer. For three decades Froggy inspired students with her open heart and open mind, encouraging them to reach their fullest potential and opening her classroom to anyone who needed a safe haven or shoulder to lean on.

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Would Willie Mitchell Be An Upgrade On The Caps Blueline?

willie-mitchell Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images North America

“We need a blueliner” is a typical Caps Fan’s lament this offseason (second only to DAMMIT!) and recently unrestricted free agent defenseman Willie Mitchell has been rumored to be in the Capital’s cross-hairs. Mitchell has been training and skating for 18 days and is finally symptom-free after his latest concussion – all fueling speculation that his signing is imminent.

But would Wilie Mitchell a good fit on the Capitals’ blueline?

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