Confirmed with Link: Washington Capitals have acquired defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for defenseman Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pic

[Jags]

We had season tickets at the Cap Centre when I was a kid, lots of fun memories. My favorite though was my first year getting season tickets of my own -- the 97-98 Cup year. I was 23, just started making decent money, went in on a pair of tickets at the Phone Booth with my roommate.

The crucial part of having season tickets -- and I don't think this gets mentioned enough -- is the people that sit around you. We had a good group around us; people that used their tickets and were there for almost every game. Pretty much the same people all the time.

So I went out on a limb and took a date to a game who wasn't really familiar with hockey. And you know how that can go -- your seatmates can get icy if the newcomer is a drag that doesn't engage. We hadn't been going out long, but she wanted to see what it was about and seemed to have the right attitude.

It could have gone horribly, but she bought in early, seemed to get offsides mostly after one explanation. She spilled a soda in the 2nd, total dump job that swept under the feet of people two rows in front of us. But she'd been cool and fun, so they were nice about it. They laughed when she chanted "Goalie!" instead of "Olie!" because at least she had the position right -- stuff like that.

Then a fight broke out in the 3rd. People that don't know the game still know there's fighting, but this is a pivotal moment for a newcomer. Shit on the pugilism and our seatmates would turn on her and I'd get side-eye for a month. So when the fight popped off and everyone jumped to their feet and she hesitated, I had a moment of doubt.

I think she was expecting it to be up on the big screen or maybe just had trouble figuring out what was going on. But then she got it, digested it, stood up, and shouted the 4 words you always love to hear from your new girlfriend -- "Kick his f***ing ass!"

She immediately covered her mouth and went wide-eyed, worried that she might have gotten too caught up in the moment. But they loved it. And I fell in love with her right there on the spot.

Now I'd love to wrap this up by saying it led to a blissful marriage and our first grandkid is on the way or whatever, but no. She turned out to be a psycho. If she popped up on an episode of America's Most Wanted, you'd just kinda shrug and go, "That tracks."

But she loved hockey, so that was fun for about a year. (Though I guess if she hadn't we might've broken up immediately and I'd still have ten fingers...)

(Kidding.)

(Mostly.)

 

[Holtbyisms]

So many great memories in the old building. We had season tickets in the nose bleeds. I remember always looking up at the cracks in the ceiling wondering when it would collapse on me...lol Couple not so great ones too. I'll never forget a drunk penguins fan trying to rip my Bondra jersey off in the parking lot after a Penguins playoff win. I was probably 10-11 at the time with my 105lb 5'3" mother because my dad got stuck at work. That day my hate for the Penguins ballooned to what it is today.

 

[Calicaps]

We had season tickets at the Cap Centre when I was a kid, lots of fun memories. My favorite though was my first year getting season tickets of my own -- the 97-98 Cup year. I was 23, just started making decent money, went in on a pair of tickets at the Phone Booth with my roommate.

The crucial part of having season tickets -- and I don't think this gets mentioned enough -- is the people that sit around you. We had a good group around us; people that used their tickets and were there for almost every game. Pretty much the same people all the time.

So I went out on a limb and took a date to a game who wasn't really familiar with hockey. And you know how that can go -- your seatmates can get icy if the newcomer is a drag that doesn't engage. We hadn't been going out long, but she wanted to see what it was about and seemed to have the right attitude.

It could have gone horribly, but she bought in early, seemed to get offsides mostly after one explanation. She spilled a soda in the 2nd, total dump job that swept under the feet of people two rows in front of us. But she'd been cool and fun, so they were nice about it. They laughed when she chanted "Goalie!" instead of "Olie!" because at least she had the position right -- stuff like that.

Then a fight broke out in the 3rd. People that don't know the game still know there's fighting, but this is a pivotal moment for a newcomer. Shit on the pugilism and our seatmates would turn on her and I'd get side-eye for a month. So when the fight popped off and everyone jumped to their feet and she hesitated, I had a moment of doubt.

I think she was expecting it to be up on the big screen or maybe just had trouble figuring out what was going on. But then she got it, digested it, stood up, and shouted the 4 words you always love to hear from your new girlfriend -- "Kick his f***ing ass!"

She immediately covered her mouth and went wide-eyed, worried that she might have gotten too caught up in the moment. But they loved it. And I fell in love with her right there on the spot.

Now I'd love to wrap this up by saying it led to a blissful marriage and our first grandkid is on the way or whatever, but no. She turned out to be a psycho. If she popped up on an episode of America's Most Wanted, you'd just kinda shrug and go, "That tracks."

But she loved hockey, so that was fun for about a year. (Though I guess if she hadn't we might've broken up immediately and I'd still have ten fingers...)

(Kidding.)

(Mostly.)

The seatmate thing is SO real. Ours watched me and sisters grow up.

Other than that, this story wins. No need for any further memory sharing.

 

[Calicaps]

Nice pull! I vividly remember it but i was listening on the radio road tripping to UVA - got there right after he scored. Side note for old UVA folk... We bar hopped and ended the night at the Bat Cave and amazingly got a ride home from a cute pre-goth era goth girl who decked out her car to be like the Bat Mobile. EDIT. I think that was the night heh.

Look at Rod jumping into the play a la Paul Coffey, LW. Any D man can do that.

Oh Captain My Captain!

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I can still recall getting seats so cheap….last row in the Cap Center, you literally had that row pounding on the ceiling…..

I miss that barn…..some great memories….and a lot of pain…..

 

[Eirikrautha]

I hated the way that Caps fans would be outnumbered at the Cap Centre. Saw many a game where the cheers for the visiting goals were louder than for the Caps.

I remember vividly the first game I saw at the MCI after it was built. Didn't go to any games early in the season (was living in Blacksburg), but I went to a game on like the 2nd or 3rd of January in 98. It was against the Rags, who we had owned up to that point in the season. The MCI was still 60/40 Rags/Caps fans, much to my disappointment. But I remember thinking, "Now this is a hockey arena!" We dropped 2 (Tinordi with a goal and an assist) on the Rags in the first, and the place was pretty quiet. I figured we had the game in the bag, after the way we had dominated them recently. Then Gretzky scored twice (bracketing someone, maybe LaFontaine?), the last one with like 5 minutes left in the 3rd. The Rags win 3-2. I walked out thinking, "Not an auspicious start to my live hockey at MCI, but at least I saw the greatest goal scorer who ever lived win a tight one at the end. Something I can tell my (future, at that point) kids about."

How little I knew...

 

[Corby78]

It was a shithole. But it was our shithole.

This

I hated the way that Caps fans would be outnumbered at the Cap Centre. Saw many a game where the cheers for the visiting goals were louder than for the Caps.

I remember vividly the first game I saw at the MCI after it was built. Didn't go to any games early in the season (was living in Blacksburg), but I went to a game on like the 2nd or 3rd of January in 98. It was against the Rags, who we had owned up to that point in the season. The MCI was still 60/40 Rags/Caps fans, much to my disappointment. But I remember thinking, "Now this is a hockey arena!" We dropped 2 (Tinordi with a goal and an assist) on the Rags in the first, and the place was pretty quiet. I figured we had the game in the bag, after the way we had dominated them recently. Then Gretzky scored twice (bracketing someone, maybe LaFontaine?), the last one with like 5 minutes left in the 3rd. The Rags win 3-2. I walked out thinking, "Not an auspicious start to my live hockey at MCI, but at least I saw the greatest goal scorer who ever lived win a tight one at the end. Something I can tell my (future, at that point) kids about."

How little I knew...

Whe I was little my dad had to stop me from chanting “go home flyers” because it actually was all the Philly fans chanting “let’s go flyers”

 

[tycoonheart]

Merryweather was (is?) amazing. That's where I learned to love the Dead--the '85 shows--IYKYK.

Just as dangerous back then, just not as publicized/talked about.

Honestly don't recall the details... it was the first and only new car my mom ever bought in her life. So probably a 4 cyl. Hideous. Tan with a black rag top and flimsy AF.

Easter epic stands out as a shit memory at Landover, along pretty much all those Isles and Flyers playoff heartbreakers. The Goal in '88 washed a lot of the early pain away at least.

Merryweather was definitely one of the better venues in the area. Haven't been in a very long time so not sure how it is these days.

Most of my memories of shows are from 980 Club. If you were a hiphop head who grew up in the DC area that was where you wanted to be. Last time I was there was back in 2005 to see Digable Planets. Was a great time. I'm too old to go out to concerts now.

 

[Calicaps]

Merryweather was definitely one of the better venues in the area. Haven't been in a very long time so not sure how it is these days.

Most of my memories of shows are from 980 Club. If you were a hiphop head who grew up in the DC area that was where you wanted to be. Last time I was there was back in 2005 to see Digable Planets. Was a great time. I'm too old to go out to concerts now.

Guessing you meant 930.... such an awesome spot. Also loved DC Space and Cellar Door. And Fort Reno... And the Birchmere. There was so much great music back in the day.

 

[marcel snapshot]

That OT winner from Langway was such a muffin - but they all count. That put us up 3-1 in the series and they actually won the next one to finally punch through to the semis - only to get unceremoniously swept by the Bs.

Great memories from the Cap Centre - most everyone there was into hockey, because the building was located so far out. And it could get loud in there. The parking lot was huge but easily accessible, and you could go out between periods pull a cold one from your cooler, smoke some weed, and toss the frisbee.

I remember a game from 89 against Gretzky's Kings, where the Caps scored two goals in the last 50 seconds to come back from a 4-2 deficit, and after the tying goal with 5 seconds to play that was set up by a nice play from Larry Murphy, place was going crazy and I found myself standing next to Abe Pollin who was celebrating - and I said "Abe why do the fans hate Murph," and he just said "I dunno." And Murphy was traded to the North Stars a month later in the Gartner/Murphy for Dino/Rouse deal.

 

[Kalopsia]

I love this so much. I miss our seats... but I really miss my dad. Cherish every minute.

Aw, sorry about your dad. I promise I’m cherishing every minute with mine. He’s retired now so he splits his season tickets with two other guys and sells some of em to make up the cost, but we still go to ~5-8 a year together.

One quick story about him - in 2000, when I was 7, he won an essay contest to be the Caps owner for a night. Dick Patrick hosted me and my parents in the owners box for a Caps-Thrashers game, which had a free buffet that boggled my little mind. I ate so many strawberries and drank so much soda… I also got to ride on the Zamboni after the first period! At the end of the game, which the Caps won pretty handily something like 5-2, they took me and my dad down to the entrance to the Caps locker room and asked me who my favorite Caps was. In a moment of totally accidental brilliance, I said it was a tie between Peter Bondra and Adam Oates (because I didn’t want to hurt one’s feelings by picking the other), so they brought both of them out to sign sticks for me. That was the absolute peak of my childhood. Hell, it’s probably still my peak!

We had season tickets at the Cap Centre when I was a kid, lots of fun memories. My favorite though was my first year getting season tickets of my own -- the 97-98 Cup year. I was 23, just started making decent money, went in on a pair of tickets at the Phone Booth with my roommate.

The crucial part of having season tickets -- and I don't think this gets mentioned enough -- is the people that sit around you. We had a good group around us; people that used their tickets and were there for almost every game. Pretty much the same people all the time.

So I went out on a limb and took a date to a game who wasn't really familiar with hockey. And you know how that can go -- your seatmates can get icy if the newcomer is a drag that doesn't engage. We hadn't been going out long, but she wanted to see what it was about and seemed to have the right attitude.

It could have gone horribly, but she bought in early, seemed to get offsides mostly after one explanation. She spilled a soda in the 2nd, total dump job that swept under the feet of people two rows in front of us. But she'd been cool and fun, so they were nice about it. They laughed when she chanted "Goalie!" instead of "Olie!" because at least she had the position right -- stuff like that.

Then a fight broke out in the 3rd. People that don't know the game still know there's fighting, but this is a pivotal moment for a newcomer. Shit on the pugilism and our seatmates would turn on her and I'd get side-eye for a month. So when the fight popped off and everyone jumped to their feet and she hesitated, I had a moment of doubt.

I think she was expecting it to be up on the big screen or maybe just had trouble figuring out what was going on. But then she got it, digested it, stood up, and shouted the 4 words you always love to hear from your new girlfriend -- "Kick his f***ing ass!"

She immediately covered her mouth and went wide-eyed, worried that she might have gotten too caught up in the moment. But they loved it. And I fell in love with her right there on the spot.

Now I'd love to wrap this up by saying it led to a blissful marriage and our first grandkid is on the way or whatever, but no. She turned out to be a psycho. If she popped up on an episode of America's Most Wanted, you'd just kinda shrug and go, "That tracks."

But she loved hockey, so that was fun for about a year. (Though I guess if she hadn't we might've broken up immediately and I'd still have ten fingers...)

(Kidding.)

(Mostly.)

Great story, sorry you didn’t get the storybook ending! I just made the friends-to-dating transition with a girl who knows nothing about hockey but is really excited to get into it and go to games with me. I streamed some playoff games with her to teach her the basics and it didn’t scare her off, so that feels like a good sign. I just bought her some Caps gear when Dick’s had a huge sale the other day, gonna surprise her with it when she visits in a couple weeks. Fingers crossed it works out better for me!

 

[YippieKaey]

Don't wanna skid all over memory lane (by all means continue) but im curious, how good is Chychrun actually? Like a clear cut #1 D-man or something below that?

 

[Rayquaza64]

Don't wanna skid all over memory lane (by all means continue) but im curious, how good is Chychrun actually? Like a clear cut #1 D-man or something below that?

probably a #2/#3 in reality, a 1D would be his absolute ceiling but he has never hit that in his life and that is mostly prospect pedigree talking

 

[twabby]

Don't wanna skid all over memory lane (by all means continue) but im curious, how good is Chychrun actually? Like a clear cut #1 D-man or something below that?

I think he's a #3. I don't put him quite on the level of Orlov or Niskanen in their primes, and those are two guys I'd consider solid to very good #2 defensemen. But Chychrun should be able to easily handle second pair minutes even if he won't likely dominate them.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Still soloing some concert in the 80s deserve some props. Can't tell if my instincts or correct but seems like not as dangerous during that times but being by yourself no joke.

So tell me at least it was a 80s Mustang 6/4 banger. Man those were awful bodies.

Agreed on the memories of Landover Cap Center. Did not have many negative...mainly the 4 OT playoff lost to the Pens (f*** off Nedved). Merryweather Post Pavilion though man F that venue.

Were you one of those that threw beer on the ice? I wasn't there live, but I do remember coming home from work and it was around semester finals time. I was pissed and hate Nedved lol. I remember when the Kings beat Vancouver in the 93 series, Nedved asked Gretzky for an autograph stick during the handshake lol.

 

[usiel]

Were you one of those that threw beer on the ice? I wasn't there live, but I do remember coming home from work and it was around semester finals time. I was pissed and hate Nedved lol. I remember when the Kings beat Vancouver in the 93 series, Nedved asked Gretzky for an autograph stick during the handshake lol.

Been at least three periods since they sold beer at the concession stands so not sure how anyone could have husband their beer to the 4th OT, heh.

 

[Eirikrautha]

Were you one of those that threw beer on the ice? I wasn't there live, but I do remember coming home from work and it was around semester finals time. I was pissed and hate Nedved lol. I remember when the Kings beat Vancouver in the 93 series, Nedved asked Gretzky for an autograph stick during the handshake lol.

Yeah, I got home from teaching a late class at Tech, and my roommate was watching the one TV and didn't want to change it over to the end of the Caps game. HTS always reran the game right after, so I waited until that chuckle-head was done watching his show, then flipped it over to catch the replay. The game was just entering the first overtime, and I was floored! I about died at 1:30 AM (or so I remember) when Nedved scored... God, it was painful!

 

[Kalopsia]

Kinda glad I was only 2 when the 4OT game happened so I missed out on that trauma. I did however cry myself to sleep at age 4 when the Wings swept us. I couldn’t understand why they didn’t just let us win one to be nice.

 

[usiel]

Kinda glad I was only 2 when the 4OT game happened so I missed out on that trauma. I did however cry myself to sleep at age 4 when the Wings swept us. I couldn’t understand why they didn’t just let us win one to be nice.

Why am I blanking on the missed open net by a Caps player against the Wings in the SCP that probably would have at least have them win one game, sigh oldz.

That Wings team was pretty stacked: 1997–98 Detroit Red Wings season - Wikipedia.

I do still remember Konstantinov getting wheeled onto the ice for the celebration.

 

[Lou Sassole]

Why am I blanking on the missed open net by a Caps player against the Wings in the SCP that probably would have at least have them win one game, sigh oldz.

That Wings team was pretty stacked: 1997–98 Detroit Red Wings season - Wikipedia.

I do still remember Konstantinov getting wheeled onto the ice for the celebration.

Tikkanen.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Kinda glad I was only 2 when the 4OT game happened so I missed out on that trauma. I did however cry myself to sleep at age 4 when the Wings swept us. I couldn’t understand why they didn’t just let us win one to be nice.

I was 23 and I was just elated to finally get in the finals lol.

Been at least three periods since they sold beer at the concession stands so not sure how anyone could have husband their beer to the 4th OT, heh.

It might've been drinks. I remember the coverage I was watching, I think ESPN2 then were mad about the stoppage of play due to fans. Who can forget the failed Juneau Penalty shot too.

 

[usiel]

I was 23 and I was just elated to finally get in the finals lol.



It might've been drinks. I remember the coverage I was watching, I think ESPN2 then were mad about the stoppage of play due to fans. Who can forget the failed Juneau Penalty shot too.

Forgot about the penalty snot...more sad now.

 

[Calicaps]

Forgot about the penalty snot...more sad now.

penalty snot! I'm dead.

but no more sadz. 2018 washed it all away.

 

[HeyMattyB]

I hated the way that Caps fans would be outnumbered at the Cap Centre. Saw many a game where the cheers for the visiting goals were louder than for the Caps.

I remember vividly the first game I saw at the MCI after it was built. Didn't go to any games early in the season (was living in Blacksburg), but I went to a game on like the 2nd or 3rd of January in 98. It was against the Rags, who we had owned up to that point in the season. The MCI was still 60/40 Rags/Caps fans, much to my disappointment. But I remember thinking, "Now this is a hockey arena!" We dropped 2 (Tinordi with a goal and an assist) on the Rags in the first, and the place was pretty quiet. I figured we had the game in the bag, after the way we had dominated them recently. Then Gretzky scored twice (bracketing someone, maybe LaFontaine?), the last one with like 5 minutes left in the 3rd. The Rags win 3-2. I walked out thinking, "Not an auspicious start to my live hockey at MCI, but at least I saw the greatest goal scorer who ever lived win a tight one at the end. Something I can tell my (future, at that point) kids about."

How little I knew...

I was at that game, too. The tickets were a 20th birthday present. It was the only time I saw Gretzky play in person.

Guessing you meant 930.... such an awesome spot. Also loved DC Space and Cellar Door. And Fort Reno... And the Birchmere. There was so much great music back in the day.

Fort Reno forever. Among many highlights, I saw late-era Fugazi play "Waiting Room" (a rarity at that point) during a wild thunderstorm there. I played there a few times, too. Too bad I can't squeeze into my Fort Reno T-shirt anymore.

Anyway, very happy with this NHL trade

 

[IafrateOvie34]

penalty snot! I'm dead.

but no more sadz. 2018 washed it all away.

Yeah, it's easy to forget now lol.