Nicklas Backstrom, who elevated the Caps and their captain, to play in Sweden
At the peak of Backstrom's powers as one of the best playmakers in the NHL, his brash Washington Capitals running mate, Alex Ovechkin, usually grabbed the lion's share of the spotlight, which suited the more reserved Swede just fine.
When Backstrom played his final NHL game, no one knew it was the last. It was the eighth game of the 2023-24 season and the 1,105th of Backstrom's career, a no-frills late October win over the San Jose Sharks. Three days later, Backstrom announced that as a result of his 'ongoing injury situation,' most notably the hip issues he had for years, he would be stepping away from hockey.
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Washington Post
14 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Eddie Goldman is here reconnect with mumbo sauce and stop the run
This wasn't necessarily Eddie Goldman's goal, but his mother calls it full circle: It would be impossible for either of them to forget about the pictures of Goldman as a boy wearing Washington's football jersey. 'I don't look at the baby pictures too much, but I could tell you I was a die-hard fan,' Goldman said. 'When we played the Cowboys, my heart would be racing.' The goal, really, was just to get to the NFL. It didn't matter where. Goldman completed that in 2015, when he was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round. Now, the 31-year-old defensive tackle is living out his childhood dream wearing a Washington helmet as he takes the field at training camp. Goldman signed with the Commanders this offseason to add an experienced presence to the defensive line. Goldman grew up in Washington's Trinidad neighborhood, attended Friendship Collegiate Academy, a charter school in Southeast, and received more than 50 scholarship offers. He was a first-team All-Met pick (as an offensive lineman) and was rated as a five-star recruit. He picked Florida State and later played six seasons with the Bears. But Goldman's career has been jagged this decade. Goldman opted out of the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic and played 14 games in 2021. He signed with the Falcons ahead of the 2022 season but retired 13 days later; he did not say why. He came back to the Falcons and practiced during the offseason before leaving the team again in July 2023. Last year he relaunched his career with the Falcons and played in all 17 games. Why did Goldman come back? He couldn't stand watching NFL games from afar. He realized he still wanted to play. While in his short-lived retirement, Goldman said he played with his two Rottweilers, Kane and Nala, on Sundays. It was something to avoid seeing games. But when he peeked over at his TV, he missed football. 'I found myself at home watching the season go by, and I'm thinking about what I would be doing at this moment,' Goldman said. ' … I just couldn't stay away from it too long.' One strong season was enough to convince Washington that Goldman could contribute. So here he is, trying to do so for his hometown team. Goldman is frequently asked what it's like to be home, and he says it's 'surreal.' Goldman hasn't lived in the area since he was in high school. When he returned this spring, his mother, Sharon Davis, said he noticed many changes around the city from what he remembered as a kid. 'I know he missed some of the food that he couldn't get wherever he plays,' Davis said. Goldman was particularly excited about a reunion with mumbo sauce, she said. Quinn expects him to be a relied-upon part of the rotation, especially for his ability to stop the run. The Commanders allowed the third-most rushing yards in the NFL last year, not including the 229 they gave up in the NFC championship game loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Commanders released defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and saw Dante Fowler Jr., who led the team in sacks last season, go to the Dallas Cowboys in free agency. In addition to Goldman, Washington brought in Javon Kinlaw and Deatrich Wise Jr. to sure up its line. Goldman, Kinlaw, Daron Payne and Carl Davis, who the team resigned, each weigh more than 300 pounds. The Commanders list Goldman at 332 pounds and hope more mass can help them compete against rugged teams such as the Eagles. Payne will play inside along with Goldman and second-year defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton, who led all Commanders defensive linemen in tackles as a rookie. In training camp, Goldman has played mostly with the first- and second-team defensive lines. Quinn believes the team has several options on the line, which allows flexibility with Goldman's role. 'In the first six practices here: Square, strong, really committed that way in the run game,' Quinn said. 'That was our vision, him coming here to add things to the defense on the early downs. As we're getting started, we've only had one padded practice, but I've been impressed by what I've seen.'
San Francisco Chronicle
5 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
This Date in Baseball - George Steinbrenner is forced to resign as general partner of the NY Yankees
July 30 1917 — Ty Cobb, Bobby Veach and Ossie Vitt, each went 5-for-5 in Detroit's 16-4 romp over Washington. 1933 — Dizzy Dean struck out 17 Cubs for the St. Louis Cardinals, who beat Chicago 8-2. 1947 — The New York Giants defeated Ewell Blackwell and the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 in 10 innings, ending Blackwell's 16-game winning streak. 1959 — Willie McCovey had four hits in four at-bats in his major league debut, with the San Francisco Giants. His hits included two triples in a 7-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. 1962 — The American League, led by homers from Leon Wagner, Pete Runnels and Rocky Colavito, powered past the National League 9-4, in the second All-Star Game of the year. Wagner of the Angels was named MVP. 1968 — Washington shortstop Ron Hansen pulled off an unassisted triple play, but the Cleveland Indians still won the game 10-1. 1969 — Houston, behind grand slams by Denis Menke and Jim Wynn, scored 11 runs in the ninth inning to pound the New York Mets 16-3 in a doubleheader opener at Shea Stadium. Mets pitchers Cal Koonce and Ron Taylor gave up the slams, marking the first time this century that two grand slams were hit in the same inning of a National League game. 1973 — Jim Bibby of the Texas Rangers pitched a 6-0 no-hitter against the Oakland A's. 1980 — Houston Astros pitcher J.R. Richard had a stroke during a workout at the Astrodome and underwent surgery to remove a blood clot behind his right collarbone. 1982 — The Atlanta Braves returned Chief Noc-A-Homa and his teepee to left field after losing 19 of 21 games and blowing a 10½-game lead. The teepee was removed for more seats. The team recovered to regain first place. 1988 — John Franco of the Cincinnati Reds set a major league record with 13 saves in one month. Franco was tied with Sparky Lyle, Bruce Sutter and Bob Stanley. 1990 — George Steinbrenner was forced to resign as general partner of the New York Yankees by Commissioner Fay Vincent. 2008 — Kelly Shoppach of Cleveland tied a major league record with five extra-base hits, including a game-tying homer in the ninth, but Detroit beat the Indians 14-12 in 13 innings. Shoppach had two homers and three doubles. 2009 — A story in the New York Times states that sluggers David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are among the 104 major leaguers who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. The test results were supposed to be kept secret, but Alex Rodriguez's presence on the list of those who tested positive had already been leaked earlier this year. Ortiz states that he was not aware he had tested positive six years earlier and denies using steroids. 2011 — The New York Yankees broke loose for 12 runs in the first inning of the nightcap of a day-night doubleheader, setting a franchise record en route to a 17-3 rout of Baltimore. 2012 — Kendrys Morales homered from both sides of the plate during a nine-run sixth inning, capping the burst with a grand slam that sent the Los Angeles Angels romping past the Texas Rangers 15-8. Morales became the third switch-hitter in major league history to homer as a lefty and righty in the same inning. Carlos Baerga did it for Cleveland in 1993 and Mark Bellhorn of the Chicago Cubs duplicated the feat in 2002. 2017 — Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez are inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
New York Times
7 hours ago
- New York Times
Looking at Carter Yakemchuk's path to making the Senators — and the hurdles ahead
CALGARY — It's a Tuesday morning in mid-July. Most people of Carter Yakemchuk's age are probably sleeping in, having hung up their cowboy hats to recover from the Calgary Stampede festivities that ended two days ago. Nearly 1.5 million partygoers spent the better part of two weeks revelling, Yakemchuk among them. But there was the 19-year-old Calgary native in a grey hockey jersey marked 'Find A Way or Make One,' skating alongside a mixture of professional players and prospects at the Flames' community rink in the southwestern part of the city. Advertisement For Yakemchuk, a 6-foot-4 defenceman, this is all part of the work required to achieve his ultimate goal: making the Ottawa Senators' opening roster come Oct. 9, when the team begins its 2025-26 regular season on the road against the Tampa Bay Lightning, no matter what potential pitfalls lie in front of him. After four seasons with the WHL's Calgary Hitmen, the 2024 first-round pick is old enough to play minor-league games this year, as he'll turn 20 before the end of the calendar. It's the NHL or AHL for him, now. 'I'm looking forward to it,' Yakemchuk said in July following the Senators' development camp. 'My goal is to make the opening roster. That's what I want to do. And I'm looking forward to putting in the work that it takes to make that.' Every summer in Calgary, a group of players and coaches under CRASH Conditioning — self-proclaimed as the 'training destination of choice for elite players of all ages' — gather to prepare for the season ahead. Given the time of year, most participants were skating at half speed this morning. Some mistakes were apparent, like when Yakemchuk got caught on the wrong side of a one-on-two with another defender before being beaten by another opponent who cut into the middle of the offensive zone and scored. 'It's July 15,' said Seattle Kraken assistant Dave Lowry, one of the on-site coaches at the CRASH session. 'There's only so much you can give, right?' But there were brighter spots for Yakemchuk, like when he fought to clear a puck and retrieved it after it bounced off an opposing player. He then led an offensive rush of his own before going forehand to backhand on a goaltender. Yakemchuk also chased a forward from behind and swiped the puck away, putting it between his legs before once again going on the counterattack. It wasn't all flash and offence for the teenager, either: Yakemchuk practiced penalty kills where he used his body positioning and stick to block shooting lanes. 'We all know the offensive side of the game is natural for him,' Lowry said. 'In order for him to play in the National Hockey League, he's gonna have to defend. He's going to have to be a hard defender.' Yakemchuk turned heads during last year's preseason thanks to some solid performances and a highlight-reel goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs, saying that he felt he could play at the NHL level. But his maturity, age and defensive abilities kept him from being Sens-ready, leading him to suit up for one final year of junior hockey. It meant working with Hitmen defensive assistant David Liffiton on his positioning and gap control, among other defensive attributes. Advertisement 'I think his defensive game's come a long way from two years ago,' Liffiton said, also on-site at the CRASH camp. 'Positioning, stick details, the way he closes in the corner. I actually think he's better defensively than guys give him credit for. Down low, killing plays, breaking plays with his stick and his long reach.' As a result, Yakemchuk's offensive numbers dipped. He scored 30 goals and 71 points in 66 games in 2023-24, only to fall to 17 goals and 49 points in 56 games this past season. Those weren't the only ups and downs through Yakemchuk's final WHL campaign: He was also among the many highly-touted prospects infamously left off Canada's World Juniors team last Christmas, leaving the Senators' front office surprised. An ankle injury temporarily slowed him in February, too. But he still helped the Hitmen make the playoffs and reach the second round. 'Point-wise, obviously, there was a bit of a drop-off,' Yakemchuk said. 'It was more (about) improving my game and getting ready to make the jump next season. So, overall, I think I played my best games in the playoffs. That's when it matters the most. I think that was, maybe, my best hockey.' Carter Yakemchuk finally scores in his team's first round series against Saskatoon in the WHL playoffs and it's a nice one. — Julian McKenzie (@jkamckenzie) April 3, 2025 The Senators seem to like Yakemchuk's progression as well, feeling he's grown mentally and physically. 'You know, contrary to some people's beliefs, he played a better defensive game. I don't have a problem with Carter's game,' head scout Don Boyd said after this year's NHL Draft. 'He's got so many avenues and so many ways that he can play, you know, he's big, he's, you know, he can handle the puck. He's got deception. He can shoot the puck. He thinks the game offensively.' Advertisement Despite the decrease in numbers, the Sens do not doubt Yakemchuk's offensive ability and call his puck-handling abilities his 'biggest strength.' Hitmen defensive assistant David Liffiton described Yakemchuk's ability to fire the puck as an 'NHL shot' and praised his ability to help on a power play, whether from the blue line or the faceoff dot. During his draft season, Yakemchuk closely watched Evan Bouchard and the Edmonton Oilers defenceman's offensive game. But it's how those attributes translate to the professional level, in addition to whatever growth he shows at the defensive end, that will help make his case for a roster spot. 'We think he's more ready for that now than he was a year ago, but he's still a young guy, and learning defence in this league takes time,' Senators development coach Andrew Gordon said. 'So, we're not expecting him to be in the All-Star Game this year. But we just expect him to keep progressing. And when his time's right, we'll make sure he's in the right position.' Yakemchuk showed promise last season, and it'll be on him to duplicate that success. Especially considering the state of the team's depth chart on the right side, and the questions surrounding where the current roster's players should be slotted. Artem Zub spent most of last season as Jake Sanderson's partner on their top pairing. But with newly-acquired Jordan Spence in the fold, it's easy to wonder if Zub will stick in that top pairing spot or fall into the second pairing with Thomas Chabot. Nick Jensen is recovering from hip surgery, and while the team has been positive about his recovery, it remains to be seen how effective he'll be once he returns to the ice. And when he does, will he return to that second pairing or does he get bumped down to a third pairing assignment with Tyler Kleven? Nikolas Matinpalo filled in admirably when needed alongside Kleven, even in the playoffs, and when Team Finland's blueline was badly banged up entering the 4 Nations Face-Off, he earned a roster spot. But entering this season, Matinpalo could either be the team's No. 6 defenceman with Kleven or their No. 7, with limited offensive capability. The Senators have also brought back Lassi Thomson, a former first-round pick and right-shot defenceman, after achieving success in the Swedish Hockey League last season. If Yakemchuk goes above and beyond during training camp, he could give himself a chance. But otherwise, he could be destined for AHL Belleville. It shouldn't be seen as a punishment if he does. You can expect him to be under the watchful eyes of director of player personnel Sam Gagner and new Belleville GM Matt Turek, both of whom joined the organization this summer. Advertisement 'My background is scouting, player development and management,' Turek told The Athletic. 'I'll be able to kind of lean on that a little bit just working with the different people in Belleville, whether it's Sam (Gagner) or (BSens head coach David Bell), with the coaching staff and trying to get these players to another level.' All of those above questions need to be posed before Yakemchuk can be considered for NHL action. The Senators will watch closely and ask themselves constantly: 'Do we need him now?' 'That's the question,' Boyd said. 'Or is he better off served playing some time in the American League? Or is he ready to go now? 'You don't give him anything at this level. He's got to earn it.'
