Being out of the lineup for a little over a week with an upper-body injury, the San Jose Sharks announced the team has officially activated forward Luke Kunin from the injured reserve, although he will not play in the team’s game tonight.
After a disastrous start to the season, the Sharks have rebounded well over their last several games, producing a 5-2-1 record over their last eight games, now tied for last place in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks. Unfortunately, due to the injury, Kunin has not been able to factor into San Jose’s good stretch of late, having not played since the team’s loss against the Boston Bruins on November 30th.
Nevertheless, he is still having a solid season compared to the rest of his teammates, scoring five goals and seven points in 23 games, already matching his goal total from a season ago. Clearly, concerning the rest of the league, that offensive output is mostly centered around bottom-six players but is good for seventh on the team in scoring in San Jose.
Other snapshots:
- In some unfortunate news across the hockey world, the American Hockey League announced a 10-game suspension for the head coach of the Chicago Wolves, Bob Nardella, due to the use of homophobic language directed at on-ice officials during the team’s game on December 9th. In his first season as the head coach, the Wolves are the lone independent team of the AHL and are currently in last place in the Central Division with a 5-13-1-1 record so far this season.
- After a vote last night from Virginia lawmakers, all reports are indicating that the vote proposal has passed and that the Washington Capitals will be leaving Capital One Arena for Northern Virginia (X Link). Capital One Arena initially opened the season of the Capitals’ first run to the Stanley Cup Final during the 1997-98 season and is currently the 14th oldest active stadium in the NHL.
Caps moving? The Ky-Yoots wish it were that easy.
*Nordiques – You meant Nordiques.
@mcdavidlikeamac — Have the Ky-Yoots move to Quebec City, then, to Northern Virginia? A new twist on a team only having a cup of coffee in a new city before being traded for two bags of pucks and some dirt.
They will move about six miles (15 minutes) away. Your Ky-Yoots moved about 27 miles from the Gila River to the Mullet. The Baltimore Bullets became the Washington Bullets and then they changed their name. So maybe a Caps name change is in order. What is northern Virginia famous for?
@Jess the trip — It would set an interesting precedent. This link suggests the team will, collectively, be up for the Lady Byng every year — link to virginia.org And, since the Wiki states, “The region radiates westward and southward…”, they can be called the Washington/NoVa Radiators. Plenty of stop-leak in the equipment room.
Yes, of course. Just as long they don’t shorten the name to the Virgin Lovers, I’m fine with it. A little different coming into Alexandria: soft lights, mellow music, Ovie in a silk satin uniform. I wonder how No Va will play in the Spanish market – probably no se.
Robert E Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia
@Dball65 — “Call one more faceoff violation on us, and we’ll secede from the league!”
@Jess the trip — The GR8 inadvertently doing a Hugh Hefner impersonation, with Nicky Backstrom saying, “I don’t even know who you are anymore.” That ill-fated car won’t be the only thing that “doesn’t go”.
I can see the league office when the Caps become the Robert E Lees: “You want to change your logo to the Stars & Bars? Uh, we’ll get back to you on that.” Maybe they could move to Fredericksburg.