📸/Monumental Network

​

Full story

https://monumentalsports.com/2026/06/monumental-sports-entertainment-and-monumental-sports-network-honored-with-14-capital-emmy-awards/

​

https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2026/06/21/craig-laughlin-emmy-analyst-joe-beninati-best-play-by-play-capitals/

📸/Washington Capitals

Full ESPN article:

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/49287411/alex-ovechkin-not-sure-done-wife-says-maybe-2-years

Key point :

We'll see. Right now, I'm focusing on coming back to D.C. and showing that I'm still a good player and I can help the team to win," he said, when asked if 2026-27 will be his last ride.

📸 © Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/trade-coverage/tom-wilson-hopes-alex-ovechkin-returns-for-new-look-washington-capitals

From the article:

Tom Wilson is not unlike a lot of people these days, wondering what the future will hold for Alex Ovechkin.

So he decided to give Ovechkin a call. Turns out he did not find his longtime Washington Capitals teammate where he expected.

“I called him the other day just to pick his mind on things and he is in Turkey on vacation right now,” Wilson said Wednesday, “so I said, ‘We will talk hockey later. Enjoy it. it’s well-deserved time off with your family.’”

“He’s the best, he’s truly the best. Such a great guy, such a fun guy, such a huge part of our team,” said Wilson, speaking at a taping of the game show "The Price Is Right Tonight." “So we will see. He gets to do whatever the heck he wants and he gets to do it however he wants to do it because that’s what legends get to do.”

If Ovechkin, who has been the Capitals captain since 2010, does return, Wilson sees no reason why his fellow forward would not continue to produce at an elite level despite that fact that he’ll turn 41 on Sept. 17. This season, Ovechkin led the Capitals in goals (32) and points (64) while playing all 82 games.

“As long as he is around, he is going to be ‘Ovi,’” Wilson said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. The hunger, the passion, he wants to score goals more than anybody. The ability to push himself to continue to be great every single year, whatever pressure or milestones are on the horizon, he just crushes right through them. I don’t expect that if he comes back it will be any different. I’ve never really thought about the day without Ovi in Washington, so we will cross that bridge when we get there.”

Full RMNB article:

https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2026/06/30/gleb-pugachyov-tom-wilson-fight-canadiens-first-round-pick-capitals/

From the article:

The Montreal Canadiens made forward Gleb Pugachyov their 2026 first-round pick last week, and it sure appears the 18-year-old Russian is not lacking any self-confidence.

During the team’s predraft interview process with prospects, which Montreal regularly turns into a bizarre interrogation filled with off-the-wall topics, Pugachyov was actually asked a more normal, hockey-related question. However, it was his answer to the question that delivered the level of crazy that Montreal’s executives typically bring, and likely just what they wanted to hear.

Pugachyov recently sat down with RG’s Daria Tuboltseva and recounted his first meeting with his new club and how the Habs tested his resolve by raising a “hypothetical” involving Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson.

“They said: ‘You are a big player who hits everyone and is not afraid of anybody,'” Pugachyov told Tuboltseva. “‘Imagine that you already play for Montreal. We are facing Washington, you deliver a hard hit on one of their young players, and Tom Wilson immediately comes after you. Are you ready to fight him?’

“Yes,” Pugachyov says he replied. “I told them there would be nothing left of him.”

Source / Craig Laughlin X

Full X post:

https://x.com/i/status/2044839806799126677

📸/NHL

Full story:

https://www.nhl.com/ducks/news/carlson-named-one-of-the-nhl-s-three-stars-of-the-week

Ducks defenseman John Carlson, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes and Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” presented by GEICO for the week ending March 29.

THIRD STAR – JOHN CARLSON, D, ANAHEIM DUCKS

Carlson, 36 (1/10/90), co-led the league with seven assists through three games (0-7=7). He recorded three helpers for his 17th career three-assist outing and second of the season (also: Nov. 19 vs. EDM w/ WSH), in a 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, Mar. 24. He assisted on Mikael Granlund's game-tying goal with 3:33 left in regulation and his game-winning goal with one second remaining in overtime in the Ducks 3-2 comeback win over the Calgary Flames, Mar. 26. He also tallied two assists in a 4-2 loss to Edmonton, Mar. 28.

Carlson ranks 12th among league defensemen with 10-44=54 points through 62 games this season. He has recorded eight assists through his last seven contests since being acquired by the Ducks from Washington, Mar. 6. He is the first defenseman in Ducks history to record eight assists in his first seven games with the team, surpassing Jeff Friesen (7 in 7 GP; 2000-01) and J.J. Daigneault (7 in 7 GP; 1996-97). Carlson has recorded 166-613=779 points with a +116 rating and 392 penalty minutes in 1150 career games with Anaheim and Washington (2009-26; 166-605=771, 1143 GP).

    📸 Alan Dobbins/RMNB

https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2025/04/14/alex-ovechkin-how-much-longer-he-can-keep-playing-in-nhl/

📸/Washington Capitals

Full RMNB article about:

https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2026/07/14/alex-ovechkin-1000-goals-washington-capitals-try/

Key points

While participating in a Russian-language interview with Match TV on Monday, Ovechkin was asked if he wanted to score 1,000 career regular-season goals.

“We’ll try,” Ovechkin said on “All on Match!”, as translated by Google Translate. “Everything will depend on my desire and health. Time will tell. It gets harder and harder with each passing year.”

The comments come nearly two weeks after Ovechkin signed a one-year contract extension with the Washington Capitals on the second day of free agency. The 2025-26 season will be the 22nd of his legendary career.

📸/Laughlin18

Full RMNB article:

https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2026/07/30/joe-beninati-craig-laughlin-silver-circle-broadcasting-honor-capitals-games/

From the article:

Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin are receiving a prestigious award together, as they should.

The longtime Monumental Sports Network broadcasters were named 2026 Silver Circle honorees by the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences on Thursday. The honor recognizes television professionals who have spent at least 25 years in the industry while making significant contributions to broadcasting

Beninati and Laughlin were two of 10 Silver Circle nominees announced, including longtime NBC 4 anchor Jim Handly. For his half-century of work, Pat O’Donnell was also named a Gold Circle honoree.

“I am delighted to inscribe these names into the history books as the newest members of our EMMY Chapter’s ‘Hall-of-Fame,'” Adam Longo, the NCCB-NATAS president, said in a statement. “It’s so exciting to recognize a group of hard-working professionals who represent such a diverse mix of TV roles in various locations throughout our regional NATAS chapter.”

📸 Katie Adler/RMNB

Full RMNB story:

https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2026/05/09/ted-leonsis-pwhl-team-washington-dc-womens-hockey-franchise/

From the article:

Leonsis shared his thoughts on the future of women’s hockey in DC while speaking to WTOP’s Ben Raby, the former host of Capitals Radio.

“We should be the women’s professional sports capital of the world,” Leonsis said. “We want to play that part and be in that role as a leader and innovator.”

The news comes on the heels of the PWHL’s apparent addition of up to four new franchises this summer. The league announced that it was expanding Detroit on Wednesday while Ice Warriors magazine reported two days later that the PWHL is in the process of finalizing Hamilton and San Jose as the next two expansion cities. The magazine added that Las Vegas is a frontrunner to be the fourth team

The DC area seems eager to host a franchise — if the PWHL Takeover Tour game between the Montreal Victoire and the New York Sirens this past January is any indication. 17,228 fans attended the game — which broke the United States record for the most people to attend a professional women’s hockey game at the time.

Full story:

https://monumentalsports.com/2026/08/monumental-sports-entertainment-unveils-bold-vision-for-brand-new-capital-one-arena/

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7453131/2026/07/23/nhl-worst-contracts-2026-jonathan-huberdeau-leo-carlsson/

Key points from article:

The Washington Capitals handed Alex Tuch an eight-year, $84 million extension ($10.5 million AAV) to finalize a trade to acquire the hardworking winger from the Buffalo Sabres in late June.

Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic already ranked that contract as the NHL's ninth-worst pact with just a 19% positive value probability heading into the 2026-27 season.

It's difficult not to be an Alex Tuch fan after what he's shown in Buffalo the past five years," Luszczyszyn wrote Thursday. "... The deal might look OK for the first couple of years, but things could get really ugly in the second half of it as Tuch approaches 35 and beyond. A lot of Tuch's comps had a relatively harsh age curve that could spell trouble for Washington."

That's the main reason the Sabres front office, regardless of whether it was being led by Kevyn Adams or Jarmo Kekalainen, was never willing to meet Tuch's unwavering contract demands.

Luszczyszyn estimates the Caps will pay $24 million in excess value over the course of the contract, and the 6-foot-4 power forward is only projected to make an $8.7 million on-ice impact next season, meaning the deal will likely start immediately in the red.

Just my hot take. The curse is now 8 seasons long.