Devante Smith-Pelly was honored by the greatest hockey player in NHL history, Wayne Gretzky, on Thursday.
In a video for the NHL, Gretzky described DSP as the “unlikely hero” of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
George Floyd died on May 25, after a police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes. His death has sparked sorrow and protests across the country, demanding meaningful change. While many high-profile athletes have shared their opinions on the event, including LeBron James and Colin Kaepernick, the NHL has been relatively quiet.
Two Black players, JT Brown and Evander Kane, were the first to speak up. In an interview with ESPN’s First Take, Kane called on other high profile athletes “like Tom Brady and Sidney Crosby” to do something.
“We need so many more athletes–that don’t look like me–speaking out about this,” he said, “having the same amount of outrage that I have inside, and using that to voice their opinion, to voice their frustration, because that’s the only way it’s going to change.”
Since that time, more NHL players–both white and Black–have added their voices to the call for change. Here’s who they are and what they had to say.
By Brennin Weiswerda 9 months ago
You can now call Jakub Vrana Chef Boyar-V because the Capitals forward accomplished a major feat today: he made a meal by himself.
Thursday, Vrana’s sister Jana posted video of Jakub making a fine pasta dish at his family’s home in the Czech Republic. Vrana was one of nine Capitals players who left North America and flew home during the suspension of the NHL season due to the coronavirus.
“Spaghetti with [unintelligible] sauce with a little touch of sausage,” Chef Boyar-V said. “With some garlic. You have cherry tomatoes in there as well. It’s easy to eat. Easy to make. Simple!”
He beamed with pride and did the chef kiss.
By Ian Oland 11 months ago
Former Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly scored his first career KHL goal in Kunlun Red Star’s 4-0 victory over Admiral Vladivostok, Tuesday.
Smith-Pelly’s second-period tally was a shorthanded goal.
After being released from his professional try out by the Calgary Flames, Devante Smith-Pelly has found a new team. It is not in the NHL.
The Stanley Cup champion forward, according to R-Sport, will play for the Kunlun Red Star, a KHL team located in China.
Stanley Cup champion Devante Smith-Pelly was released from his professional tryout by the Calgary Flames on Saturday.
DSP inked the tryout on September 4 along with Tobias Rieder (RW/LW), Zac Rinaldo (LW), and Alexandre Grenier (RW).
By Ian Oland 1 year ago
At the beginning of September, former Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly received a PTO with the Calgary Flames. While he attended BioSteel Camp in Toronto around the time of the agreement, he opted not to speak to the media. On Tuesday, he broke his silence for the first time ahead of the Flames’ Training Camp, discussing his decision to sign the PTO and take his talents to the Pacific Division. He also spoke about what went wrong in Washington.
“They showed interest from the start,” Smith-Pelly said to TSN reporters about why he felt Calgary was the right place for him. “Obviously, would have loved to get a contract coming into camp but they’ve got some other things they’ve got to deal with contract-wise. I looked at the lineup and where I saw myself fitting in, and thought this would be a good spot to compete for a chance to play.”
By Donya Abramo 1 year ago
After two months-plus of waiting, Devante Smith-Pelly has finally found a new landing spot for next season.
The Calgary Flames have given the popular former Capitals forward a PTO, which will give him the opportunity to make the team out of training camp.
By Ian Oland 1 year ago
Radko Gudas came to the Capitals in an early off-season trade that sent Matt Niskanen to Philadelphia. The 6’0″, 204-pound defenseman has been in nineteen NHL fights since the 2012-13 season. Eight of those were for the Tampa Bay Lightning and more recently eleven with the Flyers.
Here are some of the best fights–and other memorable moments–between Gudas and current and former teammates on the Washington Capitals
By Brennin Weiswerda 2 years ago
Tuesday afternoon, Jakub Vrana officially re-signed, inking a two-year, $6.7 million contract to stay in Washington through the 2020-21 season.
Former teammate Devante Smith-Pelly was one of the first people to congratulate Vrana on social media despite being without a contract himself.
Vrana had a classic response.
