The Hershey Bears have announced the club’s 2019 preseason schedule. The Bears will play three preseason games this year, including a home game at Giant Center on Saturday, Sept. 28 versus the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at 7 p.m. Continue reading
As most hockey fans know, the last two Stanley Cup winners, the St. Louis Blues in 2019 and the Washington Capitals in 2018, had never won the Stanley Cup until their recent wins. However, the two teams also have another similarity. While neither team had ever won a prior Stanley Cup, both teams have consistently made the playoffs during this past decade. As a result, both teams have not benefited from early draft picks (prior to sixth overall, which is generally when the game-changing superstars are drafted). NoVa Caps examines the draft positions of both the Caps and the Blues for the last decade. Part 1 will cover the drafts from 2009 through 2014. Part 2 will cover from 2015 and later. Continue reading
The second annual Alexander Ovechkin Cup, a hockey tournament for 12-year-olds, was held in the Moscow Region this past week. The Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports of the Moscow Region and the Moscow Region Hockey Federation sponsored this tournament, with the assistance of the Moscow Region Government. Continue reading
The Metropolitan Division has no shortage of elite and extremely talented goaltenders manning the cage for their respective teams. From solidified veterans like Henrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby, up-and-coming talents like Carter Hart and MacKenzie Blackwood, and a fringe elite goalie in Matt Murray, there’s bound to be many good games between Metropolitan teams. In this post, NoVa Caps ranks the top tandems in the division, dives into each of the goaltenders’ statistics. The methodology behind these rankings will be combining the cumulative 2018-19 season stats of each team’s goalie tandems, projecting what they’ll look like in the 2019-20 NHL season, and looking at career trends. Continue reading
Photo: QuinnipiacThe Carolina Hurricanes announced on Saturday morning that they have signed defenseman Chase Priskie, the Washington Capitals’ sixth-round draft pick (No. 177 overall) in 2016, to a two-year entry-level contract. Priskie’s contract, which has a signing bonus of $815,000, carries a cap hit of $832,500 at the NHL level and $70,000 at the AHL level per season. The 23-year old became an unrestricted free agent on August 15 after wrapping up his collegiate career with Quinnipiac University. Continue reading
Photo: FredericksburgHockeyOver the last several months, NoVa Caps has been providing updates on the progress of construction to a outdoor, roller hockey rink being built in the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia in partnership between the Capitals and their Legacy Project initiative (aimed at growing the love of hockey in the Washington D.C.-Metro area by the year 2020), the City of Fredericksburg, and local sponsors and donors. The installation of key rink features brings the project one step closer to completion. Continue reading
Photo: Kuzmin YuriOn August 15, before a pre-season exhibition game between Avangard Omsk and Moscow Dynamo of the Kontinental Hockey League, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, fresh off a trip to China, participated in a ceremonial puck drop before the game at the Balashikha Arena. Continue reading
“It’s going to be a goal to pick up where I left off,” Tom Wilson told the media during the Washington Capitals’ exit interviews back in April. The 25-year-old forward posted a career high 40 points (22 goals) in the 2018-19 season, and is determined to continue the consistency, physicality, and scoring. NoVa Caps previews what we can expect to see from Wilson in the upcoming season. Continue reading
Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom and defenseman Christian Djoos participated in the annual Brynäs Black White charity hockey game at Gavlerinken Arena in Gavle, Sweden on Thursday. The event featured pregame activities, an autograph session for fans, and a hockey tournament. Continue reading
Photo: KESQLate on Wednesday, Detroit Hockey Net reported that the Palm Springs Firebirds will be the AHL affiliate of Seattle’s NHL expansion franchise, which will begin playing in the 2021-22 season. Continue reading
