Skip to main content

Capitals call upon Kempny, Copley as more players enter NHL’s COVID-19 protocols

By J.J. Regan

Caps call upon Kempny, Copley as more enter COVID-19 protocols originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

Coming out of the Christmas break, the Capitals recalled defenseman Michal Kempny and goalie Pheonix Copley on Monday. The team also reassigned defensemen Lucas Johansen and Alex Alexeyev as well as forward Brett Leason to the taxi squad. The NHL announced the return of taxi squads on Sunday and the Caps wasted little time taking advantage with multiple call-ups.

“Feels great,” Kempny said of returning to the NHL. “Yeah it’s been a while, but I’m really excited to be here and you know, obviously the situation is how it is but you know I’m gonna enjoy every day here and we’ll see what’s gonna happen.”

The roster moves come as several more Washington players entered COVID-19 protocol. The team announced Monday that Daniel Sprong (tested 12/21), Justin Schultz (12/21), Nick Jensen (12/23), Vitek Vanecek (12/24), Dennis Cholowski (12/24) and Martin Fehervary (12/24) are all in the protocol and unavailable.

The news was not all bad, however, with Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov returning to the ice for Monday’s practice, but that is still a significant amount of players the Caps must now account for in their lineup.

With so many players out, that means players some of Monday’s additions are not just depth players but are likely to play at least Wednesday against the Nashville Predators.

Samsonov is likely to carry the crease with Copley as the backup, but, at least for now, Kempny, Alexeyev and Leason look slated to play. Leason has played in 22 games this season, but this would be the NHL debut of Alexeyev, the 10th rookie to make his debut for the Caps this season. This could also potentially be the season debut of Kempny.

“[Kempny] looked great,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “It’s just a practice. He was playing well down there, and it’s just a first practice coming off a break.”

Laviolette added, “He’s got a lot of experience, and he was playing well: a great opportunity for him.”

Here is a look at the lines from Monday’s practice:

Alex Ovechkin – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Tom Wilson

Conor Sheary – Nicklas Backstrom – Garnet Hathaway

Connor McMichael – Lars Eller – Aliaksei Protas

Carl Hagelin – Nic Dowd – Brett Leason

Dmitry Orlov – John Carlson

Michael Kempny – Trevor van Riemsdyk

Alex Alexeyev – Matt Irwin

All about Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin with stats and contract info

By NBC Sports Washington Staff
All about Alex Ovechkin with stats and contract info originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonEver since making his NHL debut in 2005, Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has proven to be the greatest goalscorer the sport has ever seen.The 2004 No. 1 overall pick scored two goals in his first career game and hasn't stopped finding the back of the net at record pace, putting him within reach of Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals mark. Ovechkin has compiled an impressive trophy case along the way, winning three Hart Memorial Trophy MVPs, a record nine Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophies as the NHL's leading goal scorer, nine NHL First-Team selections, 12 all-star selections, the 2018-19 Stanley Cup title and the Conn Smythe Trophy for the MVP of that year's playoffs.He is undoubtedly one of the greatest hockey players of all time. Alex Ovechkin's BioHeight: 6-foot-3Weight: 238 poundsBirthdate: Sept. 17, 1985 Birthplace: Moscow, RussiaNHL experience: 17 seasonsJersey No. 8Alex Ovechkin's Career StatsAfter showing no signs of slowing down with a 50-goal season in Year 17, Ovechkin has continued to put up mind-boggling stats deep into his 30s. Here are his complete career numbers to date (through Oct 11, 2022): 1,274 games played780 goals scored630 assists1,410 pointsStanley Cup Playoffs:141 games71 goals64 assists135 pointsAlex Ovechkin's Contract DetailsIt was always a matter of "when" and not "if" Alex Ovechkin would sign a contract extension with the Capitals this past offseason. The five-year, $47.5 million deal he signed at the end of July 2021 showed his desire to finish his career in the nation's capital with an eye towards breaking the all-time goals record as well. Ovechkin's deal ends following the 2025-26 season. Where does Alex Ovechkin rank on the all-time goals list? Ovechkin finished his 17th NHL season with a clean 50 goals, bringing his career total to 780. Here's where that ever-growing mark ranks on the all-time goals leaderboard: Wayne Gretzky: 894Gordie Howe: 801Alex Ovechkin: 780Jaromir Jagr: 766Brett Hull: 741Other Alex Ovechkin RecordsMuch has been made about Ovechkin's all-time goals chase, but he's also accumulated some other pretty impressive records along the way as well. Most recently, Ovi broke the all-time power play goals mark with his 275th score on New Year's Eve against the Red Wings. By a second, he narrowly beat the release of Detroit's man in the penalty box to secure the record. Here are some of the Great 8's other all-time NHL records: Most scoring titles: nineMost overtime goals: 24Most consecutive 30-goal seasons: 15 (tied with Jaromir Jagr and Mike Gartner)
Read Next Story

Related News

All about Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin with stats and contract info

NHL all-time goals leaders: Can Ovechkin top Gretzky?

Peter Laviolette ‘hoping’ Alex Ovechkin will be available Game 1 of playoffs