Annapolis, MD — The Washington Capitals held their final day of Rookie Camp at McMullen Hockey Arena on Tuesday.
Top prospects like Ivan Miroshnichenko, Hendrix Lapierre, Vincent Iorio, Alexander Suzdalev, and Andrew Cristall participated in the four-day event, which saw the young stars not only work on their on-ice skills, but team-build off of it at the US Naval Academy.
By Alan Dobbins 2 months ago
ARLINGTON, VA – Hockey’s top young prospects descended on Nashville in June for 2023 NHL Draft. They sat in the stands, sometimes for hours, each hoping to hear their name called. For some it was all but guaranteed; for others it was a distant dream.
French-Swiss goaltender Antoine Keller didn’t think he’d be among the chosen. He’d made his peace with that fact, instead watching draft day on television while vacationing in Spain. But then the Capitals made a trade to acquire one final pick in the seventh round. With that pick, they selected Keller, the first-ever French player drafted by the franchise and the sixth French draftee in NHL history. Only 12 French nationals have ever competed in the league. Now Keller will look to be the 13th.
“I’m very happy,” he said. “Very happy to represent my country. I’m very proud to be French and it’s very nice. I didn’t think about it and didn’t realize a lot. I’m just happy.”
By Katie Adler 5 months ago
The Washington Capitals wrapped up their 2023 draft by trading back into the seventh round, sending the San Jose Sharks a 2025 seventh-round pick to do so. With their new pick, they took a trip to Dijon, France, and selected goaltender Antoine Keller.
Keller has played the majority of his junior career in Switzerland. He is the first player in Caps franchise history to be drafted out of France and only the sixth French player ever drafted overall.
By Chris Cerullo 5 months ago
