This day in history is a big one. Yep, you guessed it. “Men in Black” premiered in 1997. Also TJ Oshie officially became a Washington Capital in 2015. The deal was reached with the St. Louis Blues and agreed that Oshie would head to the Capitals for Troy Brouwer, Pheonix Copley, and a 2016 third-round pick (which the Capitals eventually got back and drafted Garrett Pilon).
Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and see what’s happened since.
Late in the afternoon on July 2, 2015, the Washington Capitals and the St. Louis Blues announced the trade on twitter.
BREAKING NEWS: The Blues acquire Brouwer, Copley and a third round pick in 2016 from Capitals for Oshie. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/AFbPSvY55u
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) July 2, 2015
TRADE ALERT: #Caps acquire T.J. Oshie from St Louis Blues. RT to welcome @OSH74 to Washington! http://t.co/IntI54v0RM pic.twitter.com/P8P7jf8bvC
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) July 2, 2015
When Oshie toured Kettler for the first time, he told the media, “I’ve been recollecting about the team last year, playing against them and watching them…This team’s ready to win, it looks like, and I’m happy to be an addition to that and be a piece to the puzzle.”
Since that day in 2015, Oshie has not only won a Stanley Cup, but he’s scored 77 regular season goals and 18 postseason tallies for the Capitals. He has also registered a total of 197 points for the team. Reserve goaltender Pheonix Copley would also eventually come back to the Capitals during the Kevin Shattenkirk trade.
On the other end of the deal, Brouwer spent only one season in St. Louise. After tallying 18 goals in the regular season, Brouwer tallied eight more times during the 2016 postseason, helping lead the St. Louis Blues to the Western Conference Final. During the following offseason, the former Brouwer Ranger sensay signed a four-year, $18 million contract with the Calgary Flames. Brouwer’s managed only 18 goals total during the last two seasons and was left exposed for the expansion draft.
Charts via @JapersRink
Not only has Oshie made a huge impact in the Capitals top six, he has also made an impact in the community. Whether it’s getting involved with a great Make-A-Wish kid or helping a little kid fly around the ice, we can always count on Oshie to make those moments count for fans. Here’s to you, Osh. We can’t wait to keep watching you.
Headline image: Bruce Bennett
