Washington Capitals

Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin is bringing the Stanley Cup to the World Cup.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), Ovie will accompany Lord Stanley's Cup to Moscow on Saturday for a fan fest prior to Russia's quarterfinal match against Croatia.

In an Instagram post, Ovechkin wrote, "Dear friends, I'll be happy to see everyone who wants to take a photo with the Stanley Cup."

The 32-year-old veteran has already made the most of his time with the Cup.

As seen in the following photo courtesy of NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic, Ovechkin attended a Washington Nationals game and held the Cup in the air:

Alex Ovechkin is in a suite down the line just randomly lifting the Stanley Cup and hyping up the crowd: pic.twitter.com/koqQuEoWEy

— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) June 9, 2018

He even partook in the age-old tradition of drinking from the Cup, per Dimitri Filipovic of Sportsnet:

Ovechkin winning the Cup is turning out to be everything I would’ve hoped and thought it would be and it’s the best pic.twitter.com/ESWVLkJqxF

— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) June 9, 2018

Ovechkin was arguably already the greatest Russian hockey player of all time before completing his incredible resume with a Stanley Cup win.

Now that he is a champion after years of playoff disappointment, he will have a golden opportunity to celebrate it with his countrymen and countrywomen at the World Cup.

The Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals have found their next head coach by promoting associate coach Todd Reirden. 

Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan announced Reirden's hiring in a statement released on Friday:

"We feel that the time is right for Todd to lead our hockey club. Based on his coaching experience, communication abilities, his approach to the game and the respect he commands in our locker room, we feel that Todd has earned this opportunity. Todd has played an integral part in helping lead our team to the Stanley Cup championship and we feel his appointment as head coach will enable our organization to transition seamlessly into next season and beyond."

Reirden has been with the Capitals since 2014. He served as an assistant coach during his first two seasons with the franchise and as an associate coach for the past two.

The team's statement noted Reirden was primarily responsible for coaching Washington's defensemen in his previous role. The Caps defense finished second in goals-against average (2.45) over the past four seasons.

Former head coach Barry Trotz, who joined the organization in May 2014, resigned on June 18. He led the franchise to its first Stanley Cup title with a 4-1 series win over the Vegas Golden Knights this past season.

Reirden's debut as head coach of the Capitals will come when they open the NHL regular season on Oct. 3 against the Boston Bruins.

Defenseman John Carlson and the Washington Capitals agreed to an eight-year extension that will average $8 million annually, the team announced Sunday.

General manager Brian MacLellan released a statement about the move:

"John has been an exceptional and consistent player for our franchise and has blossomed into being one of the top defensemen in the NHL. Defenseman like John are a rare commodity in our League and, at 28 years of age, we feel he is just entering his prime. As a right-handed defenseman, John plays in all key situations and has contributed greatly to our team's success on the special teams. We are pleased for both parties to have come to an agreement and for him to continue his great career as a Washington Capital."

According to Spotrac, Carlson's new contract makes him the second-highest-paid defenseman by average salary alongside Brent Burns. Only P.K. Subban ($9 million) has a bigger salary-cap hit.

The stars aligned for Carlson's payday.

He finished with a career-high 68 points (15 goals, 53 assists) in the regular season and helped the Capitals win their first Stanley Cup title. Carlson delivered in the postseason, scoring five goals and assisting on 15 more.

Considering how important he was to the Capitals, Carlson getting a new deal from Washington appeared to be the most likely conclusion this offseason. Sportsnet's John Shannon noted the Capitals' trade of Brooks Orpik and Philipp Grubauer to the Colorado Avalanche cleared the way for a big extension:

First glance at Grubauer/Orpik Trade is Caps clear up tons of Cap space to help team sign John Carlson. Orpik was a 5.5 mil hit. RFA Grubauer was at 1.5 mil.

— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) June 22, 2018

The deal now creates two questions, one of which applies to the league as a whole and the other more pertinent to the Capitals.

For one, it could set the free-agent market for the top defensemen. Drew Doughty and Erik Karlsson are two of the top players at the position entering the final years of their contracts in 2018-19:

John Carlson is a fine defender and a bunch of teams would have paid that. But Doughty’s agent could draw a gulf between Carlson’s resume and Doughty’s. This gon’ get good.

— Travis Yost (@travisyost) June 24, 2018

Then there's the matter of whether Carlson's contract hinders Washington's financial flexibility going forward. Andre Burakovsky and Jakub Vrana are restricted free agents in 2019, and Nicklas Backstrom and Braden Holtby are out of contract in 2020.

With their championship window open right now, meeting Carlson's demands makes sense. But it could mean sacrificing one or two key players in the future to ensure the team stays under the salary cap.

Barry Trotz is concluding his Washington Capitals coaching tenure on a high note, resigning from his post after helping lead the team to its first Stanley Cup victory.

The Capitals confirmed Trotz's decision Monday, and he provided a statement about the move, per CNN's Jill Martin:

"After careful consideration and consultation with my family, I am officially announcing my resignation as head coach of the Washington Capitals. When I came to Washington four years ago we had one goal in mind, and that was to bring the Stanley Cup to the nation's capital. We had an incredible run this season culminating with our players and staff achieving our goal and sharing the excitement with our fans. I would like to thank Mr. [Ted] Leonsis, Dick Patrick and Brian MacLellan for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this great organization. I would also like to thank our players and staff who worked tirelessly every day to achieve our success."

The Associated Press initially reported (via ESPN.com) that Trotz's contract with Washington expired at the end of the 2017-18 season. However, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported that wasn't the case and that the Capitals' title victory triggered a two-year extension:

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1008786044156764160

Barry Trotz had a clause in his contract where if he won the Stanley Cup he could accept a two-year extension with a $300k bump in salary. Obviously since he was only making $1.5M, low by today's NHL coach's standards, a $1.8-million salary doesn't cut it. So Trotz stepped down.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 18, 2018

Trotz's departure sparked plenty of reaction on social media, with plenty of criticism directed toward the Capitals:

Barry Trotz just won you a #StanleyCup. You do whatever you need to do to keep that man, @Capitals. Make him happy. End of story.

— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) June 18, 2018

GM Brian MacLellan will meet with the media at 6 p.m. and there should be at least some clarification then, but yeah, it's not the best look when you win a first Stanley Cup and can't retain the head coach. That's an obvious risk in not extending him before the season,

— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) June 18, 2018

You can now add Barry Trotz’s name to this list. Considering how few men are on it, his decision to step away from the Capitals is stunning. pic.twitter.com/7JLNMhGWSN

— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) June 18, 2018

Ted finally wins the Cup and a week later he's runoff another coach. Good for Barry Trotz.

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) June 18, 2018

Losing Trotz puts a damper on Washington's championship celebrations, and he leaves a massive void on the team's bench. With all the success the team enjoyed this year, finding a replacement may not be as easy as one would think.

Under Trotz's watch, the Capitals won 205 games in four seasons, which sets the bar high for his successor. In addition, ESPN.com's Greg Wyshynski outlined the difficult financial decisions Washington's front office will have to make in the near future. John Carlson and Jay Beagle are unrestricted free agents this offseason, while Andre Burakovsky and Jakub Vrana are headed for free agency in another year.

Trotz may have left at the perfect time. As the Capitals come to terms with the realities of the NHL's salary cap, they could begin experiencing the decline that generally befalls every team that contends over a period of years.

After several teams have ended up not visiting President Donald Trump to celebrate championships in their respective sports, a majority of Washington Capitals said Wednesday they would attend a ceremony at the White House, per Samantha Pell of the Washington Post.

Some are still pondering the choice, while Devante Smith-Pelly, who is black and Canadian, has stated he would not go.

Only six players on the Capitals roster are from the United States.

Smith-Pelly was especially vocal against Trump even before the Capitals clinched the Stanley Cup title with a Game 5 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. He scored the game-tying goal in the third period of the clinching game.

"The things that he spews are straight-up racist and sexist," he said of the United States president, per Michael Traikos of the National Post. "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."

However, it appears the majority of the Capitals would be willing to celebrate in the nation's capital.

"I know from past experiences it's a really cool experience," Brooks Orpik said of visiting the White House, referring to his 2009 trip with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

This practice has become politically charged in recent weeks, with Trump canceling the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles trip because of a lack of interest from the team. The Minnesota Lynx never received an invite after their WNBA victory, while the Golden State Warriors are not expected to be invited following a second straight NBA championship.

The Washington Capitals celebrated their Stanley Cup title with a parade through Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, and no player enjoyed himself more than Alex Ovechkin.

Here it is: Alexander Ovechkin hoisting the Stanley Cup at the Caps parade

(via @WashingtonPost) pic.twitter.com/BH9wx4qLum

— The Ringer (@ringer) June 12, 2018

🎶 "WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!" 🎶#ALLCAPS #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/dQjq1VUg9N

— Post Sports (@PostSports) June 12, 2018

Seriously, he was living his best life:

What's up babes pic.twitter.com/nba7PZWJ51

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 12, 2018

Ovi dancing #ALLCAPS #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/IGhcYUZ2Lh

— HockeyKot (@hockeykot) June 12, 2018

The crowd enjoyed Ovechkin, too, in all his "not safe for work" splendor (seriously, very NSFW—you've been warned):

Alexander Ovechkin is a treasure#CapitalsParade pic.twitter.com/XzOi4RBwZf

— The Ringer (@ringer) June 12, 2018

"You thought it was gonna be crazy, but it's basically nuts," Ovechkin told the crowd, per the Washington Post. "You guys [are] killing it."

Who could blame Ovechkin for letting it all hang out? In a career that will end with a berth in the Hall of Fame, the only thing missing from his resume before this season was a Stanley Cup title. Now he's checked off that final box, and he's been celebrating ever since.

Live it up, Ovi—you earned it.

Of course, the rest of Capitals were having an amazing time, too. There was a lot of beer.

Like, a lot:

Oshie: "Sorry about my voice. We've been partying in the streets for a couple days"

Via @smithpelly on Instagram #ALLCAPS #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/XhueUKMFHC

— Post Sports (@PostSports) June 12, 2018

The downunder chug pic.twitter.com/orIzOhWxFo

— Post Sports (@PostSports) June 12, 2018

"The elder statesman" pic.twitter.com/54Mis4zKCE

— Post Sports (@PostSports) June 12, 2018

Cheers, Niskanen pic.twitter.com/G8Z8EfQg1y

— Post Sports (@PostSports) June 12, 2018

Throughout the parade route, Brooks Orpik tossed beers into the crowd, while Evgeny Kuznetsov carried around a case of Bud Light, according to Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post.

"Finally, we started playing hockey like we party," Nicklas Backstrom said, per Isabelle Khurshudyan‏ of the Washington Post.

An enormous crowd in Washington joined the celebration:

Because it’s the Cup. #ALLCAPS #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/jJrIaU3kdT

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 12, 2018

Quite a day. pic.twitter.com/Omc8cS0KDI

— Barry Svrluga (@barrysvrluga) June 12, 2018

Whoa!

📷 @nbcwashingtonpic.twitter.com/SzLA0OIbI6

— Post Sports (@PostSports) June 12, 2018

Owner Ted Leonsis said the Capitals "put the unity in the community. We all agree on one thing: We have the greatest fans in the world, and now we have the greatest hockey team in the world. Now we have something that united us: a Stanley Cup championship."

Head coach Barry Trotz, looking around at the monuments in the city, referenced the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech:

"We had a dream. And we did it."

Indeed they did. Washington will never forget the party that followed.

It took Alexander Ovechkin 14 years from the time he went No. 1 overall in the NHL draft to hoist the Stanley Cup.

Now the Washington Capitals captain is living his best life. 

Ovechkin has spent the past few days doing a variety of things with the Cup. On Monday night, he and Capitals goalie Braden Holtby stopped by The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon—and did some drinking from the trophy:

Something tells us Ovechkin is only just getting started.

It took Alexander Ovechkin 13 years to win a Stanley Cup, and he is taking full advantage of the victory tour. How has the Capitals superstar celebrated his first Cup win? Watch above to see the highlights of Ovie's best week ever. 

         

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The Washington Capitals were able to celebrate their first-ever Stanley Cup championship in Las Vegas after a road victory in Game 5 on Thursday, but now, it's time for the team to celebrate with its fans back home in the nation's capital.

According to Katherine Fominykh of the Baltimore Sun, the parade will take place Tuesday beginning at 11 a.m. ET.

She added that the parade will start at Constitution Avenue and 17th Street NW before moving to 7th Street NW and ending at the National Mall.

This is a moment that was 44 years in the making. Before this season, the Capitals had made it to just one Stanley Cup Final in franchise history. Now, they will finally get to raise a banner to the Capital One Arena rafters.

It was quite a roller coaster of a postseason for Washington. The Capitals fell behind 0-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round with Philipp Grubauer starting in net. It was during Game 2 that Barry Trotz opted to turn to Braden Holtby, a move that turned out to be critical. The team wound up rattling off four straight victories against the Blue Jackets to advance to the second round.

After having been knocked out by Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in each of the past two postseasons, Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals finally got past their archrivals in a six-game series. 

Washington jumped out to a 2-0 series lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final before dropping the next three contests. Facing elimination, Holtby posted back-to-back shutouts to lead the team to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1998.

The Capitals lost Game 1 to the expansion Vegas Golden Knights but went on to rattle off four straight victories to claim their first Cup. Washington entered the third period of Game 5 trailing by one goal, but it got an equalizer midway through the period and Lars Eller followed up moments later with the Cup-clinching score.

WE DID IT BOYS!! #ALLCAPS #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/w8Qo8enlBp

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 8, 2018

https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/1004951758169255936

It took Ovechkin 13 seasons to deliver a championship, but the 2004 No. 1 overall pick finally cemented his legacy with a ring (and a Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP).

Bringing home some hardware. #ALLCAPS #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/zi9SLMtoRQ

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 8, 2018

This is a city that has waited a long time to celebrate a championship in the four major sports. Washington's last major title came in Super Bowl XXVI back in 1992. The Wizards franchise's last championship came in 1978 when they were the Bullets. The Nationals have yet to win the World Series.

The partying started on Thursday night after Game 5, but now, in Washington, D.C., will be able to officially celebrate with the Cup.

Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis is expecting a massive celebration following the first Stanley Cup win in franchise history.

After the Caps beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night to end the series, Leonsis said the following, according to ESPN.com's Greg Wyshynski: 

"I think it's going to be much bigger than everyone is expecting. We want to be able to say thank you to people in Virginia and Maryland and Washington, D.C. My goal is to create something that elevates and unites all of the people in our community, so people think happy thoughts about Washington, D.C."

Washington has been a championship-starved area, as no major professional sports team had won a title since the Washington Redskins in 1992 until Thursday.

Leonsis made it clear that he fully intends to thank the fans for the support they showed during Washington's long-awaited Stanley Cup run, as well as the players for getting the team to the top of the hockey world:

"To be honest, the next couple of weeks are going to be all about the fans, all about the city, all about the players. The amount of respect that the Stanley Cup has ... there's nothing like it in any other sport. We have a lot of work to do. We'll try to make it very, very family oriented. To make sure it's not just the players, but it's the mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters."

Prior to this season, the Capitals hadn't advanced past the second round of the playoffs since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 1997-98.

On the strength of 15 goals and 12 assists by Conn Smythe Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin, however, Washington finally managed to slay its postseason demons.

The Caps have yet to announce an official date or location for their parade, but Wyshynski listed the area surrounding Capital One Arena, RFK Stadium and the National Mall as possibilities.