Washington Capitals Rumors & News

  • Caps have given assistant Tim Hunter permission to meet with other teams

    Washington Post "In addition any roster changes they make this summer, the Capitals are expected to tweak their coaching staff as well. Washington has granted Tim Hunter permission to interview elsewhere, and it is unlikely that he will return to the Capitals as an assistant coach for the 2013-14..." June 18

  • Alex Ovechkin says broken foot healing well

    SB Nation "Alex Ovechkin said his broken foot is healing well, according to the Washington Post's Katie Carrera. The Washington Capitals' star suffered a hairline fracture in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals and still played Game 7 before heading to Sweden to play with Russia in the World..." June 16

  • Ovechkin wins Hart Trophy as NHL MVP

    CSN Washington "Before he took the job as head coach of the Capitals, Adam Oates had heard lots of stories about Alex Ovechkin. But before he could judge the Russian superstar he had to see for himself what made him tick. “I leaned that he’s a very coachable guy,” Oates said before learning that Ovechkin..." June 16

  • Alex Ovechkin has ‘tons of room to improve,’ Adam Oates says

    Washington Post "Adam Oates made a point at the end of every exit meeting to tell players that while the season might be over, he’s still available to them. Whether they want to talk about their individual goals, hockey in general or anything else. Count Alex Ovechkin among those who took the coach up on his..." June 15

  • NHL participation in Sochi Olympics still has roadblocks, report says

    SportingNews.com "While the NHL, NHL Players Association, International Olympic Committee and International Ice Hockey Federation all say a deal to bring players to the 2013 Sochi Olympics will get done, there are still roadblocks, according to Sportsnet's John Shannon. Two of the big ones: the league's desire..." June 10

  • Joey Crabb won’t return to Washington

    Washington Post "Impending unrestricted free agent Joey Crabb will not return to Washington next season, according to the forward’s agent. “He has no intentions to sign back with the Capitals,” Crabb’s agent, Kevin Epp, wrote in an e-mail to the Post. “I don’t think it worked out for either party.” The..." June 08

  • Why the Caps don't have room for Ribeiro

    CSN Washington "With one month to go before the start of NHL free agency, Mike Ribeiro appears to be no closer to remaining a Washington Capital as he was at the end of the season. And if you take a look at our salary chart below, you’ll see why. In an email sent to CSNWashington.com on Tuesday Riberio’s..." June 05

  • NHL, NHLPA agree on mandatory visors along with other changes

    NHL.com "All players entering the NHL beginning next season could be required to wear a visor. The NHL's Competition Committee met Tuesday here. Among its recommendations was a proposal that would make visors mandatory for all players entering the League, starting in 2013-14. Under the proposal,..." June 05

  • NHL Competition Committee recommends visors for future NHLers

    TSN.ca "The NHL's Competition Committee has recommended the mandatory wearing of visors be grandfathered in at its meeting in Toronto on Tuesday. The use of shallower nets to be used next season as well as a hybrid icing rule to be tested in preseason were among other recommended rule changes proposed..." June 04

  • Jeff Schultz asks Capitals to trade him

    Washington Post "After seeing his role and ice time diminished for a second straight season under another new coaching staff, defenseman Jeff Schultz has asked the Capitals to trade him so he can earn a consistent spot in the NHL elsewhere. Discouraged by being a frequent healthy scratch and frustrated by the..." May 31

  • Value of Alzner could determine Ribeiro's future

    CSN Washington "Before the Capitals can even consider re-signing unrestricted free agents Mike Ribeiro or Matt Hendricks this summer, they will first need to establish a price tag for what should be their No. 1 priority of the offseason: re-signing defenseman Karl Alzner. Having developed into one of the NHL’s..." May 25

  • NHL Awards to be presented during Stanley Cup Final

    NHL.com "The 2013 NHL Awards winners will be revealed in two live television specials during the Stanley Cup Final. At 7 p.m. on the day of Game 2 of the Final, the winners of the Hart, Calder, Norris and Vezina trophies, along with the Ted Lindsay Award, will be announced as part of an hour-long show..." May 24

  • Will Capitals have it tougher next season?

    CSN Washington "Since they rose to prominence in the 2007-08 season, the Capitals have heard all the talk. That winning five South-least Division titles in six years was a lot like winning a bunch of Biggest Loser competitions. The Capitals went 15-3-0 against their Southeast Division rivals this season and..." May 21

  • Adam Oates tells Washington radio host he would 'easily' beat up John Tortorella

    Newark Star-Ledger "Even while the Rangers have moved on in the playoffs, the verbal spat between the Capitals and Blueshirts just won't die. While appearing on a D.C. radio show with Chad Dukes and LaVar Arrington, Adam Oates was asked if he could beat up John Tortorella. The Capitals coach responded, via Adam..." May 18

  • Capitals’ main problem can be found in their excuses

    Washington Post "The great teams use a tough loss to get better. When you hear a lot of talk from guys who just lost big about how unfair it all was and how they couldn’t get a call from the refs, you can be certain they’ll lose the next one, too. You didn’t need to go to any videotape to analyze why the..." May 18

  • Tom Wilson eager to make an impact for Caps

    Washington Post "Highly-touted prospect Tom Wilson made his NHL debut in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but it remains to be determined whether the young winger will be on the Capitals’ opening-night roster next fall. As encouraged as the Capitals were by Wilson’s performance in three games against the New York..." May 18

  • Alex Ovechkin played with fractured left foot in Games 6, 7 against Rangers

    Washington Post "The Capitals have confirmed Ovechkin’s injury. Alex Ovechkin played the final two games of the Capitals’ first-round series against New York with a hairline fracture in his left foot, according to a league source with direct knowledge of the winger’s injury. In the first period of Game 6,..." May 16

  • Mike Milbury criticizes Alex Ovechkin for ‘whining’

    Washington Post "I have now achieved a rare trifecta: consecutive posts featuring Michael Wilbon on Alex Ovechkin, Skip Bayless on Alex Ovechkin and now Mike Milbury on Alex Ovechkin. Where is my prize???? “I try to just tell it the way it is,” Milbury said on NBC Sports Network Tuesday night. “And this made it..." May 15

  • Rangers rout Capitals for 1st Game 7 win away from MSG

    New York Post "Everything was hanging over the heads of the Rangers — their expectations, their history, their penchant for pulling on heartstrings and playing the tightest of games in the most dire situations. It was all poised to drop and smash their season as if it never began. But the team that came out..." May 14

  • Leonsis on Game 7 loss: ‘I personally feel like I have let the community down’

    Washington Post "Ted Leonsis posted some initial thoughts Tuesday on the Caps’ “painful” 5-0 Game 7 defeat to the Rangers, congratulating New York and commiserating with devastated fans. Here’s an excerpt: We exit Round 1 in seven games, after having a 2-0 series lead. The loss is quite painful to everyone..." May 14

  • First line vanishes as Capitals eliminated by Rangers

    Washington Post "As the Capitals made their push at the end of the regular season to claim a playoff berth, it was the top line that led the way. Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom both averaged more than a point per game in the final 23 contests of the regular season. Marcus Johansson followed not far behind,..." May 14

  • 35d
    Katie Carrera @kcarrera

    Alex Ovechkin said he was playing with some “bruises” but nothing that impacted his performance in the series against the Rangers.

  • Alex Ovechkin on officiating vs. Rangers: ‘Someone just wanted Game 7’

    Yahoo! Sports "After a regular season that saw him regain his MVP form, Alex Ovechkin had a frustrating postseason as the Washington Capitals lost in seven games to the New York Rangers. He pumped 30 shots on Henrik Lundqvist, scoring just one goal, a power-play tally back in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference..." May 14

  • Alex Ovechkin to Represent Russia at 2013 IIHF World Championship

    NHL.com "The Washington Capitals have announced that captain Alex Ovechkin will represent Russia at the 2013 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in Helsinki, Finland, and Stockholm, Sweden, which began on May 3 and runs through May 19. Ovechkin will be available at Kettler Capitals..." May 14

  • NY Rangers rout Capitals 5-0 in Game 7

    New York Daily News "The Rangers intended to make a last stand Monday night and sparked something even better: a new beginning. Game 7 at the Verizon Center was nothing short of a Blueshirt rebirth, a 5-0 statement steamrolling of the three-seed Washington Capitals built on the foundation of goaltender Henrik..." May 14

  • Three keys for Rangers in Game 7 against Capitals

    North Jersey "1. More of the same: The Rangers were at their best this series in Game 6 in terms of sustaining a forecheck, being the more aggressive, faster-skating team and not giving up any power plays. It’s going to be hard to maintain that level of energy tonight, not only on the second night of..." May 13

  • Capitals ‘need to be a more disciplined hockey team’ in Game 7

    Washington Post "While the Capitals haven’t been happy about the discrepancy in penalties dished out in this series, they know that they could have avoided some of the calls they received in Game 6. Of the five minors Washington was whistled for before the final buzzer – a melee broke out at the end of regulation..." May 13

  • Capitals must turn the page, start fresh in Game 7 against Rangers

    Washington Post "The Capitals are quite familiar with the agony-inducing, pressure-packed contests that are a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Winner-take-all nailbiters where every shift and every mistake are magnified because at the end, one team’s season will come to a screeching halt. Five of six contests..." May 13

  • Laich, Erat will not play for Capitals in Game 7

    NHL.com "Washington Capitals coach Adam Oates said there may be one change to his lineup for Game 7 Monday night at Verizon Center, but he did not disclose what it would be. "We're waiting to see," Oates said. However, Oates did confirm that injured forwards Brooks Laich and Martin Erat will not..." May 13

  • Rangers stymie Caps, force pivotal Game 7

    New York Post "Of course it was a grind, because the Rangers would have it no other way. With their season on the line and the summer lurking in the sunshine outside, somehow the Blueshirts staved off elimination yesterday afternoon at the Garden, squeaking out a 1-0 win over the Capitals in Game 6 of their..." May 13

  • Will Laich return for game 7?

    CSN Washington "Game 7 by the numbers: The Caps are 3-8 all-time in Game 7s. The Rangers are 5-5, but 0-5 in Game 7s on the road. Return of Laich?: It might seem like a long shot, but could we see the triumphant return of Brooks Laich in Game 7 tonight? The Caps’ 29-year-old left wing has been trying to get..." May 13

  • 36d
    Stephen Whyno @SWhyno

    Brooks Laich will not play tonight, #Caps coach Adam Oates said

  • Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist avoid elimination, top Capitals 1-0

    Newark Star-Ledger "Facing elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Rangers received a fortunate first-period deflection and rode goalie Henrik Lundqvist to a 1-0 shutout victory over the Washington Capitals Sunday in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden. Rick Nash was..." May 12

  • Capitals 2, Rangers 1: Mike Ribeiro wins Game 5 in overtime

    Washington Post "The Washington Capitals and New York Rangers couldn’t keep their frenetic pace in overtime Friday night — something had to give. The two teams traded heavy hits, end-to-end rushes and plenty of scoring chances through the first nine minutes of overtime. It was just a matter of which team would..." May 11

  • 40d
    Katie Carrera @kcarrera

    Tom Wilson will play on the fourth line with Matt Hendricks and Jay Beagle. Oates says he’s looking for a “spark”. #Caps #NYR

  • Tavares joins Crosby, Ovechkin as Hart finalist

    NHL.com "Now in his fourth NHL season, New York Islanders center John Tavares has entered the ranks of the elite players in the League. Tavares on Friday joined Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin as finalists for the Hart Trophy, awarded annually to..." May 10

  • NHL moving closer to Olympic participation

    NHL.com "The National Hockey League moved closer to an agreement to send its players to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia during a meeting in Stockholm on Friday. The meeting included representatives from the NHL, National Hockey League Players' Association, International Olympic Committee,..." May 10

  • 40d
    Katie Carrera @kcarrera

    No additional update on Erat from Oates, who wouldn’t discuss MRI results. Erat feeling better but won’t play in Game 5.

  • Crosby, Ovechkin, St. Louis named Lindsay finalists

    NHL.com "Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin and Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning were announced Thursday as the finalists for the 2013 Ted Lindsay Award. The award is presented annually to the most outstanding player in the NHL, as voted by fellow..." May 09

  • Capitals' Erat suffers upper-body injury

    NHL.com "Following his team's 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series, Washington Capitals coach Adam Oates revealed that wing Martin Erat was dealing with an upper-body injury and would be reevaluated on Thursday prior to Game 5 on Friday in..." May 09

  • Rangers even series with Caps with 4-3 win at home

    New York Post "The Rangers held serve in this best-of-seven, but this wasn’t tennis, anyone, at the Garden last night. This was an in-your-face display by the Blueshirts; or, rather, an in-the-Capitals faces’ effort that produced a second consecutive 4-3 victory, sending this opening round back to D.C. at..." May 09

  • Oates gives Capitals a day off in Manhattan

    CSN Washington "Adam Oates and the Capitals had a contingency plan in place for Tuesday. With Madison Square Garden occupied by the New York Knicks for their NBA playoff game Tuesday night, the Caps planned on practicing at Prudential Center in Newark in advance of Wednesday night’s Game 4 against the..." May 08

  • Rangers' blue-collar effort pays off with win

    New York Post "This was a different effort produced by a different Rangers team in a different kind of game than the ones in Washington that had preceded it. This was a tenacious and compelling blue-collar performance in which the Blueshirts all but willed themselves to a 4-3 victory over the Capitals at the..." May 07

  • Capitals’ power play falls flat late in Game 3

    Washington Post "When Brad Richards made his way to the penalty box for slashing Alex Ovechkin with 1 minute 54 seconds remaining in regulation of Game 3, the Capitals couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity. What better way to try and tie the contest than with the power play that ranked atop the NHL in the..." May 07

  • Penalties kill Caps again

    CSN Washington "There is only one way the Capitals can lose their first-round playoff series against the New York Rangers and on Monday night they showed how. The Capitals went to the penalty box six times in the first two periods, giving the Rangers six power plays and keeping Alex Ovechkin glued to the..." May 07

  • Green: 'We have a lot of work to do'

    CSN Washington "There was plenty of frustration in the visiting locker room after the Capitals suffered a 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers Monday night at Madison Square Garden. But not a shred of panic. “It’s unfortunate,” Mike Green said after seeing the Capitals’ two games to none lead on the Rangers..." May 07

  • Rangers must turn up heat on Holtby

    New York Post "Braden Holtby wasn’t all that impressed with his first career playoff shutout. Following the Capitals’ 1-0 overtime win over the Rangers in Game 2 of their first-round series on Saturday, the 23-year-old goaltender was excited with the result, but didn’t feel as if the Blueshirts provided much..." May 06

  • A year of differences for the Capitals

    CSN Washington "What a difference a year makes for several members of the Washington Capitals. While Martin Erat, JACK HILLEN, Steve Oleksy and Mike Ribeiro are all making their Washington playoff debuts this spring, mainstays like John Erskine, MARCUS JOHANSSON and MATHIEU PERREAULT are making the most of..." May 06

  • Torts: Series with Caps ‘more even’ than people think; Hagelin looking to bounce back in Game 3

    North Jersey "Rangers coach John Tortorella’s theme in his pre-game presser, no doubt intended to bolster his team, which trails the Capitals 2-0 in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal heading into tonight’s Game 3 and was outscored 4-1 in the first two games with their goal drought at 111 minutes, 16..." May 06

  • Rangers beat Capitals, 4-3, as power play, penalty kill step up

    Bergen Record "One must-win begat another must-win situation for the Rangers. For just as surely as the Rangers did not want to lose the first three games of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal to the Capitals, they must be desperate to avoid going back to Washington for Game 5 on the brink of..." May 06