Photo credit: Chris Gordon

Three weeks after George McPhee traded Cody Eakin and a 2012 second round pick for Mike Ribeiro, the Capitals new second-line center finally met with reporters. And he brought out the bling.

Ribeiro, wearing a diamond stud, gold chain, bright white slacks, and what appeared to be black leather shower sandals, spoke excitedly about his new club.

“Obviously it’s a team with a lot of skill and a lot of talent and I’m here to create,” Ribeiro said at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. “I’m a guy that likes to create so it’s nice to have guys who can put the puck in the net.”

“At the end of the day every year this team is among the top five for winning the Cup, but there’s always a missing piece or two so hopefully I can be that piece that helps this team go farther in the playoffs and hopefully win a Cup,” he added.

When asked for his first impression of his new pivot, however, new head coach Adam Oates couldn’t get past Riberio’s appearance.

“Well, he’s a lot skinnier than I thought he was,” Oates said with a laugh. “Oh my! He’s a rapper. He looks like a rapper.”

But regardless of his odd fashion sense, Oates is excited about new forward.

“Just watching him play, he’s a great hockey player,” he said. “As a coach, the first thing for you is you always watch the guys from the position you played. Centerman are the first guys I see in my mind all the time. To be a play-making center, along with Nick, obviously I’m very excited about it. I hope he is and he said he was.”