RED ALERT: Ovechkin causing waves with NHL

Leave it to Alex Ovechkin.  Ovechkin is already looking ahead to the 2014 Olympics and making waves regarding the NHL’s participation.  Ovie has fired the first volly at the NHL and the Owners regarding Olympic play. 

Currently, Bettman and the NHL might have other pressing issues to deal
with — Phoenix and the next CBA — but the 2014 Olympic in Sochi and
the NHL’s participation may become a topic that will be force a
reaction and solution should support be drummed up surrounding
Ovechkin’s threat.

Read more from the AP. 

The Washington Capitals will have all 82 games televised.  Comcast Sports Net will televise 75 of them.  And the Caps announce team returns. 

Joe Beninati and former Capital Craig Laughlin return to provide play-by-play and color commentary, respectively, on the local broadcasts, with Al Koken reporting rinkside. Lisa Hillary will also join the broadcast as a reporter.

Great news.  I really enjoy the play by play of Beninati and Laughlin.  They compliment each other well and provide great Caps analysis.  And Kokin is Kokin, awesome.  Too bad Dan Snyder doesn’t realize it.  Then again, it is Dan Snyder.   By the way, just got my first Direct TV bill with my first NHL Center Ice installment.  Lots of hockey in my house this year, lots of it!

New England Hockey Journal’s Kirk Luedeke writes on Caps first rounder in 2008 John Carlson.  Good read. 

Speaking of Alex, he is yearning for a Stanley Cup apperance.  Yeah, I can see that.  I am too.   

Dan Steinberg chatted it up and had some Caps related material. 

Been a ton of debate and discussion surrounding the Bruce Boudreau
decision to start Jose Theodore in goal and make Semyon Varlamov work
hard to earn it.  It is a highly debatable topic.  BUT, Caps fans
should not forget the other goalie prospect, you know, the one that led
the Hershey Bears to the Calder Cup title. — Michal Neuvirth.  The Times writes on Neuvirth trying to find his stride in the Caps organization. 

“Michal inwardly is a very confident man about his abilities, and
rightfully so,” Boudreau said. “Michal doing what he did last year in
the American [Hockey] League playoffs, I believe he’s coming in here
with the mindset to challenge those other two guys for the job. Whether
it happens or it doesn’t happen is neither here nor there, but on this
date he’s coming in with that mindset.”

One thing is certain – Neuvirth isn’t likely to spend time with more
than two teams this season, which means he probably will be able to
look forward to doing some apartment shopping again in a few weeks.
Whether that’s in Northern Virginia or central Pennsylvania remains to
be determined.

“My goal is to play in the NHL,” Neuvirth said. “You never know
if it is going to happen. Last year I started in South Carolina but
still got to play five games in the NHL and I won a Calder Cup. I’m
just going day by day, and we’ll see what happens.

The Caps were hoping it would come to this when they landed both
Varlamov and Neuvirth in the first (Varly) and second (Neuvirth) rounds
of the 2006 NHL Amatuer draft.  The Caps expected this to come to
fruition next year, but the prospects are one year ahead of the
forethought, because of struggles last season with Jose Theodore in the
playoffs and injuries to backup goalie Brent Johnson. 

Speaking of goalies in DC, The Hockey News lists the Varlamov/Theodore battle as the top battle in the NHL for training camps and preseason.  

Whoever wins this battle of the netminders will have a great team to
play behind and should approach 40 wins. As in Anaheim, you have to
give the more expensive Theodore the upper hand to begin, but Varlamov
showed talent and mettle in the playoffs. Theodore also has
traditionally not done well under pressure and a summer of personal
tragedy will surely add another distraction. The safe money is on
Theodore to begin the year as the starter and for Varlamov to finish
it. But we’d put everything on Varlamov.

On a side note, i like the battle in Calgary too between Dion
Phanuef and newly acquired Jay Bouwmeester.  No, they are not battling
for starting spots, but they will likely battle to see who is the top
defensement in Calgarym, a city that lives, breathes, and eats hockey. 

Coach Boudreau singled out third round pick Cody Eakin as a prospect that surprised the Caps in rookie camp. 

Yesterday, Bruce Boudreau dubbed 2009 third-round draft pick Cody Eakin
as one of the early surprises in rookie camp. The two-way forward has
looked at ease in the workouts so far at this week at KCI, showcasing
his natural skating ability and working to be the next young player to
make a splash with the Caps

Some minor league news —

Quintin Laing and new AHL scoring record holder Alexandre Giroux are ready to compete for roster spots in Washington.  Going to be an uphill climb for both because there really are not many spots open.    

South Carolina Stingrays signed F Spencer Carbery. 

Some NHL News —  

Reports are that Dany Heatley has finally been dealt. 
Heatley is dealt to San Jose in a three way deal that send Patrick
Marleua to the LA Kings and the Kings send Jarrett Stoll and Alexander
Frolov to Ottawa. OR WAS HE?  The deal, as of 9:36AM, was being denied. 

Verteran Mike Comrie has signed a deal with the Edmonton Oilers.    

No ruling on Coyotes auction yet from the Court.  Here is a Q & A on it.  Here is the Court calendar on the case.