The Washington Capitals posted a “spoOoOooky season” video on Wednesday asking players what their favorite scary movie was as they walked out for practice.
But the most notable thing of the video wasn’t the Capitals’ movie picks. It was the sticks they were taking out onto the ice.
By Ian Oland 11 months ago
Zdeno Chara let Evgeny Kuznetsov use one of his sticks before a training camp practice in mid-January.
“Just don’t break it,” Chara said. “I don’t have enough.”
A few weeks later, Chara’s new shipment of twigs arrived in the United States, but not at the right address. Ariel Ben-Abraham, of the clothing business Create Supply, was delivered Chara’s sticks by accident.
He lives in New Jersey.
By Ian Oland 3 years ago
Evgeny Kuznetsov is back with some wholesome hockey content for you ahead of the start of the 2020-21 season.
Tuesday, Kuznetsov asked future Hall of Famer, Zdeno Chara, if he could try out one of his gigantic sticks. Chara said yes, but only on one condition.
By Ian Oland 3 years ago
Two weeks ago, Alex Edler left Game Five of the Vancouver Canucks’ first-round series against the St. Louis Blues with a scary injury.
Edler was cut in the face by Jordan Kyrou’s skate blade and did not return to the game.
The injury would set in motion one of the most ridiculous storylines of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Alex Ovechkin has been playing hockey in South Florida with a group of former and current NHL players. One of the veterans in the group, former Penguins defenseman Darius Kasparaitis, gave Ovechkin a special gift on Tuesday.
Kasparaitis presented Ovechkin with the stick as well as the puck he used to score his Game 7 overtime goal against the Buffalo Sabres on May 10, 2001.
During a dinner in 2016, Alex Ovechkin asked Wayne Gretzky for tips on how to win the Stanley Cup. Ovi, who is now chasing Gretzky for the all-time goals record, also asked Wayne in the parking lot if he could have a game-used stick to add to his collection featuring 100 legendary NHL players.
Gretzky agreed, but with one caveat: Ovi had to win the Stanley Cup. Ovi did in 2018 and Gretzky gave away the stick he scored his 807th career goal with.
“Finally, I get the stick and I was happy like a little kid to have a Christmas gift,” Ovechkin said to NBC’s Kathryn Tappen.
But when did Ovi get Gretzky’s stick? Thanks to the O’Connor family, who are big Capitals fans (and RMNB readers), now we know.
NBCSN teased the interview that it conducted between Alex Ovechkin and Wayne Gretzky last week and revealed that The Great One finally gave The Great Eight that game-used stick he promised him.
But they left off Gretzky’s part of the story and that part is even more incredible.
By Ian Oland 3 years ago
Alex Ovechkin finally received the Wayne Gretzky game-used stick he’s always coveted.
Gretzky’s gift is one of several topics that is discussed during a wide-ranging #HockeyAtHome interview between The Great 8 and The Great One hosted by NBC Sports’ Kathryn Tappen. NBCSN will broadcast the interview on Monday, April 20, at 5 PM.
Gretzky sent Ovechkin the stick in the mail and video of Ovi unwrapping the stick was captured on video.
The NHL has always limited how much individual players can express themselves during games, yet some stars still find a way.
Capitals forward TJ Oshie, for instance, writes a heartfelt tribute on every one of his game sticks. In 2016, we first reported that Oshie wrote the initials of his wife Lauren and his daughter Lyla on his sticks. Now Oshie, a father of two daughters and with a son on the way, has updated his message to include Leni’s initials and three dots for his unborn son.
By Ian Oland 4 years ago
Alex Ovechkin is one of the greatest hockey players of all-time. For many teammates, playing with Ovi will go down as one of the biggest highlights of their career. So naturally, some of those players want a stick or an autograph to remember the experience by.
On December 9 during an appearance on the Old Barn Hockey Show, Hershey Bears defenseman Tyler Lewington was asked if he’d like a stick from Ovechkin.
Despite being a fearless enforcer who has punched many a man in the face, Lewington revealed he is too intimidated to approach The Great 8.
