#washington-capitals

#washington-capitals

Over parts of nine seasons in the NHL, Konopka played 346 games for seven teams. He is the most recent player in league history to record more than 300 penalty minutes in a season, doing so in 2010-11 while with the New York Islanders. Konopka also played a total of 303 games in the AHL and was recently named part of the Syracuse Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2025 for his contributions to the Syracuse Crunch.

"Honestly, I think it started like last year," Cristall said. "I think Willy just like, I had some good flow going last year and Willy called me that one time and kind of stuck on with him."

Sportico, a leading resource for sports business news, presented its 2025 valuations of every team in the NHL on Wednesday, and the Caps are ranked ninth out of the 32 clubs. While that ranking may not sound impressive, the valuation certainly is. Sportico estimates the Capitals crossed the $2 billion mark for the first time and are worth $2.3 billion. The franchise's valuation has increased by 24 percent from the $1.86 billion valuation it received at the same time last year.

"aliaksei is smiling,"

David Gucciardi got on the board first, lifting a wrister through traffic from the blueline. Andrew Cristall doubled the team's lead with another power-play tally, sifting a puck through Jet Greaves. Boone Jenner banked a power-play goal off Thompson to get Columbus back in the game. Ilya Protas put the Capitals back up two, but Zach Werenski notched a quick response goal just 46 seconds later.

Just to be a part of it and to be in the celebration and the aftermath of it and basically getting to celebrate twice because when he tied the record on Thursday... [We were] partying for two days and then Sunday in New York. I don't think anyone remembers the score of that game, we just remember the fun that we had.

Thursday night's win was a special one for so many people in the organization with roots in Hershey, including many on the coaching staff and more than half the lineup. [WaPo] It was also pretty special for Tricia and Chris Strome, who got to see their boys play together for the first time - special enough that a recent knee surgery wasn't holding Papa Strome back. [NHL] Local hockey fans were thrilled to see the Caps take the ice in Hershey for the first time in almost two decades, with more than 10,000 in attendance on Thursday. [Fox43]

Smallman, 29, was re-signed to a two-year contract extension by the Capitals in April after playing his first season in Hershey. The 2024-25 campaign was a career-best for Smallman, as he recorded 34 points (10g, 24a) in 62 games for the Bears. The Prince Edward Island native was selected in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes and has previously played in the Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche organizations.

(Dubois) likes to cook, but he's trying to get me out of there, so he's trying to teach me to learn to cook. Last night he brought some food home from here for him and (his wife) Maddie, and I actually had to go to the grocery store last night and cook for myself. So that was a fun scene. (I made) ground turkey, peppers, and rice. Simple, threw some garlic on it and salt, pepper, and put it on a plate and ate it.

Bay Area Sports' Curtis Pashelka posted photos to X ahead of the team's preseason opener against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, noting how the team consolidated its division titles into a single banner. The Presidents' Trophy banner in question hangs directly to the right of the one displaying the team's division championships. Not sure how long it's been like this, but the Sharks replaced some of their division championship banners with one that lists all of them.

"There's no one that wants it more than [Lapierre] and he's so determined and so focused,"

"Yeah, happy for him," Ovechkin told RMNB's Katie Adler. "You know, wish him all the best. Obviously, we all miss him here, but you know, he's back on the ice, and I hope he's going to do well."

I just want to win games,