I saw the play where Boyd Gordon was injured in the game against Florida. I watched him as he rejoined his teammates on the bench and spied as he shook off his hand in pain and then tucked it under his arm to gain comfort. As he took his regular shift three minutes later and played the rest of the game, even scoring a goal in the shootout, I thought he had a stinger and had recovered. Can you imagine playing a hockey game; holding your stick; and taking regular shifts with a fractured hand? The kid is a hockey player: tough and focused.
I saw the play where Boyd Gordon was injured in the game against Florida. I watched him as he rejoined his teammates on the bench and spied as he shook off his hand in pain and then tucked it under his arm to gain comfort. As he took his regular shift three minutes later and played the rest of the game, even scoring a goal in the shootout, I thought he had a stinger and had recovered. Can you imagine playing a hockey game; holding your stick; and taking regular shifts with a fractured hand? The kid is a hockey player: tough and focused. As to the conditions of the ice at the arena, we are working with all parties to improve the quality and consistency. We deserve great ice. We have a great facility. We will do our best to work with building management to make it right.
The Frozen Four are being played this month at the Verizon-hope the ice is good.
On a recent Capsroadcrw trip to Philadelphia to watch the Caps play the Flyers and then watch the Bears play the Phantoms I was watching the ice crew during periods taking some real time time in fixing some spots on the ice that needed attention. Their crew seemed to detail a couple of sports on the ice using water as well as a CO2 fire extinguisher.
These spots that they paid attention to may have been worse at ice level then what I could see at lower bowl level but their ice crew seemed to be looking for bad spots while at Verizon they don’t seems to pay much attention . Perhaps the Philly arena is worse? I don’t know. But 30+ games over the last 7 years I have never seen the Verizon Ice crew do what the Philly ice crew did in the two games I saw that day.
The angle about all the various, non-hockey events effecing the ice surface is hooey — as a Washington refugee exiled in Philly, the Wachovia Center here ALWAYS has a first-class ice surface, despite having many more non-hockey events than the Verizon Center, because the Flyers would NEVER put up with anything less than a first-class operation. In my five years here, except for a very few Spring playoff games (I know, something we aren’t seeing in DC anytime soon), when the weather outside is over 80 degrees, it can get a little mushy — does everywhere. But no excuses right now. Ted can fix the ice with much better management of the Verizon Center operation. As I recall, he’s a part owner.
Why not let it be colder inside the building? I don’t need it to be T-Shirt warm in there. Lower it 5 degrees and see if that helps.
How about addressing the most important issue facing the capitals: locking Ovechkin up in a long term deal.
It would be interesting to hear what is being done/changed to help improve the ice.
I played the last quarter of a Lacrosse game with freshly cracked ribs. Usually those things tend to hurt worse later after the adrenaline wears off.
Hi Ted,
wow about Gordon!
I’m really happy that the management is taking an interest in the Verizon ice. It would be bad if players gets injured on it. But also, it would make us proud to have an arena that other team respects. Not to mention, the Caps will benefit from good ice.
thanks for being active
Thank you Ted for taking notice to the ice situation.
Cheers
The Caps will never have great ice so long as there are 60-70 events in the arena that cover the ice during hockey season (meaning the Wizards/Hoyas etc.) What the team should do is practice a lot more often at Verizon (as often as possible) that way they can get used to the miserable ice there….
And yes, actually. I played about a month on a broken foot before I realized it was actually broken. That was a surprise stress-fracture.
Do what it takes, Ted. We don’t want any more facility-related injuries (read: Clark and Poti).
As a season ticket holder, I will volunteer for the good of our players, to allow you to drop the temperature in the building to 32 degrees….As long as you provide free beer.
im glad to hear that you are doing everything you can to fix the ice. I think thatsall we wanted to hear as fans, so I thank you and ill keep my figers crossed that youre successfull. For a “puck-possession” team, good ice is a MUST.
FIX THE DAMN ICE! This should not be an issue with a team trying to salvage what is left of this current season. Our players deserve to play on NHL calibre ice, as do our oppenents.
Ted,
Glad to hear you are working on the ice problem at VC. As someone who has played the game for 20 years, soft and rut filled ice is a disaster waiting to happen. Plus, with this team, we have some speed out there but it is totally negated by the soft ice. As well as Ovie has done, can we imagine him on a good, hard sheet? Scary! Go Caps!
The Caps are being treated like second-class citizens. Stop paying rent until they fix the situation. That’ll get their attention.