Another Bear Joins the Capitals' Den...

Bob Woods of Hershey Bears

The well-trodden path from Hershey, Pa. to Washington, D.C. just saw another huge imprint of "bear tracks" as the Capitals just announced the hiring of Bears' coach Bob Woods as new assistant bench boss for the big club.

From the team press release:

Capitals Hire Bob Woods as Assistant Coach

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have hired Bob Woods from the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Hershey Bears as an assistant coach, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today.

Woods, 41, served as Hershey’s head coach last season and guided the Bears to a Calder Cup championship in six games against the Manitoba Moose. He was an assistant coach with the Bears and helped current Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau lead the Bears to a Calder Cup title in 2006. Woods was appointed head coach of the Bears when Boudreau was hired by the Capitals on Nov. 22, 2007.

The Leroy, Saskatchewan, native compiled an 83-47-15 (W-L-OT) record in 145 regular season games with Hershey and was 17-10 in 27 Calder Cup playoff games. Prior to joining Hershey as an assistant coach for the 2005-06 season, Woods was the head coach of the ECHL’s Mississippi Sea Wolves from 2001-05 and compiled a 169-94-25 (W-L-T) regular-season record.

Woods was selected in the 10th round, 201st overall in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils. He played 13 seasons of professional hockey, including 10 in the ECHL and was a player/assistant coach with Mississippi from 1998-2001. He was a member of the 1999 Kelly Cup championship team that was coached by Boudreau. The 1998-99 season was the only year that Woods and Boudreau spent together in Mississippi.

He retired from competitive play after the 2001 season and at that time was the ECHL’s all-time leader in games played with 559 (record has since been broken). He also set an ECHL record on March 14, 1998, as a member of the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks when he fired 17 shots on goal against the Louisiana IceGators. Woods was named second team defenseman on the ECHL’s 15th anniversary team in 2003 and was also named second team defenseman on the Hockey News’ 50th anniversary All-ECHL team in 1997. He scored 176 points in 209 games with Mississippi and the Sea Wolves retired his number in October 2002.

Woods also played for Hampton Roads, Johnstown and Mobile in the ECHL and for Hershey, Portland and Utica in the AHL. He won the 1997 Calder Cup with Hershey, making him involved in the organization’s last three Calder Cups. He is the only player in Hershey’s 71-year history to win a Calder Cup as a player, assistant coach and head coach.


Caps' GM George McPhee has a media conference call scheduled for later today to discuss this hiring along with this weekend's upcoming draft.

Green and Ovie Named to NHL First All-Star Team

The accolades continue for the sizzling hot Capitals as both Alexander Ovechkin and Mike Green were named to the NHL's First All-Star Team, as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. Ovie has been named to the first team in each of his four years in the league. He joins former Montreal goaltender Bill Durnan as the only two players in NHL history to earn first team status in each of their first four seasons.

Ovie and Green’s appearance on the NHL First All-Star Team marked the first time the Capitals have had two players on the first team. Both players were selected by the Capitals in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Congrats to both and HM is hoping the Great Eight will be given another key to the city of Washington to celebrate his second Hart trophy in hopes that he waives the speed limit for another week (oh wait, we're in D.C. - these folks make up their own speed limits regardless).

Congrats to both Ovie and Mike along with the their other first team All-Star mates: goaltender Tim Thomas (Boston), defenseman Zdeno Chara (Boston), center Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh) and right wing Jarome Iginla (Calgary).

It's a Major Award!

So tonight marks the NHL Awards Ceremony, which saw the one and only Chaka Khan open the show rocking the red hair streaks (along with a few stellar examples of "What Not to Wear"). There weren't many major surprises as far as award winners, but HM kind of liked the way they did it last year with youth players from across North America flanking the nominees. Yeah, I know - you don't want to have the young 'uns romping around Vegas -maybe next year.

It was definitely a good night for Boston Bruins fans, with Zdeno Chara winning the Norris for best defenseman, a choked-up Tim Thomas snagging the Vezina for best goaltender (HM was getting verklemped right there with him), and coach Claude Julien winning the Jack Adams award. A huge Hockey Mom high-five to Big Z and Pavel Datsyuk for the message they sent to youth hockey players to work hard and never give up!

Blue Jackets' goalie Steve Mason (who looks to be the same age as my boys) won the Calder award for his unbelievable rookie season and HM fave Jarome Iginla won the Mark Messier leadership award.

Our own Alex Ovechkin took home his second Lester B. Pearson award as voted on by his fellow players and was a class act, congratulating the rival Penguins on their Stanley Cup win. Ovie also drew some laughs from the star-studded crowd when he commented on Geno Malkin's English being better than Pavel Datsyuk's (who won the Selke Award for forward with best defensive prowess and his second consecutive Lady Byng for good manners and gentlemanly behavior on the ice).

AO also thanked the Caps' equipment manager Brock Myles as he accepted the Rocket Richard award for the second year in a row. As you would expect, the Great 8 goes through a lot of sticks in a season!

The highlight of the evening was Alex Ovechkin collecting his second Hart Trophy in as many years for MVP, beating out Evgeni Malkin and Pavel Datsyuk! In addition to recognizing the other nominees, Ovie thanked all of the fabulous Caps fans out there! As HM predicted, there will be some major bling on display at Kettler Capitals' Iceplex this season.

So hope you all will join me in a toast to all of tonight's winners and a special clink of the glass to Alex Ovechkin!

Speaking of major awards, congrats to all of HockeyBarn's 2009 New Media Award winners (which include yours truly - thanks so much to all of the judges for such an honor!):

• Unsung Hero Award - Chris Botta of NYI Point Blank


• Leadership Award - Dobber Hockey


• Rookie Writer of the Year - Don of Litter Box Cats


• Writer of the Year - Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy

I'm hoping that my "major award" leg lamp clad in some sleek Bauer Vapor skates gets here soon - those boys better not break it playing house hockey either!

Summer Signing Season: Laing Gets New Contract

The Washington Capitals have made their first off-season signing, inking a one-year deal with Hockey Mom fave Quintin Laing. The tenacious Laing, he of little teeth and huge "moxie", only played in one game last year for the Caps and suffered a torn spleen after blocking a shot (his specialty, thus the many missing pearly whites).

From the team's press release:

ARLINGTON, VA. – The Washington Capitals have re-signed left wing Quintin Laing to a one-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Laing, 30, played one game for Washington last season. He was recalled by the Caps from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League on March 19 and played the entire game (10:19) at Tampa Bay despite suffering a torn spleen on his second shift in the first period. Laing ended the game with a +1 rating.

The 6’2”, 210-pound native of Rosetown, Saskatchewan, spent most of the season with the Calder Cup champion Bears. He tallied 25 points (9g-16a) in 55 regular-season games before his recall. Laing missed more than two months with his spleen injury, but he returned to the Bears during the Calder Cup playoffs and had two goals and two assists in nine games.

Laing was drafted by Detroit in the fourth round of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, 102nd overall. He has played in 43 career NHL games (40 with Washington and three with Chicago) and has one goal and six assists. He was signed by Washington as a free agent on July 18, 2006.


Quintin Laing

Left Wing

Ht.: 6’2” Wt.: 210
Shoots: Left

Born: June 8, 1979 (Rosetown, Saskatchewan)
Drafted: Detroit’s fourth-round choice, 102nd overall, in the 1997 Entry Draft
Acquired: Signed as a free agent, July 18, 2006

Congrats Quintin and look forward to seeing you at Kettler when camp rolls around!

Countdown to Vegas

Now that Lord Stanley's Cup has been awarded to the Pittsburgh Penguins and they all went 'dawntawn' for the parade n'at, next up is the NHL Awards which will be broadcast on VERSUS this Thursday. Puck Daddy and JP of Japer's Rink are throwing a viewing bash in Arlington - a good time should be had by all, especially if our boys bring home more NHL Award bling!

Of course Alex Ovechkin will be awarded the Rocket Richard trophy for the second year in a row and he is also nominated for the Hart Trophy and Lester B. Pearson, as voted on by his peers in the NHL. Should Ovie win the Hart, it will be presented by fellow Capital(but for how long?) and countryman, future Hall of Famer Sergei Fedorov. Ovie made quite the splash this season, accumulating the following honors: He has been named the best player in the NHL in a vote of his NHL peers (the Sporting News Player of the Year), a vote of NHL journalists (USA Today panel), The Hockey News and by Hockey Mom fave Phil Esposito (the NHL Home Ice Espo Award).

And we can't forget Mike Green, who is up for his first Norris Trophy nomination. Best of luck to you both and HM can't wait to see the after party photos - should be quite the soiree!

Hershey Bears win Calder Cup!

Kudos to the Hershey Bears upon winning their 10th AHL Calder Cup with a 4-1 mauling of the Manitoba Moose. A special shout out to goalie Michal Neuvirth for earning the title of series MVP - Caps fans hope we'll being seeing some of you guys drop by for spell next season. In the meantime, savor your record-breaking Cup win and enjoy the brief off-season!

Game 7 – Penguins Win the Cup in 2-1 Win over Detroit

Game 7 – the one all youth players, beer leaguers and the NHL’s finest all dream of at some point in their hockey careers. It doesn’t get any better than this – at the end of three periods, one team will experience the indescribable ecstasy of hoisting the coveted Stanley Cup and the other the crushing defeat of coming so close and falling short. And here we are…

Note to NBC: Please don’t let Pierre McGuire and Mike Milbury do the cheesy pretend coach pep talk from each dressing room before the game starts…um, ever.

The first period was a battle for both teams and both clubs went into the locker room scoreless.

The Penguins got on the board first with a biscuit that bounced off of Geno’s skate right to Maxime Talbot’s stick – how’s that for some good karma? The resulting goal went five-hole on Wings’ net minder Chris Osgood. The Pens’ second goal was also courtesy of Max Talbot and a result of yet another flub from Wings’ d-man Brad Stuart. In the middle of the second period, Sidney Crosby was in a Mack truck of a collision with Johan Franzen and left in obvious pain for the locker room.

In their captain’s absence, the Pens stepped it up and saw great efforts by Jordan Staal, Chris Kunitz, Hall Gill, Geno and the rest of the supporting cast. Hockey Mom was right behind a sharp-dressed Jordan Staal in the halls of the Phone Booth after a Caps/Pens playoff game – two words: big dude. I’d love to see all of those brothers play a spirited game of pickup during the off-season in Thunder Bay, Ontario but I digress. Back to the game! Meanwhile, Marc-Andre Fleury had his best game of this series, stopping 23 shots.

The third period saw the return of Sid (albeit a very shaky one) as well as an early Detroit power play. Crosby was on for a brief shift and then went back to the bench in obvious discomfort. The defending champs finally got on the board after peppering Fleury’s goal for what seemed an eternity until the tally from Jonathan Ericsson lit the lamp to tighten the score 2-1. The last three minutes were action-packed as the Wings battled to stay in it and thought they had a tying goal near the two-minute mark but Kronwall’s shot pinged off the post. Ozzie evacuated the net for the extra skater at about 1 minute and change.

And much to Marian Hossa’s dismay, the Pittsburgh Penguins are the 2009 Stanley Cup Champions, overcoming a mid-season slump and a transition with a new coach in former AHLer, Dan Bylsma. And congrats to Geno Malkin for earning the Conn Smythe award for his contributions to this hard-fought victory.

HM had to choke back a few coughs and gags watching Sidney Crosby skate the Cup but alas, his team truly earned it. Their victorious Cup run teaches a valuable lesson to pros and house players alike, in that it’s anybody’s game til it’s OVER. Congrats to the Penguins and their fans (except for those in my family who are playoff fans only) – and to Dan Bylsma for leading his team to the pinnacle of hockey in such a short period.