The Toronto bubble is a life of luxury. The Capitals have been treated to amazing views from their hotel, soccer stadiums as parks, jumbotrons as big screens for TV viewing, and free Tim Hortons.
Wednesday, Capitals’ top prospect Connor McMichael showed off Hotel X’s rooftop pool, which is both very large and sports a stunning view of Lake Ontario.
As the first week of the NHL’s Return To Play plan wraps up, it’s clear the steps the Washington Capitals are taking to keep their facility safe during the coronavirus pandemic are working. Friday, I was the first RMNB reporter to attend a practice since the coronavirus pandemic shuttered the rest of the regular season on March 12.
Personally, I was nervous to go. I have been self-isolating since March. Other than grocery store trips, I’ve stayed inside. I’ve only let my family and roommate be in my quarantine bubble.
I’m happy to report the Capitals did everything they could to make media members feel safe. There were big differences in how practices were conducted and how media members could operate than before.
By Cara Bahniuk 2 months ago
Connor McMichael’s last year has been a whirlwind. He was drafted in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Washington Capitals, participated in his first NHL training camp, mentored by a potential Hall of Famer in Nicklas Backstrom, made Team Canada’s gold-medal-winning World Junior Championship team, and scored six hat tricks for the OHL’s London Knights during the regular season. If that wasn’t enough, now there may be another first on the horizon.
McMichael, who was added to the Capitals’ 34-player roster for Phase 3 Training Camp, will travel with the team into the bubble in Toronto as a reserve, according to Capitals head coach Todd Reirden.
Reirden also would not rule out McMichael potentially suiting up for his first NHL game in the 2020 playoffs.
We’re connecting some dots here (so if we’re wrong, please forgive us 🙏), but it appears both of the Capitals’ first-round picks from the 2018 and 2019 Drafts will be black aces for Washington during the NHL’s 24-team playoff.
Saturday, Russian defenseman Alex Alexeyev posted on Instagram from the Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg with the caption, “It’s been awesome time, but now it’s time to go back to work 🏋🏻♂️.”
Work for Alexeyev is hockey and his employer is the Washington Capitals. The NHL is also the only hockey league trying to resume right now. So that was clue number one.
Clue number two: Connor McMichael responded to Alexeyev’s post with the following comment.
The Washington Capitals will add 2019 first-round pick Connor McMichael to their expanded postseason roster if the NHL permits them to do so, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Friedman says that the Capitals will also add defenseman Martin Fehervary, who has been training with Tomas Tatar back home in Slovakia, to their playoff roster as well. The 20-year-old rookie defenseman looked impressive in six NHL games as an injury recall.
By Ian Oland 4 months ago
Connor McMichael, who was named to the OHL’s Second All-Star Team on Wednesday, may not be done playing this season.
During a video conference with reporters on Friday, Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said that the team is considering bringing McMichael on as a black ace for the 24-team playoff, citing it would be a good learning experience for the 19-year-old.
The Capitals signed McMichael to an entry-level contract on July 12, 2019.
Capitals first-round pick Connor McMichael had a huge 2019-20 season. The prospect center was fantastic during Caps’ training camp, made Canada’s gold medal-winning 2020 World Junior Championship team out of nowhere, and scored six hat tricks for the OHL London Knights during the regular season.
McMichael, who scored 47 goals and tallied 102 points in 52 games, was named to the OHL’s Second All-Star Team on Wednesday, just missing out on the first team.
By Ian Oland 4 months ago
The Washington Capitals were supposed to play the Detroit Red Wings at Capital One Arena on Thursday night. Instead, the players are now grappling with an indefinite stop to their season as the coronavirus continues to spread across North America.
One player perfectly suited for this extended break is new doggy dad Tom Wilson. Wilson and his girlfriend Taylor Pischke recently adopted a rescue pup, Halle.
While Wilson found the pausing of all the major sports leagues “tough news”, he looked forward to spending a lot of time with his new eight-week-old black lab mix.
Connor McMichael’s big year continues.
After tallying his sixth hat trick of the season on Friday, the Capitals 2019 first-round pick was named the OHL’s player of the week.
Connor McMichael’s ridiculous season continues.
After winning gold with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship, the Capitals’ 2019 first-round pick returned to the OHL London Knights and has scored three hat tricks in the month of January – in only nine games.
McMichael now has six hat tricks total this season after scoring three times in London’s 7-4 victory over the Windsor Spitfires, Friday.
McMichael turned 19 on January 15.
