Photo: Alex Brandon
CSN Washington’s Chuck Gormley just broke the news that UFA’s Mike Green and Eric Fehr will be leaving the organization. Gormley spoke to Craig Oster, who represents both players.
Baby, come back!
ESPN’s Craig Custance dropped a big old newsbomb on Caps free agency today, providing updates on the team’s plans for everyone from Braden Holtby (spoiler alert: good news!) to Mike Green (spoiler alert: also good news, depending on your perspective!).
By Nathan Burchfiel 5 years ago
Mike Green, who has hand tattoos, is a great hockey player. If you ask me– which in a way just by reading this article you sorta are– he’s a crucial piece of the Washington Capitals. So if this is Game Over for Green in DC, he will be dearly missed. If you don’t believe me about that, I’ve got 1400 words and a few megabytes of pictures that will change your mind.
By Peter Hassett 5 years ago
Photo credit: Susan Walsh
At age 23, defenseman Mike Green scored 31 goals. His 2008-2009 season was one of the most remarkable scoring performances by a blueliner of all-time. His bright blue Easton Stealth CNT was a lethal weapon. It was just the seventh time in league history a defenseman topped 30 goals. That last player to accomplish the feat, Kevin Hatcher, did it 26 years earlier.
The next year, Green’s goal total dropped by 12. He still easily lead all defensemen with 76 points. The Capitals cruised to the Presidents’ Trophy.
“He set the standard for offensive defensemen in the league,” Karl Alzner, Green’s longtime teammate, said of his 31-goal season. “That’s been the benchmark for a lot of guys. Guys are trying hard to get there, and no one’s been even close. ”
“I think he’ll be a guy that gets remembered in Washington forever,” Alzner added.
By Chris Gordon 5 years ago
Last week, Eric Fehr met the media to update them on the injury that has keep him out of the lineup for most of the playoffs. After two minutes of optimism and indirect answers, the scrum was finished. The day’s routine necessity had been completed. As the rest of the media shuffled away from Fehr’s locker, I made an offhand comment that the F-16 was getting ready for flight.
“There are some bad nicknames out there,” he told me. “Of all the nicknames to have, that’s a pretty cool one.”
I asked what he thought of his other nickname, Fehrsie.
“See, that’s the thing: I hate those nicknames,” he said. “Anybody with a last name with a –y on the end would probably be the worst one. Spelling it –ie doesn’t change anything. You need to be creative. As a group we’ve tried to be more creative with guys. We tried to change it up a little bit.”
Inadvertently, I had just stumbled on a massive scoop. Over the next 10 minutes, Fehr revealed the other hidden nicknames of the Capitals locker room. Some you might know– others you don’t.
By Chris Gordon 5 years ago
Eight minutes into the third period, the Washington Capitals clung to a 2-1 lead, buoyed by Andre Burakovsky’s two goals. After falling behind 1-0, the Caps rebounded and seemed in control.
Then, the nightmare scenario: Carl Hagelin raced in on a breakaway towards Braden Holtby after a Caps’ miscommunication in the neutral zone. Mike Green, realizing this could be a disaster, chose the two-minute minor hooking penalty over the layup goal. Green reached his stick out and tugged on Hagelin’s gut.
Ward smiling after Derek Stepan tries punching him.
The Washington Capitals won game one at Madison Square Garden in surprisingly easy fashion– though it took a last-second goal to win. The first twenty minutes of game two have been way different.
But I’m an optimist, so let’s focus on the awesome things that happened in the first period first.
Wednesday morning, I set off to Kettler Capitals Iceplex on a serious mission. I was on deadline, working on a story on Braden Holtby for The New York Times. I paced around the rink until the locker room opened. When Karl Alzner, Holtby’s longtime teammate, became available, I prepared to pepper him with questions about Holtby’s breakout season, but Karl had other ideas.
“Hey, I gotta ask *you* a question!” Alzner exclaimed, pointing out the baby blue Apple Watch on my wrist. “How did you get that so fast?”
By Chris Gordon 5 years ago
This is why I roll my eyes when people tell me on Twitter Mike Green is soft. Nope.
Photo: Dave Reginek
Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green is officially in The Zone. During the second period, Green unleashed a wicked, rising slap shot from his Stealth stick that Red Wings goaltender Petr Mrazek could not handle.
