Donya Abramo

About Donya Abramo (@virtual_don)

NHL announces top women players to compete with men in All-Star Skills Competition event

On January 15th, a roster of 20 American and Canadian hockey players was announced for an Elite Women’s 3-on-3 tournament set to take place during the 2020 NHL All-Star Skills Competition.

In addition to the 3-on-3 game, one player from each of the Elite Women’s Canadian and American teams will also go head-to-head with the NHL All-Stars in the Gatorade Shooting Stars challenge.

The NHL’s Twitter account posted two polls on Monday so that fans could vote for which player they would like to see take on the challenge.

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By Donya Abramo 1 month ago

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New York Islanders delete Devon Toews bird-celly tweet after getting roasted on Twitter

After Devon Toews scored to put the New York Islanders up 4-1 over the Capitals, he used Evgeny Kuznetsov’s now-iconic bird walk celly to really rub it in. The Islanders Twitter account posted a video, calling it a “💯 celly” – thinking the game was over.

But you guys, it wasn’t. The Capitals scored five unanswered goals in the third period to win the game 6-4.

The Islanders got roasted so bad in their replies that they deleted the tweet.

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By Donya Abramo 1 month ago

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Hurricanes’ Dougie Hamilton breaks fibula after leg bends awkwardly during fall

During the Carolina Hurricanes’ 3-2 loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, defenseman Dougie Hamilton left the game after getting his skates tangled with forward Kevin Stenlund and falling awkwardly on his leg.

As Hamilton fell late in the second period, his left leg bent underneath him and his full weight came down on top of it. He was unable to stand after the tumble and required help from a trainer and teammate Trevor van Riemsdyk to leave the ice. Hamilton did not return to the game.

Warning: This video might be disturbing to some.

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By Donya Abramo 1 month ago

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Ilya Samsonov becomes 10th NHL rookie goaltender ever to win 9+ consecutive decisions

Lost in Alex Ovechkin’s legendary night, Ilya Samsonov made more history on Thursday night with the Capitals decisive win over the New Jersey Devils.

Samsonov is now the 10th different rookie goaltender in NHL history to record a win in nine consecutive decisions during the regular season, and only the second active goaltender on the list, alongside the St. Louis Blues’ Jordan Binnington.

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By Donya Abramo 1 month ago

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Washington Capitals to host Hockey Talks night for mental health awareness on January 16

As part of a league wide initiative, the Washington Capitals will be hosting Hockey Talks night on January 16th at Capital One Arena, in partnership with MedStar Health, to raise awareness and help end the stigma around mental health.

Other teams around the NHL that have pledged to take part or hosted their own Hockey Talks night are the Arizona Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, and the Ottawa Senators.

As the Capitals host the New Jersey Devils tonight, fans will be able to find activations related to mental health, including PSAs and an AFSP informational table on the 200-level concourse.

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By Donya Abramo 1 month ago

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On this day in 2006, Alex Ovechkin scored ‘The Goal’

On January 16th, 2006, Alex Ovechkin scored his most memorable goal to date.

While falling and twirling around, Ovi took a “simply sensational” shot to beat Arizona Coyotes goaltender Brian Boucher. The goal also happened in front of one of the greatest players in NHL history, Wayne Gretzky, who was the Pheonix Coyotes coach at the time.

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By Donya Abramo 1 month ago

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Nicklas Backstrom mentored Capitals prospect Connor McMichael during Training Camp

Capitals prospect Connor McMichael is having a breakout season. Not only did he secure gold with Team Canada at 2020 World Junior Championship over the winter break, but he’s also racking up goals and points with the London Knights of the OHL at a blistering pace, including four hat tricks.

As it turns out, McMichael also has a very important mentor on the Capitals roster: recently re-signed star centerman Nicklas Backstrom.

Capitals head coach Todd Reirden revealed the influence that Backstrom had had on McMichael when speaking to the media following practice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Wednesday.

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By Donya Abramo 1 month ago

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NHL announces Elite Women’s 3-on-3 roster for All-Star Weekend

The NHL announced on Wednesday the Canadian and American players who will be taking part in the Elite Women’s 3-on-3 game during the All-Star Weekend.

A new addition to the 2020 All-Star, the 20-woman roster will go head-to-head during the NHL All-Star Skills Competition on January 24th.

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By Donya Abramo 1 month ago

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Alex Ovechkin asked Nicklas Backstrom about his contract negotiations every day. They hugged when he re-signed.

Alex Ovechkin, a potential unrestricted free agent in 2021, was very interested in the progress of Nicklas Backstrom’s contract negotiations with the Washington Capitals during the season and for obvious reasons. The two close friends have had a historic amount of success together in the NHL and would like to finish their NHL careers together. “Nicky and I would love to stay,” Ovechkin said during the preseason.

According to Backstrom, Ovechkin was persistent in getting inside information and updates from the Swedish center on things were going. Backstrom represented himself during the negotiations.

“Ovi came up to me every day since me and Mac started talking and asked me, ‘How’s it going? Any progress? Any progress?'” Backstrom said during a press conference at Capital One Arena to announce his signing. “It’s been like that every day.”

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By Ian Oland and Donya Abramo 2 months ago

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