Ted Leonsis

Ted Leonsis: Alex Ovechkin ate 8 cantaloupes after being picked by the Capitals first overall in the 2004 NHL Draft

The Washington Capitals held a digital press conference with Alex Ovechkin on Thursday, celebrating The Great 8’s five-year contract extension that will keep him in the District through 2026.

Hosted by NBC Sports Washington’s Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin, the press conference served more like a live video podcast between Ovechkin and representatives from the Capitals organization, which included majority owner Ted Leonsis, president Dick Patrick, and GM Brian MacLellan.

The format allowed Leonsis, an emotional, sentimental, and articulate person, the opportunity to share several stories about Ovechkin from his past, including the first night he met him at the 2004 NHL Draft in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Ovechkin apparently was very hungry.

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By Ian Oland 2 months ago

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Ted Leonsis on Alex Ovechkin’s contract negotiations: ‘I’m not concerned. He’s not concerned. Our concern is the Boston Bruins.’

Capitals majority owner Ted Leonsis spoke to the media on Friday morning and one of the biggest topics of the conversation was negotiations on Alex Ovechkin’s new contract.

After Brian MacLellan set expectations that a deal could be done as early as training camp, there seemingly has been no news.

Leonsis is not worried though.

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By Cara Bahniuk 4 months ago

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Current and former Capitals teammates say really nice things about Nicklas Backstrom

The Washington Capitals went all out to celebrate Nicklas Backstrom’s 1,000th NHL game on Thursday.

The team formed a stick tunnel for Backstrom to skate out to, players wore number 19 jerseys during warmups, and the organization held a pregame ceremony which included a touching tribute video.

The Capitals also debuted a splash page on their website dedicated to all things N1KY, including 20 sweet video messages from Nicky’s past and former teammates and coaches.

We transcribed them all and also dug out a few more tributes from social media.

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By Elizabeth Kong and Ian Oland 5 months ago

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The Capitals’ first home game with fans will be April 27 against the Islanders. Season-ticket holders will get priority on tickets.

Monumental Sports & Entertainment had their waiver approved last week by the DC government to reopen Capital One Arena for Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards games. Now, MSE is announcing its plans moving forward.

The Washington Capitals’ first game with fans will be their April 27th home game against the New York Islanders. 2,100 fans will be allowed to attend at a maximum, which is 10 percent capacity. The Capitals will give tickets to DMV first responders and frontline and essential workers of the COVID-19 response and honor them during the game.

“Our fans bring a lot of energy to our arena,” Jakub Vrana said recently. “They’re like an extra player for us. Even if it’s not going to be full, we’ll still be happy to see people in the stands cheering for us, giving us some extra energy. We’ve been missing that. Without them, it’s been quiet out there.”

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By Ian Oland 5 months ago

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Alex Ovechkin and TJ Oshie congratulate Nicklas Backstrom on reaching 700 assists, call him a ‘future Hall of Famer’

Lost in the chaos and controversy of the Capitals’ 5-1 loss to the Boston Bruins was Nicklas Backstrom’s 700th career assist.

The apple put Backstrom in exclusive company, among a who’s who of Hockey Hall of Famers. Backstrom is the first Capital, the 10th European player, and the 54th NHL’er in history to reach the milestone.

After the game, the Capitals posted a tribute video and several teammates shared their congratulations for Backy.

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By Ian Oland 7 months ago

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Alex Ovechkin and Ted Leonsis named to The Hockey News’ ‘People of Power and Influence’ list

The Hockey News released its annual People of Power and Influence top 100 list and two Capitals fared very well.

Owner Ted Leonsis and Capitals’ captain Alex Ovechkin both made the top 10, ranking seventh and eighth (!) respectively.

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By Ian Oland 8 months ago

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Sentimental Ted Leonsis yearns for another Stanley Cup, public health to improve

Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis took to Twitter on Sunday and shared a sentimental message for players and fans.

Leonsis posted what appears to be a photo from his double-decker bus during the Capitals’ Championship Parade on Tuesday, June 12, 2018. A throng of fans can be seen together packed together on the steps of the National Archives – something that would not be allowed now during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Seems like a lifetime ago, a lot to look forward to as motivation,” Leonsis wrote, intertwining his hopes for public health and his hockey team.

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By Ian Oland 10 months ago

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Mike Emrick’s favorite call of all time came after TJ Oshie’s shootout heroics against Russia in 2014 Sochi Olympics

Mike Emrick spoke to reporters after announcing his retirement at age 74 on Monday. The Hockey Hall of Fame broadcaster has called over 3,750 hockey games in his career, including 22 Stanley Cup Finals, 45 Game Sevens, 14 All-Star Games, and 6 Olympic Games.

Picking a favorite moment with all that great hockey to choose from — 225,000 minutes of hockey during 47 professional seasons — is difficult. But Emrick managed to point to one moment that stood out more than the rest.

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By Ian Oland 11 months ago

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Ted Leonsis praises GM Brian MacLellan for his ‘efficient’ coaching search

Capitals majority owner Ted Leonsis is very pleased with his general manager Brian MacLellan.

Tuesday, Leonsis welcomed new head coach Peter Laviolette on Twitter and also added a kind note for Mac on the hiring process.

“Very impressed with how efficient our GM conducted his search,” Leonsis said.

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By Ian Oland 1 year ago

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Capital One Arena will be used as a polling place for the November election

DC residents will be getting a large new polling place this fall.

Capital One Arena announced on Thursday morning that it will be open for DC residents to vote for the 2020 presidential election. Not only will the arena be open on Election Day (Tuesday, November 3, 2020, from 7 AM to 8 PM) but it will also be available for Early Voting from Tuesday, October 27, through Monday, November 2, from 8:30 AM to 7 PM.

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By Ian Oland 1 year ago

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