Sports

Wizards, Caps to stay in D.C. with arena upgrade

Published

4 weeks ago

March 28, 2024

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ESPN News Services

Mar 27, 2024, 04:31 PM ET

WASHINGTON — The NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals are staying in the District of Columbia for the long term after ownership and the city reached an agreement on a $515 million arena project.

Owner Ted Leonsis and Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a letter of intent on Wednesday for the deal, which keeps the teams in the district through 2050. They announced the development at a joint news conference at Capital One Arena minutes later.

“It’s a great day, and I’m really relieved,” Leonsis said. “This was not only the right thing for the community, the right thing for the city, the right thing for us, it’s a really smart business deal.”

The project is set to include 200,000 square feet of expansion of the arena complex into the nearby Gallery Place space, the creation of an entertainment district in the surrounding Chinatown neighborhood and safety and transportation upgrades.

“We are the current home and the future home of the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards,” said Bowser, who donned a Wizards jersey. “As Ted likes to say, we’re going to be together for a long time.”

In a statement, District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb said residents “could not have been louder or clearer in expressing their desire for the teams to stay.”

“This outcome will have significant positive impacts on economic development, public safety, and overall District energy and spirit generated by the millions of people who attend games, shows, and concerts at Capital One Arena,” Schwalb said.

The Council of the District of Columbia will take up the deal next week and is expected to pass it, chairman Phil Mendelson said at the news conference.

The agreement between Monumental Sports & Entertainment and the city came as Alexandria officials said talks for a new arena that would have moved the teams to Virginia had ended. Leonsis acknowledged Virginia had land as an advantage that the district didn’t.

“You’re in this arms race to build bigger and better and higher quality, and we’ve been running out of space,” Leonsis said, referencing the new entertainment community the agreement envisions that is not nearly as big as the 12 acres that were dedicated to the arena in Virginia. “But it’s enough.”

The ultrawealthy entrepreneur said he generally wanted to avoid discussing Virginia but did throw a few jabs at the state, where political divisions between Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Democrats who control the Virginia General Assembly contributed to the plan’s demise.

“You can’t do it alone, and I felt that we were really in a good partnership,” Leonsis said, “as opposed to where I thought I would have a great partnership.”

The development is a blow to Youngkin, who announced months ago with fanfare the outlines of a proposal negotiated with the teams’ parent company to bring them across the Potomac River.

In a statement on Wednesday, the governor expressed disappointment and frustration, laying blame with Democrats.

“This should have been our deal and our opportunity, all the General Assembly had to do was say: ‘thank you, Monumental, for wanting to come to Virginia and create $12 billion of economic investment, let’s work it out.’ But no, personal and political agendas drove away” the deal, he said.

Democrats responded by saying Youngkin had mismanaged the proposal from the start. House Speaker Don Scott said he was blown away by Youngkin’s statement, which Scott said seemed like it had been written by a teenager, and bristled at the suggestion that the Legislature should have given the deal an easy sign-off.

“He has lost his sense of good judgment right now,” said Scott, who had not fully endorsed the deal but expressed openness to it.

He added that from the tone of the statement, he said Youngkin might retaliate by vetoing the budget lawmakers sent him earlier this month.

Alexandria, which first announced the news, said in a statement posted to its website that it also was disappointed.

“We negotiated a framework for this opportunity in good faith and participated in the process in Richmond in a way that preserved our integrity,” the statement said. “We trusted this process and are disappointed in what occurred between the Governor and General Assembly.”

Matt Kelly, the CEO of publicly traded real estate company JBG SMITH, a partner to the Alexandria deal as the proposed developer, issued a blistering statement that laid blame on “partisan politics” and raised the prospect that “potential pay-to-play” influences had a hand in the project’s downfall.

“Beyond the arena, state and local governments will lose needed tax revenue, economic development credibility, and what could have been Virginia’s last best chance to land a professional sports franchise for at least a generation,” Kelly said.

The Virginia plan called for the creation of a $2 billion development district in the Potomac Yard section of Alexandria, with not only a new arena but also a practice facility and corporate headquarters for Monumental in addition to a separate performing arts venue.

The general assembly was asked to set up an authority that would issue bonds to finance most of the project, backed partly by the city and state governments and repaid through a mix of projected tax revenues recaptured from the development.

Youngkin and other supporters said the development would generate tens of thousands of jobs, along with new tax revenues beyond what would have been needed to cover the financing.

The plan faced opposition from labor unions, Alexandria residents concerned about traffic and District of Columbia officials who feared the loss of the teams would devastate downtown Washington.

Youngkin and other backers also failed to win over powerful Democratic Sen. L. Louise Lucas of Portsmouth, who chairs the Senate’s budget-writing committee. She used that position to block the legislation, citing a range of concerns but foremost the financing structure of the deal: The use of moral obligation bonds put taxpayers and the state’s finances at risk, Lucas said.

Lucas celebrated the proposal’s demise on Wednesday. On social media, she posted a cartoon of herself swatting away a basketball with the word “REJECTED” superimposed. She wrote, “As Monumental announces today they are staying in Washington DC we are celebrating in Virginia that we avoided the Monumental Disaster!”

Leonsis had shifted his tone on social media in recent days, pointing to large crowds in Capital One Arena this month for everything from the Capitals and Wizards to ACC tournament basketball and a Zach Bryan concert. He posted Wednesday that Monumental expected over 400,000 fans to pass through turnstiles in March.

He and Bowser began talks about keeping the teams in the district not long after Virginia disclosed its offer, including through regular meetings in a posh hotel lobby, Leonsis said.

“Until 10 minutes ago, I had never signed a piece of paper,” Leonsis said.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Sports

NHL draft lottery scheduled to take place May 7

Published

6 hours ago

April 27, 2024

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NHL draft lottery scheduled to take place May 7

Field Level Media

Apr 26, 2024, 03:06 PM ET

The 2024 NHL draft lottery will take place on May 7, the league announced Friday.

The San Jose Sharks own the best odds to land the No. 1 pick with an 18.5% chance.

The Sharks fired head coach David Quinn earlier this week after finishing an NHL-worst 19-54-9.

Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini, the Hobey Baker Award winner, is the projected No. 1 pick.

The lottery will be held at NHL Network’s studio in Secaucus, New Jersey.

2024 NHL draft lottery, odds of landing No. 1 pick:

San Jose Sharks, 18.5%

Chicago Blackhawks, 13.5%

Anaheim Ducks, 11.5%

Columbus Blue Jackets, 9.5%

Montreal Canadiens, 8.5%

Utah, 7.5%

Ottawa Senators, 6.5%

Seattle Kraken, 6%

Calgary Flames, 5%

New Jersey Devils, 3.5%

Buffalo Sabres, 3%

Philadelphia Flyers, 2.5%

Minnesota Wild, 2.0%

Pittsburgh Penguins, 1.5%

Detroit Red Wings, 0.5%

St. Louis Blues, 0.5%

Sports

Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL’s postseason

Published

13 hours ago

April 26, 2024

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Stanley Cup Playoffs Central: Bracket, schedule, game previews for the NHL's postseason

The 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs are here! The NHL’s 32 teams are down to just 16 in the postseason, with the first round well underway.

Will the New York Rangers parlay their success in winning the Presidents’ Trophy to a championship — thus breaking the “curse” of that award?

Can the Vegas Golden Knights repeat, despite starting the postseason as the underdog in their initial series?

Read on for the full playoff coverage from every first-round series all the way through the Stanley Cup Final.

More: Playoff schedule
Megapreview
Lapsed fan’s guide
Wyshynski’s bracket
Top 50 players
Cup contender comps

First round

Atlantic Division

Regular-season records:

Panthers: 52-24-6, 110 points
Lightning: 45-29-8, 98 points

Leading scorers:

Panthers: Sam Reinhart, 94 points (57 G, 37 A)
Lightning: Nikita Kucherov, 144 points (44 G, 100 A)

Consensus pick: Panthers

Schedule: (FLA leads 3-0)

Matthew Tkachuk’s 2nd goal secures Panthers win

Matthew Tkachuk scores into an empty net to seal a 5-3 win for the Panthers.

Regular-season records:

Bruins: 47-20-15, 109 points
Maple Leafs: 46-26-10, 102 points

Leading scorers:

Bruins: David Pastrnak, 110 points (47 G, 63 A)
Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews, 107 points (69 G, 38 A)

Consensus pick: Bruins

Schedule: (BOS leads 2-1)

Brad Marchand immediately reclaims the lead for Boston

Brad Marchand gives the Bruins a 3-2 lead late in the third period after the Maple Leafs tied it up.

Metropolitan Division

Regular-season records:

Rangers: 55-23-4, 114 points
Capitals: 40-31-11, 91 points

Leading scorers:

Rangers: Artemi Panarin, 120 points (49 G, 71 A)
Capitals: Dylan Strome, 67 points (27 G, 40 A)

Consensus pick: Rangers

Schedule: (NYR leads 2-0)

K’Andre Miller gives Rangers’ 4-2 lead with shorty

K’Andre Miller rips a shot into the goal and puts the Rangers ahead by two goals after a shorthand score against the Capitals.

Regular-season records:

Hurricanes: 52-23-7, 111 points
Islanders: 39-27-16, 94 points

Leading scorers:

Hurricanes: Sebastian Aho, 89 points (36 G, 53 A)
Islanders: Mathew Barzal, 80 points (23 G, 57 A)

Consensus pick: Canes

Schedule: (CAR leads 3-0)

Sebastian Aho restores 2-goal lead for Hurricanes

Sebastian Aho scores to restore the Hurricanes’ two-goal lead vs. the Islanders.

Central Division

Regular-season records:

Stars: 52-21-9, 113 points
Golden Knights: 45-29-8, 98 points

Leading scorers:

Stars: Jason Robertson, 80 points (29 G, 51 A)
Golden Knights: Jonathan Marchessault, 69 points (42 G, 27 A)

Consensus pick: Stars

Schedule: (VGK leads 2-0)

Noah Hanifin puts Knights on top before third period

Noah Hanifin scoops the puck and makes a nice shot to give the Knights a 2-1 lead heading into the third period versus the Stars.

Regular-season records:

Jets: 52-24-6, 110 points
Avalanche: 50-25-7, 107 points

Leading scorers:

Jets: Mark Scheifele, 72 points (25 G, 47 A)
Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon, 140 points (51 G, 89 A)

Consensus pick: Avs

Schedule: (Series tied 1-1)

Josh Manson scores goal vs. Jets

Pacific Division

Regular-season records:

Canucks: 50-23-9, 109 points
Predators: 47-30-5, 99 points

Leading scorers:

Canucks: J.T. Miller, 103 points (37 G, 66 A)
Predators: Filip Forsberg, 94 points (48 G, 46 A)

Consensus pick: Canucks

Schedule: (Series tied 1-1)

Colton Sissons finishes the rebound for Predators’ 3rd goal

Nashville extends their lead to 3-0 over the Canucks thanks to this Colton Sissons goal.

Regular-season records:

Oilers: 49-27-6, 104 points
Kings: 44-27-11, 99 points

Leading scorers:

Oilers: Connor McDavid, 132 points (32 G, 100 A)
Kings: Adrian Kempe, 75 points (28 G, 47 A)

Consensus pick: Oilers

Schedule: (Series tied 1-1)

Kopitar’s OT winner helps Kings even series

Anze Kopitar finds the back of the net early in overtime to lift the Kings to a Game 2 win over the Oilers.

Sports

Leafs’ Nylander nears return with game Saturday

Published

13 hours ago

April 26, 2024

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Leafs' Nylander nears return with game Saturday

Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporterApr 26, 2024, 01:51 PM ET
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William Nylander is closing in on his debut for the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against Boston on Saturday.

The Leafs trail the Bruins 2-1 in the best-of-seven.

Friday, the winger spoke with reporters for the first time since being sidelined by an undisclosed injury two weeks ago. The mystery ailment has held Nylander out of Toronto’s lineup for the first three postseason tilts against Boston and he’s been diligently working to get back in.

Nylander was a full participant in the Leafs’ practice on Friday, skating on a regular line with Pontus Holmberg and Calle Jarnkrok and taking reps on Toronto’s first power play unit. Both are signs that Toronto is preparing to have Nylander for Saturday’s game.

“We’ll see,” Nylander surmised of his potential availability. “I don’t know [for sure].”

Coach Sheldon Keefe remained optimistic Nylander was finally ready to go after an engaging practice session.

“He looked great to me on the ice,” said Keefe. “In terms of his status, we’ll have to determine that [on Saturday].”

Details of Nylander’s injury have been strictly guarded by the Leafs so far. Nylander followed suit when asked to confirm media reports he’s been dealing with migraines.

“That’s just personal, so I’m not going to get into that,” he said.

Nylander wasn’t worried either about stepping back into a series that’s been in full swing for a week either, citing there was “nothing” difficult ahead for him in a potential return on Saturday.

“I’ve been skating and everything; I’m fine,” said Nylander. “It is what it is. There’s nothing to really stress about. You can’t force yourself back into the game, so I’ll be ready when I’m ready.”

Toronto could use a boost like Nylander coming back heading into Game 4. He was a 40-goal scorer in the regular season with an impressive playoff resume (having collected 40 points in 50 previous postseason outings). Adding an offensive weapon like that to the mix can help the Leafs solve their scoring issues. Toronto’s managed six goals in the first three games against Boston and their misfiring power play is 1-for-11.

Having Nylander as an option makes the Leafs immediately more dangerous at both 5-on-5 and special teams. That’s paramount for Toronto’s hopes of tying the series again before it goes back to Boston for Game 5 on Tuesday.

The Bruins have been changing things up in their crease throughout the playoffs to date, rotating between Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark as they did with good success in the regular season.

Boston coach Jim Montgomery wouldn’t confirm his Game 4 goaltender after Swayman backstopped the Bruins to wins in Game 1 and Game 3, but there’s a chance it’ll be Linus Ullmark getting the call despite Boston falling in his last Game 2 start.

“We’re following the plan we had in place,” said Montgomery, while confirming the decision has already been made.