Matt Stephen
Matt Stephen is a writer, not a fighter. He is both a beer and fantasy league veteran and has written about hockey online and in print for The Hockey News. He now covers the spectrum from the White House to Mike Green. He carries a picture of Ovechkin in his wallet.
Author's Posts
The Origins of the Modern Rink
July 23rd, 2012 They are everywhere. Nine dots, five circles, two trapezoids, six lines, 200 feet long, 85 feet wide, and at each corner have a radius of 28 feet. Not to be too specific, but of course, I’m talking about the modern hockey rink. But, how did we settle on the standard dimensions? Unlike baseball where every stadium is incredibly...
Washington Capitals Leave Stingrays to Partner With Reading Royals
July 10th, 2012 The eight-year marriage between the Washington Capitals/Hershey Bears and the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays has come to an end. The Bears and Capitals are cutting ties with their affiliate and are going a new route with the Reading Royals next season. The Stingrays have groomed current Caps’ goaltenders Michal Neuvirth and Braden...
Kovalchuk is What Ovechkin Needs To Be
May 31st, 2012 Alexander Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk have something in common. They are both left wingers from Russia who were drafted first overall and signed to over decade-long contracts. Strangely enough they are even the exact same height (6’3’’) and weight (230 lbs.). These two also play a similar style by scoring barrels of goals every...
Hockey Handshake Etiquette: Then and Now
May 27th, 2012 When you really look at it, the NHL is its own little weird universe. The playoffs have enough customs and traditions to make up a whole new cultural experience in North America. In what other sport do you make a vow to discontinue grooming your facial hair in the name of the team? Then there’s the tradition of not touching the spooky...
The Week in Washington: A ReCap
May 24th, 2012 The Capitals and Bears Renew Vows To the uninitiated the Hershey Bears may sound like some sort of chocolate-candy confection, but the Bears are (and will continue to be) the Washington Capitals' AHL affiliate. On Wednesday the Bears announced they are renewing their contract with the Capitals remaining as the Caps' AHL affiliate for...
Alex Semin’s time in Washington and the reason he will be back
May 22nd, 2012 July 1st is creeping closer and everyone is wondering where Alex Semin’s heart lies. It’s hard to read Semin, who struggles with the English language and has never been a media-friendly player. What we have heard from his camp has come through his agent Mark Gandler, who told ESPN The Magazine, “Alex doesn’t fit into the system,...