Ian Oland

About Ian Oland (@ianoland)

Oland, a 2006 graduate of UMBC's art school, is a co-founder of RMNB and serves as an editor, publisher, and author. During his time with RMNB, he has done features for the Caps' TV show CRL, written a story for the print edition of the Washington Post, and helped first-report the Chelyabinsk meteor in the English language. Oland's favorite blog memories include raising enough money to get reader Ryan Ellis into a NASCAR race with a RMNB sponsored car and holding the Stanley Cup for the first time. Follow Ian: Twitter | Instagram

NHL announces 2021-22 Outdoor Games and locations of 2022 All-Star Game and Draft

Before the puck dropped for the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, the NHL announced the locations and dates for several big events next season.

The NHL made it “officially official” that the Minnesota Wild would host the Winter Classic at Target Field, the home of the Minnesota Twins, on January 1, 2022. The Wild will play the St. Louis Blues.

The Nashville Predators are getting the 2022 Stadium Series game and will play the Tampa Bay Lightning at Nissan Stadium, the home of the NFL Tennessee Titans. The game will be played on February 26, 2022.

Meanwhile, Las Vegas will be getting the 2022 All-Star Game and Montreal will be getting the 2022 NHL Draft.

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By Ian Oland 4 weeks ago

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ESPN to air Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft and first round of 2021 NHL Draft

The switchover from NBC to the NHL’s new US media rights partners will begin in earnest in July.

The NHL announced on Monday night in a release that ESPN will be covering both the Seattle Kraken’s Expansion Draft and the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft.

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By Ian Oland 4 weeks ago

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Elliotte Friedman says he can’t find anyone in the NHL who thinks Alex Ovechkin’s extension isn’t already ‘in the drawer’

Alex Ovechkin’s 13-year, $124 million contract officially ends on July 28. The Capitals and its superstar captain met on a contract extension multiple times during the season — Ovechkin is representing himself in the negotiations — but beyond some optimistic quotes, not much is known where things actually stand.

“I want to finish my career here,” Ovechkin said at the end of the season. “I’m pretty sure we will do something soon.”

“I think both sides are interested,” MacLellan added. “We want Ovi. The ownership wants Ovi to finish his career here. Everyone wants him to finish his career (here). He’s saying the same thing. I think we’ll get it worked out in the end.”

“Alex knows that if he plays five more years, 10 more years, whatever it is, we’ve got his back,” Capitals majority owner, Ted Leonsis, said earlier in May. “Our commitment to him is to continue to have great teams. We’ll spend to the cap, we’ll try to win championships. And that’s what he’s focused on because that will be his legacy.”

On Monday, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman reported what he knows and it seems to point to what everyone is assuming.

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By Ian Oland 4 weeks ago

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2020-21 bonuses cause Capitals to lose nearly $500k of cap space next season

Caps senior writer, Mike Vogel, reported on Friday that the Washington Capitals will lose $472,927 of cap space during the 2021-22 season due to performance bonuses earned by defenseman Zdeno Chara and goaltender Ilya Samsonov.

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By Ian Oland 4 weeks ago

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17 years ago today, the Capitals drafted Alex Ovechkin first overall in the 2004 NHL Draft

On June 26, 2004, a Capitals delegation, led by general manager George McPhee, selected 18-year-old Russian Alex Ovechkin with the first overall pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. It changed the trajectory of the Capitals’ franchise forever.

The Caps won the right to select the confident and somewhat gawky teenager after a dreadful, rebuilding season which saw the team trade away all of its stars including Peter Bondra, Jaromir Jagr, Robert Lang, Sergei Gonchar, and Michal Nylander. Washington won only 23 of 82 games during the 2003-04 season — their worst campaign in 26 years. But it’d end up being totally worth it. The Capitals, who were the third-worst team in the NHL that year, would leapfrog both the Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penguins at the 2004 NHL Draft Lottery and win the first overall pick.

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By Ian Oland 4 weeks ago

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Michal Kempny helps rebuild ravaged Czech hometown after devastating EF-3 tornado

Michal Kempny is helping clean up the South Moravia area after an EF-3 tornado ravaged several Czech villages, including his hometown of Hodonín, on Thursday night. The tornado, which had winds of at least 136 mph (219km/h) per the BBC, left five people dead and more than 150 others injured.

“I still can’t believe what kind of a catastrophe struck the south of Moravia yesterday,” Kempny said on Instagram according to a translation by RMNB’s Alexandra Petáková. “The region I hail from and where I love to return. Today’s return is different and personal. Assessing the current situation gives me chills. I am very grateful that my family and closest people are alright and safe, but on the other hand, I know many families were not that lucky and that makes me feel sad. Stay strong south Moravia! We will get through this! #Lužice”

Kempny documented the devastation on his Instagram and it’s stunning.

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By Ian Oland 4 weeks ago

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The Tampa Bay Lightning will play Montreal Canadiens in 2021 Stanley Cup Final

The defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning are returning to the Finals after defeating the New York Islanders in Game Seven on Friday, 1-0. Yanni Gourde scored a shorthanded goal in the second period to punch Tampa’s ticket to the championship series once again.

The Lightning will meet a surprisingly good Montreal Canadiens team, who is making its first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final since 1993.

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By Ian Oland 4 weeks ago

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Frank Seravalli: Capitals tired of Evgeny Kuznetsov’s antics, ‘the time is right for change’

Evgeny Kuznetsov had the distinction of being one of the only players in the NHL to test positive for COVID-19 twice. Kuznetsov was suspended by the team, along with Kuzy’s close friend Ilya Samsonov, towards the end of the year for disciplinary reasons relating to being late to a team function, which may have played a role in the Caps’ third consecutive flameout in the first round.

Two reports in early May from the biggest insiders in the NHL, Pierre LeBrun and Elliotte Friedman, suggested the Capitals would explore moving on from Kuznetsov this summer. The Capitals are “running out of patience” with the Russian center, said Friedman.

Now comes a trade target analysis article from another big NHL analyst, Frank Seravalli, that wrote the “Caps are tired of Kuznetsov’s antics.”

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By Ian Oland 1 month ago

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Brooks Laich formally announces his retirement from hockey: ‘I am beyond grateful’

Three years after playing his last NHL hockey game, Brooks Laich, 38, formally announced his retirement from professional hockey on Friday. “It’s been a difficult journey for me to finally arrive at the state where I am happy say the words ‘I am retiring,'” Laich wrote on Instagram. “Every athlete experiences this transition differently, and though the process went slower than I had hoped, I am excited to have finally arrived at peace with it.”

Laich, who spent the vast majority of his career with the Washington Capitals, played his final season in the NHL during the 2017-18 season where he suited up in 12 games for the Los Angeles Kings.

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By Ian Oland 1 month ago

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