Washington Capitals

Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov has been suspended from international competition by the International Ice Hockey Federation for four years after testing positive for cocaine at the 2019 IIHF World Championships, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

Per Kaplan, the IIHF revealed Friday that Kuznetsov "didn't require the analysis of his B-sample and was provisionally suspended on 13th June 2019."

The 27-year-old Russian will be eligible to return June 12, 2023.

Kuznetsov was at the center of controversy in May, when video of him sitting nearby two lines of white powder surfaced. He told Russian outlet Sport-Express (h/t the Washington Post) that he has "never" used drugs and that the video dated back to the summer of 2018.

The NHL investigated the situation and ultimately "found no basis to question his representations with respect to what did—and what did not occur."

When the investigation concluded, Kuznetsov issued a statement to publicly apologize while also denying ever doing illegal drugs:

"I would like to address the video of me that appeared online on Monday. While I have never taken illegal drugs in my life and career, I would like to publicly apologize to the Capitals, my teammates, our fans and everyone else, for putting myself in a bad situation. This was a hard lesson for me to learn."

Kuznetsov represented Russia since 2009, helping the senior team win two gold medals and three bronze medals at the World Championships. Russia finished third at the 2019 World Championships in Slovakia, with Kuznetsov tallying two goals and four assists in 10 games.

Kuznetsov had 72 points (21 goals, 51 assists) for Washington last season.

Barely a year after his team won its first Stanley Cup, Washington Capitals vice president of communications Sergey Kocharov scored an even more notable victory.

According to the Virginia Lottery website, Kocharov won a $1 million Powerball prize on what he called an impulse buy.

Russian Machine Never Breaks noted Kocharov's position with the team.

"I saw the Powerball sign and said, 'I may as well try it,'" he said.

The Virginia Lottery website noted Kocharov had a computer randomly select his numbers of 1, 19, 31, 48 and 61 for the July 27 drawing, and it clearly served him well.

If the Capitals are looking for some extra cash to sign any more notable free agents in the coming months, they know where to turn.

The Washington Capitals announced Tuesday defenseman Brooks Orpik has retired from the NHL.

Orpik captured the Stanley Cup twice, first with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 and then with the Caps in 2018.

The 38-year-old San Francisco native provided context about his decision to walk away after 16 seasons in the official announcement:

"I've been extremely lucky to have the best job in the world for many years, but my body is telling me it is time to move on to something new. I'm excited for more family time and to experience a lot of the things that being a professional athlete forces you to miss out on. Thank you to the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins for giving me the opportunity to play against the best athletes in the world. I'll be forever grateful for the memories and relationships that hockey has given me."

Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin also commented on the blueliner's retirement:

"Batya was a great leader in our locker room and was so important for us to win our first Stanley Cup. We will miss his presence in the room and on the ice. Not only was he a great leader and a player, but he was a better person. I'm so happy I had a chance to play with him and for our young guys to have had the chance to learn from him. I want to wish him, Erin and his kids the best. We will miss him and the Batya protein shakes!"

The Penguins selected Orpik out of Boston College with the 18th overall pick in the 2000 NHL draft.

Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post noted the defender previously stated his hopes of returning to BC to finish his degree and potentially also joining the Eagles' hockey coaching staff.

He spent 11 years in Pittsburgh, scoring 132 points in 703 regular-season games. He added 62 points in 332 appearances for Washington after he signed a five-year contract in 2014.

His 1,029 games played since 2003-04 ranked ninth among all NHL defensemen.

Along with his pair of Stanley Cup titles, he also helped lead the United States to a silver medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics and made the 2014 U.S. Olympic team.

The NHL has cleared Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov after a video of him sitting nearby two lines of white powder surfaced Monday.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly deemed the matter "formally closed" in a statement provided to TSN on Friday following an investigation:

"We have thoroughly reviewed the situation surrounding the video circulated on the internet this past Monday, May 27, and involving Capitals' Player. Our review included, among other fact-finding steps, an in-person interview with Mr. Kuznetsov. While we certainly do not condone or endorse some of the decisions he made on the night in question, Mr. Kuznetsov's account of the events that transpired aligns with other information we have been able to gather, and we have found no basis to question his representations with respect to what did—and what did not occur. We consider the matter formally closed."

The league interviewed the 27-year-old Washington star as well as reviewing the video. 

Although he denied any illegal activity, Kuznetsov apologized in a statement:

"I would like to address the video of me that appeared online on Monday. While I have never taken illegal drugs in my life and career, I would like to publicly apologize to the Capitals, my teammates, our fans and everyone else, for putting myself in a bad situation. This was a hard lesson for me to learn."

The Capitals accepted his explanation:

"In addition to doing our own due diligence, we met with Evgeny to discuss the video circulated on social media. While we are disappointed by his presence in the video, we accept his explanation and apology for putting himself in an unfortunate situation. Evgeny has been a terrific player and an active member of our community, and we expect him to learn from this experience and uphold both the standards the organization has for him as well as his own."

Kuznetsov previously told Russian outlet Sport-Express (h/t the Washington Post) he has "never" used drugs and that the video dated back to the summer of 2018. He added that he left the room after seeing "an unclear substance on the table" and "unfamiliar women."

Kuznetsov recorded 32 points in the postseason (12 goals and 20 assists) while helping Washington win its first-ever Stanley Cup in 2018. He is coming off a season in which he piled up 72 points, featuring 21 goals and 51 assists.

A video containing Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov sitting nearby two lines of white powder has spread on social media Monday.

"We are aware of the video that surfaced on social media of Evgeny Kuznetsov," a Capitals spokesman said in a statement, per Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. "We are currently in the process of gathering facts and will have no further comment at this time."

In a statement, Kuznetsov told Russian outlet Sport-Express he has "never" done drugs. He also said the video is from a year ago and he left the hotel room after seeing "an unclear substance on the table" and women with whom he was unfamiliar. 

Kuznetsov said he was in Las Vegas when the video was filmed, celebrating the Capitals 2018 Stanley Cup title.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league will gather more facts before commenting on the incident, per Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

The 27-year-old Kuznetsov is coming off his sixth year in the NHL, all with the Capitals. He was a key part of Washington's run to the championship in 2018, leading the team with 56 assists during the regular season while ranking second to Alex Ovechkin with 87 points.

In the playoffs, he led the Capitals with 32 points in 24 games.

Most recently, Kuznetsov helped Russia win the bronze medal in the 2019 IIHF World Championship.

The Carolina Hurricanes announced rookie Andrei Svechnikov suffered an upper-body injury and was ruled out for the remainder of Monday's playoff game after he fought Alex Ovechkin.

The Washington Capitals star knocked him to the ground during the fight in the first period with the Hurricanes nursing a 1-0 lead:

According to 106.7 The Fan, Svechnikov was helped to the locker room in the aftermath.

Washington won the first two games of the series in large part because of Ovechkin's efforts. The veteran scored a goal in Game 1 and had two assists in Game 2, although Svechnikov matched him in points with two goals in Game 1 and an assist in Game 2.

It will be even more difficult for the Hurricanes to come back against the defending Stanley Cup champions if the rookie is unable to return later in the series. 

Washington Capitals left winger Alex Ovechkin has further validated his "Alexander the Great" nickname. 

On Saturday night, Ovechkin joined Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy as the only players in NHL history to score 50 goals in eight or more seasons, according to NHL Public Relations. Ovechkin is the only active player to accomplish the feat. 

Ovechkin scored his 50th and 51st goals in a 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Capitals Twitter account went all out in celebrating their franchise player: 

According to NHL Stats (h/t Tom Gulitti of NHL.com), Ovechkin is the third-oldest player to notch a 50-goal season. Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post reported that when asked after Saturday night's game how many more 50-goal seasons he has left in the tank, Ovechkin replied, "You think I know?"

According to Gulitti, Ovechkin is the only player to hit 50 goals in a season since 2012-13.

The most goals the 11-time All-Star has scored in a season is 65, which led the NHL in 2007-08. The 33-year-old was drafted No. 1 overall by the Capitals in 2004 and has been with the franchise ever since. Overall, Ovechkin has netted 658 goals in his career. 

The defending Stanley Cup champions have clinched a postseason spot and own third place in the Eastern Conference.   

Following Washington's first Stanley Cup in franchise history, Ovechkin was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as NHL's most valuable player. 

Nobody enjoyed the Stanley Cup more than Ovechkin. The team's captain threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Washington Nationals game, jumped into fountains and jetted off to Las Vegas with the Cup.

But since the 2018-19 season started, Ovechkin has been all business in the quest for back-to-back championships. 

With just three games left in the regular season, the Caps sit atop the Metropolitan Division and are in position to make another run. 

Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby will not be joining many of his teammates at the White House on Monday when President Donald Trump honors the team for its Stanley Cup championship last season. 

"It's one of those things you have to think about, but for me, I have to stay true to my values," Holby said, per Greg Wyshynski of ESPN.com. "I'm going to respectfully decline the offer."

"My family, myself, we believe in a world where humans are treated with respect, regardless of your stature or what you're born into," Holtby added. "That's just where it's at with this decision. You're asked to choose what side you're on, and it's pretty clear what side I'm on. I believe this is the right decision for myself and my family."

Holtby won't be the only Capitals player skipping the visit. 

Forward Brett Connolly will also be abstaining, "saying it was out of respect for teammate Devante Smith-Pelly," per Wyshynski, after Smith-Pelly previously said he wouldn't visit Trump at the White House because "the things that [the president] spews are straight-up racist and sexist." 

Different teams have taken different approaches to visiting Trump. Some, like the 2017 New England Patriots, 2017 Pittsburgh Penguins and 2017 Houston Astros, attended the event. Others have had their visits canceled, like the 2018 Golden State Warriors and the 2018 Philadelphia Eagles, due to Steph Curry being vocally critical of Trump and the majority of the Eagles deciding to not visit the White House.

At least three Boston Red Sox from this past year's championship team won't be joining the team when they visit the White House in May, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network:

Because of Trump's divisive rhetoric and presidency, choosing whether or not to visit the White House to celebrate a championship has become a political statement from athletes, regardless of which side they fall on.

"Once the first team doesn't go, it puts the onus on every other team in professional sports to make a decision, if you're political or not," Holtby said. "Our team is trying to take the most professional way we can. Give every player the right to choose, and stand by each one of us, regardless of what you decide."

The Washington Capitals are set to visit President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday to celebrate their 2018 Stanley Cup championship.

A team spokesperson confirmed the reigning NHL champions' expected visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on Tuesday, per Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post.

The Caps secured the franchise's first title by ending the Vegas Golden Knights' miraculous expansion-year run to the Stanley Cup Final in five games. It represented the last missing piece in the Hall of Fame resume of superstar sniper Alex Ovechkin.

Whether individual players will join their team at the White House has become a pressing question during a time of heightened political disputes. Most members of Washington's roster said they planned to attend in the aftermath of their Cup triumph last June, per Khurshudyan.

Winger Devante Smith-Pelly told Michael Traikos of the National Post he was likely going to skip the event because he disagreed with Trump's rhetoric.

"The things that he spews are straight-up racist and sexist," he said. "Some of the things he's said are pretty gross. I'm not too into politics, so I don't know all his other views, but his rhetoric I definitely don't agree with. It hasn't come up here, but I think I already have my mind made up."

Smith-Pelly is no longer an active member of the Capitals roster, though. He was sent to the minors after clearing waivers in February.

Caps forward Brett Connolly said in August he also wasn't planning to attend the White House gathering but noted the decision had "nothing to do with politics," per ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

The NFL's Philadelphia Eagles and NBA's Golden State Warriors have decided against a White House visit in recent years.

College football's Clemson Tigers became the focus of national headlines in January after Trump opted to serve them a variety of fast-food options during the government shutdown.

Meanwhile, members of MLB's Boston Red Sox are scheduled to meet with the President on May 9.

Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin informed the NHL on Wednesday he's going to skip the 2019 NHL All-Star Game in San Jose, California, on Jan. 26 to rest for the second half of the season.

Mike Vogel of Sportsnet reported the update. Chris Johnston of the NHL Network noted league policy mandates Ovechkin must sit out the Caps' game before or after the All-Star break as a result.

The 33-year-old future Hockey Hall of Fame inductee has played in all 38 of Washington's games during the 2018-19 campaign. He appeared in 106 contests last year, 82 during the regular season and 24 in the playoffs to help lead the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup.

In December, Ovechkin told Greg Wyshynski of ESPN.com that strong performances by the next generation of superstars, led by Connor McDavid, Patrik Laine and Auston Matthews, push him to remain in peak physical condition.

"I'm impressed, obviously," he said. "They do a very good job, all of those guys. That's why I have to be in shape. Those guys can catch you anytime."

Ovechkin will have either a nine- or 10-day break depending on whether he sits out the Jan. 23 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Feb. 1 clash with the Calgary Flames.

It's rare for an elite NHL player to get that much rest time during the middle of a season. Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby has often skipped the event, though he's cited injuries as the reason.

Ovechkin, who leads the league with 29 goals, and the Caps should both benefit from his decision to sit out the All-Star Game after seven prior appearances.

The NHL will have to replace him as the Metropolitan Division captain.