Report: NHL, Nationals in discussion on Winter Classic venue

By Dhiren MahibanAug 16, 2014, 2:57 PM EDT

News of the Washington Capitals hosting the 2015 Winter Classic broke almost a year ago in September 2013, but as of this writing, there’s still no decision on a venue.

The Capitals and Blackhawks are scheduled to play outdoors in Washington on New Years Day.

According to a story in the Washington Post, there are still on-going discussions regarding a venue for the game.

NHL officials visited Nationals Park home to the Washington Nationals, RFK Stadium where the MLS’ D.C. United play home games and FedEx Field home of the Washington Redskins.

The report says FedEx Field has already been ruled out due to a Dec. 28 football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Redskins. According to the Post, there wouldn’t be enough time following the football game for an outdoor rink to be assembled for a 1 p.m. puck drop on Jan. 1.

Events DC CEO Greg O’Dell confirmed that the NHL is currently in discussions with the Nationals to host the Winter Classic at the ball park.

“I have not been told definitively by anybody that they have ceased discussions,” he said.

The January game will be the second one outdoors for the Capitals while the Blackhawks played in the 2009 Winter Classic and played against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Stadium Series game last season.

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Chris Carpenter is also good at hockey

By Mike HalfordNov 3, 2011, 5:36 PM EDT

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You know those guys that are naturally good at sports? They’re just like me and you…except they’re tall, in shape, super coordinated and rarely trip while walking.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter is one of those guys. At 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, he’s blessed with the type of physique and natural athletic ability to make it far in baseball, which he has.

And he might’ve made it far in hockey as well.

Carpenter skated with the St. Louis Blues this afternoon, just six days after being the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the 2011 World Series.

According to NHL.com, Carpenter has a pretty rich hockey history:

When he was 16, Carpenter was an all-state defenseman for Trinity High School in Manchester, N.H. He was an all-stater his last three seasons in high school, and scouts from the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins were checking to see if he had an interest in pursuing hockey on a full-time basis.

Carpenter chose baseball instead.

“It was always a dream to do that (play hockey), but I think I chose the right route,” said Carpenter, who was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays with the No. 15 pick in 1993. “Hockey made you much tougher, I know that. Growing up playing hockey made me much tougher than baseball would have. It’s a tougher sport, funner sport. I enjoy it a lot.”

The Blues certainly enjoyed having Carpenter at practice. Injured forward David Perron was tweeting up a storm, informing followers that Carpenter was “snapping pucks around” and that “his baseball skills came out when he batted one out of the air in the net.”

Here’s video of Carpenter during today’s skate:

So yeah, Chris Carpenter is pretty good at baseball and hockey. We now return you to your regularly-scheduled not being good at any sports.

Tony La Russa will drop the puck at “Cardinals Night with the Blues”

By Mike HalfordNov 2, 2011, 4:11 PM EDT

On Friday, the St. Louis Blues will host the Vancouver Canucks at the Scottrade Center in what’s being called “Cardinals Night with the Blues.”

In case the name didn’t give it away, “Cardinals Night with the Blues” is a chance for St. Louis fans to celebrate the local baseball team, which recently won a big match or something. (*Jokes*)

There are several initiatives planned for the game, including:

— Mezzanine Level tickets for $11.11. This is in honor of the Cardinals winning their 11th World Championship in 2011. Imagine if the Phoenix Coyotes had tried this when the Arizona Diamondbacks won their first World Series in 2001.

— The chance to honor Game 7 winner Chris Carpenter’s No. 29 jersey with a Plaza Level ticket for just $29. So, who’s gonna be the cheapskate that shows up in a No. 3 Ryan Theriot jersey, claiming it’s to honor his 0-for-5 effort in the finale?

— Fans wearing Cardinals gear at the game can visit concession stands for buy one, get one free hot dogs. I can just see the potential confusion here. “Sir, that’s an Arizona Cardinals jersey.” “Sir, that’s a Louisville Cardinals jersey.” “Sir, that’s an actual cardinal. We’re calling animal control.”

— Recently-retired manager Tony La Russa will be in attendance to drop the puck for the ceremonial faceoff. The Blues website says that other “Cardinals guests” will also be in attendance — wonder if one of them will be World Series MVP David Freese who, according to CBC’s Gord Stellick, is a big hockey fan that grew up idolizing former Blues defenseman Al MacInnis. (MacInnis is now a member of the Blues’ front office.)

Chicago Cubs draft Wayne Gretzky’s son Trevor in MLB Draft’s seventh round

By James O'BrienJun 8, 2011, 12:45 PM EDT

It’s unclear if he will actually sign with the Chicago Cubs rather than play for former MLB great Tony Gwynn at San Diego State, but either way, Trevor Gretzky can boast that he was more than just a famous hockey player’s son. He also happened to be a good enough baseball player to get drafted by the Cubs in the seventh round on Tuesday.

Gretzky generated some buzz – even if it revolved mostly around nepotism – by playing football at the same Oaks Christian High School as Joe Montana’s son Nick and Will Smith’s son Trey as well. Trevor is a first baseman who seems to generate most of his attention by thanks to his success as a hitter.

For many, it might be surprising that Trevor focused his athletic energies on baseball and football rather than hockey. Then again, it probably makes for a lower-stress lifestyle to earn mild attention because of his last name in different sports rather than trying to live up to the legacy of the most famous hockey player in history.

Avoiding that attention wasn’t really why Trevor focused on baseball, though. Apparently he simply fell in love with the sport first, as he told MLB.com.

“Being here in Southern California, I always said, ‘Play what you want to play, participate in whatever you want to participate in,'” said Gretzky. “But the reality is that in Southern California, as great a sport as hockey is, this is still a baseball community, football community, golf, tennis, lacrosse.

“I was lucky that all the kids took to sports and they played hockey for fun at a young age, but they really put a lot of time into sports that they had a passion for. So it’s great that Trevor’s on a really good high school baseball team. It’s great to watch the kid play. It’s a very well-coached team for a high school team, it’s really enjoyable seeing how he has progressed since being a freshman in high school.”

The younger Gretzky, who hit .341 with two home runs and 33 RBIs as a junior last year, fell in love with baseball at an early age.

“I was introduced to it in New York, when my dad was playing for the Rangers,” Trevor recalled. “I remember him taking me to a Yankee game, and ever since then I wanted to play and it’s been my dream to be in the Major Leagues since then.”

Becoming a seventh round pick doesn’t necessarily guarantee that Trevor will live that dream – especially since he might opt for NCAA baseball instead – but it shows that the dream is still alive. Maybe he won’t be a “Great One” in MLB history, yet that being said, even his famous father had his fair share of doubters as he approached the professional level.