The Stanley Cup was back in Washington DC area this week and made a special visit to the Patrick family’s home.
Dick and Chris Patrick are the sixth and seventh family members to win the Stanley Cup, a tradition that goes back 100 years in their legendary family.
On Monday, DC’s Mayor Muriel Bowser called in to The Sports Junkies’ show ahead of the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby at Nationals Park. During the call, Mayor Bowser estimated that at least 500,000 people attended the Capitals’ Championship parade to celebrate their first ever Stanley Cup win.
With the sheer volume of Caps fans that turned out to line the streets as the buses carrying the players drove by, as well as crowded the stage at the National Mall, it wouldn’t be shocking if that number was accurate.
Madison Bowey is signed, sealed, and delivered.
Thursday afternoon, the Capitals announced that the 23-year-old defenseman inked a two-year extension Thursday afternoon that will pay him $1 million per season. The contract leaves Tom Wilson as the Caps’ last remaining restricted free agent.
Former Capitals forward Michael Latta is no longer an AHL player. Instead he’s headed to China after signing a one-year contract on Wednesday with the KHL’s latest addition, the Kunlun Red Star.
After Red Star publicly announced the newest addition, Latta shared the news on twitter, saying he was excited about the new adventure and thanking Kunlun for the opportunity.
Chandler Stephenson finally graduated from the Hershey Bears to give the Caps a glimpse at the future of their fourth line.
Alex Ovechkin better get a second trophy room in his dacha, because this summer he just can’t stop winning trophies.
After fetching his seventh Maurice “Rocket” Richard trophy and his first ever Conn Smythe (playoff MVP) and Stanley Cup, Ovechkin was awarded Best Male Athlete and Best NHL Player at this year’s ESPYs – ESPN’s annual awards show.
Ovechkin received more votes than Tom Brady, James Harden, and Jose Altuve for Best Male Athlete while he bested Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Marc-André Fleury for Best NHL Player. The Capitals, who were nominated for Best Team, lost out to the Houston Astros.
Any discussion of Alex Ovechkin‘s season that doesn’t begin and end with “Alex Ovechkin is the Stanley Cup Champion” is broken and wrong.
Tuesday afternoon the Hershey Bears announced that former Bears player Patrick Wellar would be returning to the organization as an assistant coach. Wellar will be replacing Reid Cashman, who was recently promoted to an assistant coach with the Capitals.
Wellar spent six seasons as a defenseman with the Bears from 2008-2014, helping the team win the Calder Cup in 2010. His first coaching job was during his time as a Bears player, filling in as an assistant coach when Mark Haviland, head coach at the time, could not attend a game due to a medical issue.
After leaving Hershey, Wellar spent time as a player/assistant coach with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies in 2014-15, and Alaska Aces in 2015-16. Upon retirement, he became a full-time assistant coach, first with the Cincinnati Cyclones, and then with the Reading Royals.
More from the Bears:
The Hershey Bears announced today the hiring of Patrick Wellar as the club’s new assistant coach. The announcement was made by Hershey’s vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer, and Brian MacLellan, senior vice president and general manager of Hershey’s National Hockey League affiliate, the Washington Capitals.
“We are elated to welcome Patrick Wellar back to Hershey as an assistant coach,” said Helmer. “Patrick has a wealth of knowledge and a championship pedigree that will be a valuable asset to our young players as they grow and develop in the American Hockey League. From his lengthy tenure here, Patrick knows how special it is to wear the Chocolate and White. We are looking forward to Patrick bringing the passion he provided as a player in Hershey to his work behind the bench on Spencer Carbery’s staff.”
Wellar, 34, a four-time champion and veteran of nearly 750 professional games as a player, is well-known in Hershey. A former defender, Wellar was a stalwart on Hershey’s blue line in parts of six seasons with the Chocolate and White from 2008-2014. He was part of Hershey’s 2010 Calder Cup Championship team that went 60-17-0-3 in regular season play before ultimately claiming the franchise’s 11th title. In total, the Carrot River, Saskatchewan native appeared in 260 games with Hershey, scoring 46 points (7 goals, 39 assists), and posting a +24 plus/minus rating. He also appeared in 36 playoff contests with the club.
Wellar got his coaching start in Hershey during his tenure as a player. With Hershey head coach Mike Haviland absent due to a medical issue, and Wellar unavailable to play due to injury, he served as Hershey’s assistant coach for one game on Jan. 26, 2014.
Following his departure from Hershey, Wellar served as a player/assistant coach with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies in 2014-15, and Alaska Aces in 2015-16. Upon his retirement, Wellar moved behind the bench permanently as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones, guiding the club to a 36-29-6-1 record in 2015-16. He joined the ECHL’s Reading Royals last season in the same capacity, helping the club secure a playoff berth with a 39-24-9-0 record, good for a third place in the North Division.
Wellar’s return to Hershey also reunites him with new Hershey head coach Spencer Carbery. Wellar was a teammate of Carbery’s for parts of two seasons with Hershey’s ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays. The duo teamed up to guide the Stingrays to a Kelly Cup title in 2009.
In his 12-year playing career, Wellar, a 3rd round selection of the Capitals in 2002, amassed over 300 games in the AHL, making stops in Peoria, Worcester, Toronto, and Hershey. His resume also includes 441 games at the ECHL level, including an All-Star Game appearance in 2005. Wellar is one of just four players to win the Kelly Cup Championship three times. In addition to his title in South Carolina, he was victorious with Alaska in 2006 and Reading in 2013.
Headline Photo: The AHL
TJ Oshie didn’t come close to matching last year’s gaudy goal total, but he became a postseason assassin on the power play to help the Caps win the Cup. (more…)
Welp. Alright. During their face-to-face meeting in Helsinki on Monday, which made absolutely no news outside of the item you’re about to read, American president Donald Trump presented Russian president Vladimir Putin with Alex Ovechkin‘s Washington Capitals jersey.
Right.
