The Hockey Stop

Today, Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas put himself in front of his team, league and country by making a self-righteous political statement instead of attending a White House ceremony to honor the Bruins' Stanley Cup victory last season. In boycotting this event he selfishly stole the attention away from his teammates and the entire Bruins organization on a day that should have been a diplomatic, nonpartisan celebration of an amazing achievement in professional sports.

Championship sports teams have been honored in Washington by countless administrations over the years. It doesn't matter if there is a Democrat or Republican in the Oval Office, political disagreements have never entered the picture. That is until now. This is not about President Barack Obama, but respecting the Office of the President of the United States of America. Tim Thomas may have exercised his right as a "Free Citizen," as he posted on his Facebook page, but that does not excuse his actions. He represents an organization that is paying him millions of dollars. He represents the National Hockey League that is trying to broaden its appeal into minority communities. And as one of only two Americans on the team, he represents this country (players from Canada, Slovakia, Finland and other nations were honored to be at the White House with President Obama).

There is a time and place for political protests. This was not one of them. Sports are supposed to be an escape from everything that divides us. It is supposed to be a safe place free of partisan politics. Today, Tim Thomas broke that sacred trust and it will take a long time for those wounds to heal.

Here is video of President Obama honoring the Bruins at the White House.

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin today followed Wayne Gretzky as the second NHL hockey player ever to be immortalized in wax. The unveiling took place this afternoon at Madame Tussauds in downtown Washington, D.C. as a swarm of media from as far away as Canada and Russia captured the moment from every possible camera angle.

The atmosphere in the room was electric in anticipation of seeing the Great Eight pose next to his wax likeness. Finally the wall slid open and there was Ovechkin posing beside Ovechkin. A surreal and hilarious scene indeed. Ovie was asked if there was anything missing from the wax figure, and he joked that the cut on his forehead from this morning's practice was not there.

Ovechkin was joined by children from the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey club. The kids sported blacked-out-tooth smiles in front of Ovie's real gap tooth. Many of these inner city children come from troubled homes and the Fort Dupont Ice Rink in Southeast D.C. provides them a positive place that teaches respect, discipline and self-esteem and the importance of academic success.

Also joining Ovie on stage was his father Mikhail, who was a former professional soccer player in Russia.

And the most important question of the day was of course what Ovechkin was going to dress up as for Halloween. "Dumb and Dumber with Nicholas Backstrom" was the reply. "We look like them," said Ovechkin to lots of laughs.

Here is video of today's unveiling.



And here are more photos.

It's been 37 years since the Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts joined the National Hockey League. The Scouts became the Colorado Rockies and then the New Jersey Devils. The Caps are still going strong in the nation's capital, but the team has only been to the Stanley Cup finals once -- in 1998 Washington was swept in four games by the Detroit Red Wings.

Is this the year the Caps capture the Cup?

That question will be definitely answered next spring. But the hopes were high and the energy was positive at the third annual Caps Convention last Saturday, which took place for the second straight year downtown at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center (the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation was holding their annual gathering there at the same time, so it was an interesting assortment of well-dressed men and women and red-clad Caps fans in Ovechkin and Backstrom jerseys).

New additions in the offseason have brought optimism to a beaten down fan base that has been disappointed by heartbreaking early playoff exits the past three years. The hope is that the new teammates will push the core group of Caps over the edge when it counts in the postseason. Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alex Semin and Mike Green are now in the prime of their careers and have been through the battles and crushing defeats and are learning how to win the big games. Now they have help from former Caps Captain and Potomac, Maryland native center Jeff Halpern, Stanley Cup winner with the Chicago Blackhawks right wing Troy Brouwer, veteran defenseman Roman Hamrlik, gritty right wing Joel Ward and veteran goaltender Tomas Vokoun.

Have the Caps learned how to win? Will a Cup winner like Brouwer stand up in the locker room the next time the Caps face adversity and the "here we go again" negativity creeps in? Will he tell his teammates that "no, it doesn't have to be like this. We can do this!"? Did General Manager George McPhee make the right moves? Will Head Coach Bruce Boudreau prove his critics wrong?

Many questions. Few answers. But it is a new season and the Caps and 29 other teams all have a shot at glory.

There were some interesting panel discussions at the Caps Convention, including "20 Questions with Ted," with former Washington Redskins linebacker and current local TV and radio personality LaVar Arrington interviewing Capitals Majority Owner Ted Leonsis, pictured below left, about subjects ranging from changing the name of the Wizards back to the Bullets ("I don't comment on NBA matters") to offseason speculation about Ovechkin's weight ("pinch his stomach at the autograph session").

At the panel discussion "Embracing Your New Teammates," new Caps Halpern, pictured below left, and Brouwer talked about the difficult transition of changing teams and cities, especially when there is family involved. Brouwer was asked if there are any hard feelings with new teammates because of past experiences as the opponent. He said not with a team like Washington that Chicago only plays once a year, but that it would have been difficult if he went to a divisional rival like the Vancouver Canucks.

Perhaps the most anticipated and interesting discussion took place on the main stage. "24/7 Behind the Scenes" took a look back at what it was like filming the highly acclaimed Emmy-nominated HBO reality series "24/7 Caps-Pens: Road to the Winter Classic." Ovechkin, Boudreau and WashingtonCaps.com Senior Writer and panel moderator Mike Vogel were joined on the stage by HBO Producers Scott Boggins and Michael Oliver (pictured below left to right).

Boudreau said he was looking forward to watching the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers on this season's "24/7," which will culminate in the Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park in Philly.

Here are more photos from the Caps Convention.

The clouds parted and the angelic face of baseball took the mound for the first time since Stephen Strasburg underwent Tommy John surgery and rehabbed his way back to the big leagues.

It was straight out of a Hollywood movie -- The Phenom had waited over a year to pitch a Major League Baseball game again and it looked like he might have to wait another day because the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee were washing the Washington area in rain. The forecast was a 90% chance of wet weather at the 7:05 p.m. start of the ball game. A lot of the 29,092 fans who bought tickets stayed home, but maybe half that number who braved the conditions, including myself, were witness to something special as the break in the rain lasted just long enough for Strasburg to pitch five scoreless innings, strike out four batters and hurl high heat in the upper 90s.

The game didn't have the same atmosphere the packed house at Nationals Park did when Strasburg made his Major League debut by fanning fourteen Pittsburgh Pirates on a sunny summer afternoon in June of 2010. It was way more low key but it was no less dramatic.

As I walked into Nats Park there was a swarm of fans around the bullpen snapping pictures of Strasburg warming up and analyzing his every move. The real special moment of the night was of course when Stras trotted to the mound from the bullpen for the first time since tearing his ulnar collateral ligament at Citizens Bank Park against the Phillies 382 days ago. He received a standing ovation. In fact, he received a lot of standing o's -- when he took the mound, pitched his first strike, got his first strike out, got a hit because of an errant throw to first base, got all the way around the bases and scored a run.

But let's be honest, Nats fans were just happy to have Stras wearing the red curly W hat again. That his stuff was as electric as before his surgery was a bonus and a relief. His five scoreless innings were an absolute pleasure to watch from thirty rows up along the first base line. The two hits he allowed barely made it out of the infield so he easily could have had a no hitter going when he reached the maximum pitch count of around 60 after five innings of work. That the Nats lost to the Dodgers 7-3 in a meaningless mid-September game between two non-contending teams was irrelevant.

This night was about one man and that was Stephen Strasburg. There was no guarantee Strasburg would be able to come back from Tommy John surgery. There was also no guarantee he would be back to his old form when he did come back. After seeing him in person tonight, I can say that Stephen Strasburg is even better than he was a year ago. He is physically stronger and mentally more mature. It's OK to get excited again about the most electric pitcher in Major League Baseball.

Here are more photos from this special night in the Nation's Capital:

The Lobbyists beat the Lawmakers in a hard-fought game at the Verizon Center last Thursday evening. But more important than the result of the third annual Congressional Hockey Challenge was the announcement afterward by Lawmakers right wing Senator John Kerry (D-MA) that this year's event raised more than $100,000 to support the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club and the Fort Dupont Ice Arena.

Located in the predominately African-American community of Southeast, Fort Dupont is the only indoor ice rink in Washington, DC and provides a safe place for young people to learn the game of hockey and take part in constructive activities during non-school hours.

Here are some pictures taken at the event followed by a video of Kerry speaking to the crowd after the game.

Brad Dayspring, press secretary for Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), warming up before the game. Between periods the Verizon Center crowd sang Happy Birthday to Dayspring, who was born on March 10, 1977.

Senator John Kerry waits his turn to take shots during warm ups at the Verizon Center. Kerry earned the second star with one assist.

Willie O'Ree, the first black player in the NHL. O'Ree played winger for the Boston Bruins and is known as the "Jackie Robinson of ice hockey" for breaking the color barrier.

The man behind the mask is Representative Anthony Weiner (D-NY). Every time he made a save the crowd chanted "Weiner! Weiner!"

Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane paying a visit to the Lawmakers bench. Kane was in town for the White House ceremony honoring the team's Stanley Cup victory last season and also for Sunday's game against the Washington Capitals.

Video of John Kerry speaking after the game:

With so many Chicagoans working at the White House -- including President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama -- it was a a festive atmosphere today as the President welcomed the 2009-10 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks to the South Lawn for a ceremony honoring their achievement as the first 'Hawks team to win the Cup since 1961.

Obama said this event was special for him because it was the first time since he has been in the Oval Office that he has had the chance to welcome a championship team from the Windy City.

The President was given a Blackhawks jersey with his name on the back by Blackhawks president John McDonough and Blackhawks chairman W. Rockwell 'Rocky' Wirtz. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews presented the president with a mini replica Stanley Cup trophy.

Here is video of the ceremony:

As a Caps fan growing up in the D.C. area, losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins was as predictable as the Cherry Blossoms sprouting every spring. And to add insult to injury, bus loads of Pens fans would make the four-hour trip from Western Pennsylvania to the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland (in 1997 the Caps moved to the Verizon Center in downtown Washington) to cheer on their team to victory over the Caps.

Pittsburghers in Mario Lemieux or Jaromir Jagr jerseys hoisting tin foil Stanley Cups would annually fill up half the arena, making the Capital Centre a neutral venue.

When the Caps lost in seven games to the Pens two years ago, it brought back many painful playoff memories for Caps fans. Washington lost to Pittsburgh in the playoffs in 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2000 and 2001. The only playoff series win against the Pens came in 1994.

Caps fans had to watch Pittsburgh skate to Stanley Cup championships in 1991, 1992 and 2009 while the farthest the Caps have gotten is the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998 when they were swept by Detroit.

This lopsided history is why it was so satisfying to see not only the Caps beat the Pens 3-1 at a rainy Winter Classic under the lights at Heinz Field, but also to see so many Caps fans in the stands. In fact, there were around 30,000 Washingtonians who made the trek to Pittsburgh, creating something of a D.C. invasion in the Steel City.

I read that one downtown bartender remarked that it was the most out-of-town fans he had ever seen for a game. And they were rockin' the red and were just as noisy and at times even louder than the 40,000 Pens fans. Of course they had more reason to celebrate with their team doing so well on the ice.

After so many seasons of frustration and disappointment at the hands of the hated Pens, for one night at least it was time for the Pens to get a taste of their own medicine and for the Caps to savor a big win over their arch rivals.

Preparations began for the Winter Classic as soon as the Pittsburgh Steelers game ended last night at Heinz Field. Also last night, hockey fans were treated to a thrilling preview of the highly anticipated New Year's day matchup between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins when the two rivals battled in D.C. to a 2-2 overtime draw and seven rounds of the shootout before the Pens' Pascal Dupuis beat Caps goaltender Michal Neuvirth to win the game for the Pens. The Caps will be looking for revenge on January 1st at 1 p.m. in what will hopefully be an epic game on NBC.

Here is the live video of Heinz Field being transformed from a football stadium to a hockey stadium:

I just witnessed the Washington Capitals suffer perhaps their worst loss in the Alex Ovechkin era with a 7-0 thrashing by the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on a cold, rainy December night in Manhattan. The defeat extended the Caps' losing streak to six games and will inevitably lead to hand wringing by the media and soul searching from the top to bottom in the organization. As a Caps fan, I have not felt this deflated since the Game 7 loss to the Montreal Canadiens after blowing a 3-1 lead in the first round of last year's Stanley Cup playoffs.

Maybe the biggest question this organization has to answer is a structural one. When owner Ted Leonsis and General Manager George McPhee decided to blow up the team and rebuild, they drafted, picked up in free agency and traded for high-flying, offense-first players -- Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, just to name a few. And when the Caps are cruising through the regular season in the weak Southeast Division and goals are coming easy, then the offense first structure looks brilliant. But when the playoffs roll around and offense is at a premium and defense is emphasized, then the house of cards collapses and the Capitals are simply awful. That was evident the past three years in seven-game losses to the Flyers, Penguins and Canadiens. This season, McPhee acknowledged the defensive deficiency when he traded offensive-minded forward Tomas Fleischmann for stay-at-home defenseman Scott Hannan.

Even with Hannan however, the perhaps fatal flaw in the structure of the Capitals is being exposed by an improved Southeast Division. The Atlanta Thrashers and Tampa Bay Lightning are now right on the tail of the Caps in the standings and are threatening to leave the Caps in the dust if the slump continues. And the game tonight against the Rangers exposed every weakness the Caps have been criticized for -- too young, too much offense, not enough defense, not mentally strong, no heart, no killer instinct, no identity, no discipline.

So as the Winter Classic date of January 1st quickly comes up, the Caps are a team in turmoil. It is gut check time to say the least for the team that won the Presidents Trophy last year and has received so much hype and given so much hope to long-suffering Caps fans who have poured their hard-earned money and their hearts out for this team by rocking the red at the Verizon Center every game night after years of disappointment.

We will soon find out the true character of this team at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

And the team they will face is red-hot, having won 12 straight games. And their Captain Sidney Crosby has an 18-game point streak. With their most recent win at Buffalo, the Pens matched a franchise-best by winning their seventh consecutive road game. And Pittsburgh is pulling away from the pack atop the standings with a record of 21-8-2 for 44 points.

It should also be noted that Crosby and the Penguins have already proven themselves by getting to the Stanley Cup Finals three years ago and winning the Cup two years ago. On that magical Cup run they also beat the Caps in a thrilling seven-game series which ended with a 6-2 blowout at Verizon Center (see above for all the reasons why that happened).

So needless to say, as these two proud franchises clash outdoors in front of 65,000 fans and millions watching around the world, it really shouldn't be a contest. The Pens should blow out the Caps. But then again, when these two teams get together you can just throw out win streaks or losing streaks and get ready for one of the fiercest rivalries in all of sports.

NBC's Crosby-Ovechkin Winter Classic preview:

Today, the NHL unveiled an artist rendering of what Heinz Field will supposedly look like at 1 p.m. on New Years Day, when the Washington Capitals face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the annual Winter Classic.

Now, I expect there to be a lot of Caps fans in red Ovechkin jerseys at the game. Many fans will surely make the short trip from Washington to Pittsburgh to take part in the festivities.

But from the looks of this drawing, Caps red is drowning out the Pens' black and gold. In fact, it almost looks like an outdoor version of the Caps' home arena -- the Verizon Center. I'm sure this was unintentional, but nonetheless, for those who notice, it is another small match fueling the big fire raging in the buildup to what promises to be one of the most viewed games and hopefully one of the most exciting games in the history of hockey.

Anyway, take a look and judge for yourself. Is that a lot of red in the stands?

Multiple sources have reported this morning that Home Box Office network is bringing "Hard Knocks" to the National Hockey League with "24/7 Penguins/Capitals Road to the Winter Classic" -- an in-depth reality series in the weeks leading up to the highly anticipated showdown on New Year's Day at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

This announcement is a real coup for the NHL and almost assuredly will bring in boffo ratings to the cabler (to use my former employer Variety's slanguage dictionary) and will also likely assure sky high ratings for the game pitting Alex Ovechkin's team against Sidney Crosby's team.

According to NHL.com, it marks the first time HBO will document two teams simultaneously and the first time teams will be filmed in the middle of a season.

The first episode will air on December 15th at 10 p.m. EST with an encore at 11 p.m. and subsequent episodes will air on the following Wednesdays at 10 p.m. with multiple replay dates and the ability to watch the shows anytime on HBO On Demand.

Since moving back to Washington, D.C. this summer I've noticed something different in the air. No, it's not the stifling heat and humidity creating a natural sauna every time I step outside. Nor is it the pollen making me sneeze every five minutes.

There is a breeze beginning to blow into the Nation's Capital from places as far away as San Diego, Philadelphia and Kentucky. And it is refreshing the air in this city of perpetual losing sports franchises. There is a cautious optimism in the atmosphere. Some long-suffering D.C. sports fans are whispering that there could be a whole lot of winning right around the corner.

Is this what Boston felt like just before the Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Revolution began to dominate?

I can only hope this city will savor some of the success that Boston achieved seemingly all at once.

Regardless, Capitals star Alex Ovechkin suddenly has some illustrious company stealing the local and national headlines in the form of Nationals pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg, new Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb and the Wizards' No. 1 draft pick John Wall.

The last time I visited D.C. was during the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs and Ovechkin was still slightly behind President Barack Obama as the biggest star in D.C.

At the time the Capitals were the only winning franchise in town and even Washingtonians who mix up ice hockey with curling could get behind Ovi and the Caps. Dan Snyder was doing everything in his power to anger as many 'Skins fans as possible; Gilbert Arenas was waiting to serve his sentence in a halfway house for gun play in the Wizards locker room after the team's beloved anti-gun owner Abe Pollin had passed away; and the Nationals were coming off two 100-loss seasons in a row.

But my how times have changed in The District. Now in addition to Ovechkin apparel there are Strasburg shirts, McNabb sweaters and Wall jerseys for sale at City Sports next to the Verizon Center in the Gallery Place-Chinatown neighborhood.

And the banners lining the VC proclaim "John Wall: Game Changer." Ovechkin had to win the Hart trophy to nab the keys to the city, but all Wall had to do was arrive in D.C. for Mayor Adrien Fenty to hand him the keys.

Wizards and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis has said that when one local sports team wins it is a rising tide that lifts all boats.

The Capitals, Wizards, Redskins and Nationals all still have a lot to prove and many challenges ahead to get to that next level.

But having leaders like Ovechkin, Strasburg, McNabb and Wall creates a collective excitement that I've never seen in Washington, D.C. before.

The talent that has arrived or will soon be arriving could create a perfect storm that turns the Nation's Capital into the center of the sports universe. Time will tell if all this talent translates into winning. But either way Washington sports fans finally have a lot to cheer for a change.

Next month I am moving from the land of the Kings and Ducks to the place the Capitals call home.

After nearly nine eventful years covering hockey in Southern California I'm heading back to my hometown of Washington, D.C. where I will continue to post the latest news and analysis from the world of professional hockey.

It's been a wild ride reporting on hockey here in SoCal. Until I lived here for a while I had no idea how popular the sport is in this "non-traditional" market. There are so many Californians who came of age during the Gretzky era and have instilled the love of the game in their children that hockey will continue to get bigger and bigger here. Plus there is a constant influx of people from cold climes such as Canada, the Midwest and Northeast who bring their love of hockey here.

I started out covering the now defunct Long Beach Ice Dogs minor league team for a community newspaper called The Beachcomber and what struck me the first time I entered the Long Beach Ice Arena was how many fans were in the stands and how passionate people were for this scrappy Montreal Canadiens affiliate. It was a pleasure writing about the ups and downs of the Dogs.

But the passion in Anaheim for the Ducks and L.A. for the Kings is something I'll never forget. Despite the stereotype of laid-back and apathetic sports fans in Southern California, the Kings and Ducks followers are some of the most loyal fans in the entire National Hockey League.

It was incredibly exciting living in SoCal in 2007 when the Ducks brought the first Stanley Cup to the Golden State. And it has been awesome witnessing the rise of the Kings to playoff contenders.

There is also a very active grassroots youth hockey community across California that is going to breed some future NHL players. That is one reason why the league decided to locate this year's NHL Entry Draft at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. I'll be there this Friday for the first round and will be live-blogging the event so check in to The Hockey Stop this Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. for instant draft results for each team.

I will also miss playing street hockey every Sunday with my crazy Canadian buddies as part of the Hangover Hockey League. We started out playing on the basketball court at Veterans Park in Westwood and then alternated between roller hockey rinks in North Hollywood and Mar Vista. I usually went home after a game bruised and sore for the next week but it was all worth it. Good luck to all my street hockey comrades!

While I'll be blogging from the draft this Friday, if my blog posts are less frequent the next couple of weeks it is because I'm busy preparing for my move. But as soon as I'm settled in D.C. I'll be ramping up the posting again.

There are a couple of stories of note from today's news.

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer, 36, retired today after 18 NHL seasons. The Norris and Conn Smythe Trophy winner is the only hockey player in the world to win the Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold Medal, World Championship, World Junior Championship, World Cup and Memorial Cup.

Also, the NHL released the 2010-2011 regular season schedule. Click here for each team's complete 82-game schedule.

Lastly, a reminder that the NHL Awards will be televised live from Las Vegas on Versus tomorrow evening at 7:30 p.m. EST/4:30 p.m. PST.

The Washington Capitals will visit the Pittsburgh Penguins at Heinz Field on New Year's Day for the 2011 NHL Winter Classic.

This is going to be a great game between two fierce rivals. And of course there is Alex Ovechkin vs. Sidney Crosby for the league to hype to the maximum.

Also, commissioner Gary Bettman indicated that Washington will host a Winter Classic in the next two to three years. The Capitals Insider blog asks fans where they would want the game played.

Out of 1,072 votes so far 39 percent, including myself, voted for the National Mall followed by Nationals Park with 33 percent, RFK Stadium with 14 percent, FedEx Field with 11 percent and 1 percent for somewhere else.

The National Mall would be spectacular. Can you imagine a hockey game with the majestic backdrop of the Capitol Building on one side and the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the other side? It would be breathtaking. The National Mall recently handled more than a million people for the Obama inauguration so I'm sure it could handle 50,000 for a hockey game.

In a shocking development, Los Angeles Kings assistant coach Mark Hardy has been charged with sexually assaulting his daughter in a Washington, D.C. hotel room. His daughter Jessica, 21, attends Georgetown University in D.C. The alleged incident took place at the Mayflower Hotel.

Washington Post story:

Hockey coach charged in hotel sex assault

A former Los Angeles Kings hockey player and current assistant coach was charged Friday with sexually assaulting his adult daughter at the Mayflower Hotel.

Mark Hardy, 51, was charged with fourth-degree sexual abuse in connection with fondling his daughter in the hotel room after the two walked from a bar on 19th Street around 1 a.m. The daughter reportedly attends college in D.C.

The victim told police that she and her father were “very intoxicated,” and after she had changed her clothes, got into bed and fell asleep, she was awakened by her father laying next to her and touching her inappropriately, according to documents filed late Friday in D.C. Superior Court.

After first denying that anything happened, Hardy apologized to his daughter, the court papers said. She then ran from the room to the front desk for help.

At his initial hearing Friday, prosecutors said Hardy declined to be interviewed by pre-trial services. Magistrate Judge Karen Howze ordered Hardy released, but ordered him to turn in his passport, undergo alcohol evaluation and to have no contact, verbal, physical or electronic with his daughter.

Hardy was represented by the District’s Public Defender Service and declined to comment after the hearing. Hardy’s next hearing is scheduled for June 4.

Hardy played for the Kings from 1979-1988 and again from 1992-1994. He also served as assistant coach for the team. Hardy also played for the New York Rangers and Minnesota North Stars, and was an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks.

-- Keith L. Alexander


L.A. Times story:

Kings' Mark Hardy charged with felony sexual abuse

Hardy, a Kings assistant coach, was arrested after a complaint by a family member in Washington.

May 21, 2010
By Helene Elliott

Mark Hardy, a former Kings defenseman and current assistant coach, was arrested early Friday and charged with felony fourth-degree sexual abuse after a complaint by a family member at a hotel in Washington.

Hardy, a Manhattan Beach resident, was taken into custody and appeared before a judge Friday afternoon in the District of Columbia Superior Court. The 51-year-old was released with conditions, including the surrender of his passport and a prohibition against having any physical, verbal or electronic contact with the family member.

He is due to appear in court again June 4.

The Kings issued a statement saying they were aware of the charge and would not comment because of the "legal nature of this matter." A team spokesman declined to say whether Hardy remains on the payroll or has been suspended or placed on leave.

According to court documents, the person who filed the complaint and Hardy had been at a bar before returning to the Mayflower Hotel. The family member went to sleep and awoke to find Hardy sharing the bed and making inappropriate sexual contact.

Second District police were called and two detectives arrived at 2 a.m.

After being interviewed Hardy was arrested.

It is The Times' practice not to name alleged sexual abuse victims.

Hardy played for the Kings from 1979-80 through 1987-88 and returned for the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons. He also played for the New York Rangers and Minnesota North Stars. After he retired as a player, he was a member of the coaching staff of the minor league Long Beach Ice Dogs before joining the Kings as an assistant coach for the 1999-2000 season.

He left after 2005-06 for an assistant coaching job with the Chicago Blackhawks before returning to the Kings in August 2008. He has been in charge of the team's penalty-killing unit in addition to working closely with the team's defensemen.


NHL.com profile:

Coach Hardy's Playing Statistics

Mark Hardy returned to the Kings on August 4, 2008 after spending two seasons with the Blackhawks, where he successfully oversaw the development of a young blueline that played a major role in Chicago's team goals-against-average dropping from 3.40 in 2005-06 to 2.82 in '07-08. Hardy, 49, had served as an assistant coach with the Kings for the previous seven and a half seasons (1998-99 to 2005-06). His responsibilities while in Los Angeles focused on defensive play, penalty killing and overall play without the puck. Hardy's penalty killing unit ranked third in the NHL for the 2001-02 season with an 86.6% success rate which marked the second best in Kings history.

After enjoying a 15-year NHL career as a defenseman for the Kings, New York Rangers and Minnesota North Stars, Hardy turned to coaching as an assistant coach with the Long Beach Ice Dogs (IHL) prior to joining the Kings coaching staff.

Hardy was originally selected by the Kings in the second round, 30th overall, in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. He played his junior hockey (QMJHL) in Montreal with current Blackhawks Head Coach Denis Savard. Hardy was twice named the Kings Outstanding Defenseman (1984-85 and 1986-87). He stayed with the Kings until 1988. After two stints with the Rangers and a short run with the North Stars, Hardy returned to the Kings in 1993 and helped the team advance to the Stanley Cup Finals that season. He concluded his NHL playing career the following season (1993-94) with the Kings.

In 915 career NHL games, Hardy, a native of Samedan, Switzerland, recorded 368 points (62 goals, 306 assists) and 1,293 penalty minutes.

Mark and his wife, Kristina, have two children, a daughter, Jessica, and a son, Kevin.