Capitals Honor Matt Niskanen With Tribute Video During TV Timeout

As has been the case with several players and three coaches in the last two seasons, the Capitals paid tribute to another member of the team’s 2018 Stanley Cup-winning team on Saturday night with a tribute video to Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Matt Niskanen during a television timeout.

Playing in his first game in Washington since being traded to the Flyers last summer, Niskanen, who was a key cog on the Caps’ blueline during their run to the first championship in franchise history, was honored with a tribute video during the first television timeout in the game between the two Metropolitan Division rivals.

Niskanen received a standing ovation from the Capitals’ faithful in attendance at Capital One Arena as the video was played on the jumbotron video board. The 33-year old rearguard was traded to the Flyers last summer in exchange for fellow defenseman Radko Gudas, as a result of the Capitals’ salary cap restraints.

Niskanen played 390 games in a Capitals sweater after signing a seven-year, $40.25 million deal with the team in the summer of 2014, more games than with any other team in his career.

In those 390 games played, Niskanen recorded 156 points (29 goals, 127 assists), with a plus-58 rating while averaging 22:46 of ice time a night. In 53 games played heading into Saturday night’s game, Niskanen had scored seven goals and added 17 assists for 24 points, averaging 21:53 a night for Philadelphia Head Coach Alain Vigneault.

By Michael Fleetwood

About Michael Fleetwood

Michael Fleetwood was born into a family of diehard Capitals fans and has been watching games as long as he can remember. He was born the year the Capitals went to their first Stanley Cup Final, and is a diehard Caps fan, the owner of the very FIRST Joe Beninati jersey and since then, has met Joe himself. Michael joined the NoVa Caps team in 2015, and is most proud of the growth of the NoVa Caps community in that time. An avid photographer, Michael resides in VA.
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