www.washingtontimes.com stories: Washington Capitals

NHL lockout 2012: Players contemplate their next move

Stephen Whyno — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 21:38:03 GMT

With no pomp and no circumstance, the NHL descended into a lockout as Saturday night turned into Sunday morning. The result was inevitable with the owners and players never close to bridging wide gaps in collective bargaining agreement negotiations.

It's the third work stoppage in the past 18 years, and ...

Capitals sign John Carlson to 6-year, $23.8 million deal

Stephen Whyno — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:37:00 GMT

It would have been easy for the Washington Capitals and John Carlson to agree to a short contract and move on. Similar situations with restricted free agents were resolved that way, including Karl Alzner last summer and Mathieu Perreault a couple of months ago.

“We’ve done a lot of what ...

Extension brings stability to Troy Brouwer, Capitals

Stephen Whyno — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 20:56:51 GMT

Even if there's no hockey in October, Troy Brouwer will be smiling. His wife, Carmine, is due to give birth to the couple's first child, and their moves over the next few weeks will all be made with that as the top priority.

Brouwer was happy as well as relieved ...

Donald Fehr: NHL players have their full trust in NHLPA executive director

Stephen Whyno — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 18:08:09 GMT

Donald Fehr drew a crowd of reporters at last year's NHL All-Star Game with a potential lockout already a hot topic. His reputation had preceded him.

Named NHL Players' Association executive director in late 2010, Fehr was well-known for his time with the Major League Baseball Players Association. He took ...

Players show unity as NHL lockout draws near

Stephen Whyno — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 19:09:16 GMT

Back on the ice with some Washington Capitals teammates this week, Jason Chimera acknowledged the atmosphere isn't the same.

"I guess it's a little bit of a different feeling than in years past because we don't know what's going to happen," Chimera said.

A lockout, which would start at 11:59 ...

Alex Ovechkin, Stan Galiev remember Lokomotiv plane crash

Stephen Whyno — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:56:09 GMT

A year ago, Alex Ovechkin and Stan Galiev were on the ice in Arlington, Va., for some informal preseason workouts when they heard the news.

"I was just skating and my friend who was here with me from Russia, he said, 'Lokomotiv got crashed,'" Ovechkin said. "So I stopped practicing ...

Capitals players weigh in on NHL labor impasse

Stephen Whyno — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 23:30:09 GMT

It looks like business as usual for early September around the Washington Capitals as players trickle into town and start preparing for the season. Coach Adam Oates is excited about seeing his players and chatting with them.

"It's getting close to hockey time," he said.

But it might not be, ...

Alex Ovechkin prepared to go to Russia if there's an NHL lockout

Stephen Whyno — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:45:46 GMT

Nicklas Backstrom insisted he wasn't thinking about making plans in the event of a potential NHL lockout. But Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin made it clear he has.

"Of course I think about it because my hometown have teams and my Russian Federation have a league. Of course I'm probably ...

Capitals' Michal Neuvirth may head to Europe if there's an NHL lockout

Stephen Whyno — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:19:47 GMT

Michal Neuvirth wants to be the No. 1 goaltender for the Washington Capitals. He made it clear at the end of last season that he'd try to beat out playoff starter Braden Holtby.

He still wants to do that, but in the event of an NHL lockout, Neuvirth may take ...

With NHL lockout looming, it's business as usual for players

Stephen Whyno — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 20:45:44 GMT

As the NHL and its players association trade proposals and barbs back and forth in the process of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement, John Carlson skates. The Washington Capitals defenseman is doing what hockey players often do best: Thinking about hockey.

"Just working out and skating, that's all," he ...

Michal Neuvirth calls Braden Holtby 'weakest competition yet'

Stephen Whyno — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 15:28:06 GMT

It's August and the Washington Capitals have been quiet since hiring Tim Hunter as assistant coach and Brett Leonhardt as video coach. But that didn't stop Michal Neuvirth from making some August news with comments he gave to the Czech website iSport.cz.

Neuvirth told the site, as translated by the ...

As lockout looms, NHL ponders labor issues

Stephen Whyno — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 19:40:43 GMT

Fresh off a new contract extension with the Washington Capitals, Jay Beagle is proceeding like nothing's wrong. His plan is to get back into town later this month and prepare for the start of training camp.

But it's a camp and season that has no guarantee of starting on time. ...

Alexander Semin gets 'fresh start' with Hurricanes

Stephen Whyno — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 02:30:38 GMT

This was the decade of Alexander Semin. He spent over 10 years as Washington Capitals property, from the draft in 2002 until Thursday's signing with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Along the way, Semin became the longest tenured player on the team and the fifth-leading goal-scorer in franchise history. But his one-year, ...

Another Hunter finds a place behind Capitals’ bench

Stephen Whyno — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 23:30:07 GMT

Some coaches aspire to the top of the profession. Adam Oates has the "upside" to get there in the NHL, according to Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee and assistant Calle Johansson.

But to reach his potential, Oates could use some help. He hopes to get that in the form ...

Capitals hire Calle Johansson as assistant coach

Stephen Whyno — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 14:51:27 GMT

The Washington Capitals are getting the band back together.

Dale Hunter as coach was a short-lived experiment, but with Adam Oates as his replacement, the team went back to the well of former players Wednesday in naming Calle Johansson as an assistant.

Oates and Johansson are short on experience behind ...

Capitals gamble on Mike Green's potential

Stephen Whyno — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 17:23:00 GMT

Since Mike Green put up back-to-back 70-point seasons in 2008-09 and 2009-10, only one defenseman, Ottawa's Erik Karlsson, has hit that plateau.

The Washington Capitals' young gun on the blue line hasn't come close, his past two years derailed by injury.

Wondering if Green can score 70 points again? Green ...

Capitals GM McPhee is exercising fiscal restraint in a marginal market

Stephen Whyno — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 02:15:04 GMT

George McPhee saw the landscape of unrestricted free agency and the dangers it entailed. It was a players market, with not a lot of talent available and plenty of teams with money to throw around.

The Washington Capitals were one of those teams with room to maneuver underneath the salary ...

Could Phil Housley make sense as Capitals assistant?

Stephen Whyno — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 00:38:54 GMT

Even after general manager George McPhee conceded Saturday the Washington Capitals are close to naming an assistant coach, Adam Oates wasn't willing to say exactly who it would be. But the first-time head coach shed some light.

"To have a guy that played in the game that I've had some ...

Deal puts Forsberg on Capitals path

Stephen Whyno — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 21:19:22 GMT

The Washington Capitals preach patience with their draft picks.

"If you look at Backstrom and [Alex] Ovechkin and Marcus Johansson, they didn't play until 20 years old. The Mike Greens and some of those other players played when they were 21 or 22. For us they're still young men," director ...

Capitals' Filip Forsberg looking to add an edge to his game

Stephen Whyno — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 22:20:06 GMT

Asked who he models his game after, Filip Forsberg hesitated only slightly.

"Well, no not really pattern my game after. But maybe Corey Perry," the Washington Capitals' first-round pick said. "He's also a very big-sized, right-handed guy. Got a good shot and also good hands and he's pretty big and ...

Wojtek Wolski eager to get his career back on track with Capitals

Stephen Whyno — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:24:45 GMT

Wojtek Wolski isn't a player worth just above the league minimum. At least he shouldn't be.

Signed to a one-year deal for $600,000 by the Washington Capitals, the 26-year-old left wing knows he's better than that. So he's determined to show it.

"I think this upcoming year is a great ...

Capitals prospect Cameron Schilling banks on minimizing his risks

Stephen Whyno — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 23:12:05 GMT

Cameron Schilling likes to play it safe. He bought clothes with his first paycheck from the Washington Capitals, and he drives a used Audi.

"I'm an accounting major, so I'm just trying to be smart with my money here," he said.

On the ice, the 23-year-old defenseman is the same ...

Veteran Jeff Halpern thankful to get chance with Rangers

Stephen Whyno — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 04:29:43 GMT

Jeff Halpern just wanted a second opinion. His season with the Washington Capitals didn't exactly go as planned, and it was obvious long before official confirmation in June that he wouldn't be back.

He got that this week from the New York Rangers, who signed the veteran center to a ...

Capitals prospect Garrett Haar just beginning to tap into his potential

Nicolas Nightingale — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:40:32 GMT

It is safe to say that Washington Capitals prospect Garrett Haar was indecisive last summer.

The defenseman originally was ticketed for Northeastern University, before de-committing to go back to the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League. But after some persuasion from Capitals general manger George McPhee to attend ...

Capitals development camp is for Adam Oates, too

Stephen Whyno — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:16:06 GMT

This is a whole new deal for Adam Oates, and he conceded feeling some butterflies. He's familiar with the Washington Capitals from his playing days, but development camp this week provides his first opportunity to be on the ice as an NHL coach.

Talking about the prospects, Oates said: "They're ...