Tuscaloosa, AL — Vintage and new hockey collide on March 10, 2019 at Capital One Arena. Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals Captain and leading goal scorer for the league the last six years, head to head will rising star, Winnipeg Jet’s right winger Patrik Laine. Both European born players making their marks through their wicked shots. Despite that, they ironically are not the players that got on the board that Sunday evening; their paths are easily the most interesting from 2019 and on. The world of hockey has changed tremulously since 2019.
We are obviously in a pandemic, and fans are not in the stands for most NHL teams this 2020-2021. This is a carry over from the rules that were put in place during the 2019-2020 season playoffs. A complete opposite from the atmosphere from the Caps versus Jets game; a packed house on the weekend during the time many schools and universities are on spring break. Season ticket holders and first-time goers alike got to enjoy the game. Danielle Williams, D.C native, is no stranger to Caps hockey.
“The building was electric. Hearing the goal horn in person and not through a tv or computer can be jarring, but in the best way,” explained Williams.
Sensory overload is how I would describe it. The sounds of blades against the ice, the cheers from the fans, the smell of food. The goal horn was heard three times that night for the Capitals 3-1 victory over the Jets. It can be overwhelming for someone who has never been in that environment or for people with no knowledge of how intoxicating the sport of hockey can be. My mom, Lolitta Taylor, is not a hockey fan. She, like good mothers do, support me and my interest. But even with little knowledge of the game, she can understand why people love this sport.
“It’s kind of like football for me. I care a lot and want my teams to win the same way you want the Capitals to win. It’s nice to watch,” she tells me as she recalls that game.
Nicolas Backstrom, Carl Hagelin, and Lars Eller all contribute to the Caps three goals while Mathieu Perreault gets the loan goal for the Jets. Capitals backup goalie Phoenix Copley makes a dazzling 33 saves to get the Caps their seventh consecutive win. Like said before, the young star Laine does not get on the board, but he does make his mark in the game through imposing his will physically. Yet, another change from 2019, Laine has recently been traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets. This swap coming to fruition after Blue Jackets center Pierre Luc Dubois makes it known he is not happy in Ohio, and he wants out as soon as possible. Now Laine is doing the league mandated quarantine before being able to play. The trade has broken the heart of many Jets fans who adored the future 50 goal scorer.
“It was shock hearing that the locker room is was bad. We had all known that there as tension but the fact that leaders in the room did nothing was disappointing to see play out. It feels like it could’ve been avoided,” Brian May, previous Atlanta Thrashers follower turned Jets fanatic, elaborates on hearing the news of the trade.
The news of both Dubois and Laine possibly having problems in the locker room has brought a long-standing sports questions back to the forefront. What is too far when it comes to sports? How should coaches handle players, and does hockey culture breed problems through having to stay silent? Melanie Wickum is new to the Jets but familiar with the brand of hegemonic masculinity male dominated sports push.
“The idea of shutting up and putting up with treatment is apart of hockey and that’s why out spoken players are shunned and looked at as soft,” Wickum goes into being sad Laine is gone but happy if it means he is in a better environment.
It was interesting looking back at the Capitals versus Jets game and seeing how different both teams are, and how different the state of the NHL is. The amount of layover for both teams. Despite the change, the Capitals now sit at the same place they did when they won that game in 2019, at the top of their division.
Unfinished Business 