USA TODAY International Edition
Unlikely Stanley Cup rivals have unique connections
The Washington Capitals against the Vegas Golden Knights for the Stanley Cup. What were the odds in October that these two teams would meet in the Final, each vying for their first NHL championship? A team with a history of poor playoff performances vs. an expansion team. Talk about an unlikely pairing.
But there are connections between Washington and Las Vegas. Washington is the U.S. capital, and people from Las Vegas view their city as the entertainment capital of the world. Washington has monuments, and Las Vegas has attractions. Las Vegas has Cirque du Soleil to liven things up, and Washington has Congress.
Here are other other connections. George McPhee helped both Vegas and Washington: He is the architect/ general manager of the Golden Knights. Before accepting that job, he had been general manager in Washington for 17 years, when he drafted key Capitals players including Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson and Braden Holtby. Nate Schmidt is one who got away: Schmidt was just starting to establish himself in the Capitals lineup when the Golden Knights claimed him in the expansion draft and made him their top defenseman. McPhee had signed him in Washington as a free agent. The Capitals didn’t want to lose Schmidt, and many believed the Golden Knights were going to take goalie Philipp Grubauer in the expansion draft. Best and worst expansion teams: The 51-24-7 Golden Knights recorded the best expansion team record in NHL history. No other expansion team has been above .500. In their first season, 1974-75, the 8-67-5 Capitals became the worst expansion team. They won one game on the road. Guelph, Ontario, native sons: McPhee and Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan grew up together in Guelph and both played for the Guelph Platers Ontario Hockey League Junior A team that won the 1978 Centennial Cup as national champions. McPhee, a winger, scored 53 goals and totaled 150 penalty minutes in 48 games for that team. Then, McPhee and MacLellan both played college hockey together at Bowling Green. Their connection wasn’t done. In 2001, then-Capitals GM McPhee hired MacLellan as a scout.
Ovechkin’s contract: McPhee was in charge of the Capitals in 2008 when the Capitals gave Ovechkin the record 13year, $124 million contract. It was the league’s $100 million deal, and it has benefited both sides. The Capitals have never had to face a difficult contract negotiation with their star player. Gambling with your money: Las Vegas and Washington also are both cities in which your future can be at risk if people don’t play their cards right.