Hot lap is a term that is associated with some sports.
A 'hot lap', also called a 'flying lap' or a 'timed lap', is a complete lap around a racetrack that takes place in free practice or qualification, the time of which is recorded. In general, when hot lapping, the goal is to achieve the fastest possible time around the circuit. [1] During practice, this may just be to achieve a personal record, or a track record. In qualification, it would be to get the best possible starting grid position. [2]
Karen Bevan used a hot lap to win the 2020 Courtmacsherry 10k road race.[ citation needed ]
Hot-lapping may also refer to a superstitious routine that ice hockey players, and sometimes other team personnel, perform hours before a game for good luck, in which one skates around the perimeter of the rink alone. For example, the Washington Capitals have employed hot-lapping in preparation for games during their 2018 Stanley Cup championship run, as well as their Stanley Cup Finals opponent, the Vegas Golden Knights. [3] [4]
Hot lapping may also refer to the act of drawing attention to one self at the expense of another person's life, particularly through eulogies or social media posts.
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, and is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, headed by Ted Leonsis. The Capitals initially played their home games at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, before moving to the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., in 1997.
Dale Robert Hunter is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and the former head coach of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League and current co-owner, president, and two-time Memorial Cup-winning head coach of the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. He was born in Petrolia, Ontario, but grew up in nearby Oil Springs, Ontario. He is the middle of three Hunter brothers, with older brother Dave and younger brother Mark, to play in the NHL.
Marc-André Fleury is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Fleury played major junior for four seasons with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, earning both the Mike Bossy Trophy as the league's top prospect and the Telus Cup as the top defensive player in 2003. He joined the Penguins in 2003–04 and during his 13 seasons with the team won Stanley Cup championships in 2009, 2016, and 2017. He received the William M. Jennings Trophy and the Vezina Trophy in 2021. He is the third goaltender to ever reach the 500 victories mark in the NHL, after Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur.
Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Ovi" and "the Great Eight" in reference to his jersey number, Ovechkin is widely regarded as one of the greatest goal scorers of all time. Second only to Wayne Gretzky for all-time goal scoring, Ovechkin also holds many records, including the most power play goals, most goals in away games, and most goals with the same team in NHL history. He is the third NHL player, behind Gordie Howe and Gretzky, to score 800 goals in the regular season.
The 1998 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1997–98 season, and the culmination of the 1998 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by the Western Conference champion and defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings and the Eastern Conference champion Washington Capitals. It was the 105th year of the Stanley Cup being contested. The series was the Capitals' first appearance in a Stanley Cup Finals since the franchise's inception in 1974. The Red Wings won the series for the second year in a row, four games to none, to capture their ninth Stanley Cup in team history. This was the fourth consecutive Stanley Cup Finals that concluded with a sweep, as well as the most recent time it has happened. Detroit coach Scotty Bowman won his eighth Stanley Cup in that capacity, tying him with former Canadiens coach Toe Blake for the record of most Cups won by a coach.
Rivalries in the National Hockey League have occurred between many teams and cities. Rivalries have arisen among NHL teams for many different reasons, the primary ones including geographic proximity, familiarity with opponents, on-ice incidents, and cultural, linguistic, or national pride.
Richard Brooks Orpik is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). A stay-at-home defenseman and locker room leader, Orpik is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, winning with the Penguins in 2009 and with the Capitals in 2018.
George McPhee is a Canadian ice hockey executive currently serving as the president of hockey operations for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). McPhee served general manager of the Washington Capitals and has also served as alternate governor, vice president and special assistant to the general manager of the New York Islanders. Resigning as the Golden Knights general manager on September 1, 2019, McPhee continues to serve as president of hockey operations.
Nicklas Bäckström is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Bäckström was selected fourth overall by the Capitals at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
Timothy Leif "T. J." Oshie is an American professional ice hockey right winger for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, as the 24th overall pick. He then spent the first seven years of his NHL career with the Blues before being traded to the Washington Capitals in 2015. Oshie won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Capitals in 2018.
Yevgeny Yevgenyevich Kuznetsov is a Russian professional ice hockey forward for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for Traktor Chelyabinsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He has represented Russia in junior and senior level competitions on numerous occasions, winning gold medals at the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, as well as at the 2012 IIHF World Championship and 2014 IIHF World Championship.
Braden Holtby is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He previously played for the Washington Capitals, Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the fourth round, 93rd overall, of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Capitals, with whom he spent the first ten seasons of his career.
Cody Eakin is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing with the SCL Tigers of the National League (NL). He was selected by the Washington Capitals in the third round, 85th overall, of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and has previously played for the Capitals, Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres.
Philipp Grubauer is a German professional ice hockey goaltender for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Nathan Thomas Schmidt is an American professional ice hockey player for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the Washington Capitals, Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks.
André Burakovsky is an Austrian-born Swedish professional ice hockey forward for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Washington Capitals, who drafted him 23rd overall in 2013, along with the Colorado Avalanche, who acquired his rights and consequently signed him during the 2019 offseason. Burakovsky is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, winning with the Capitals in 2018 and the Avalanche in 2022.
Zachary Michael Sanford is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Milwaukee Admirals in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Sanford won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019.
Chandler Stephenson is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the Washington Capitals organization, who had drafted him in 2012.
The 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL). The playoffs began on April 11, 2018, after the 2017–18 regular season and concluded on June 7, 2018, with the Washington Capitals winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history defeating the Vegas Golden Knights four games to one in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The 2018 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2017–18 season and the culmination of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Washington Capitals defeated the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights four games to one to win their first championship, in their 44th season. The Vegas Golden Knights made the Finals in their first season, while this was the second Finals appearance for the Capitals. This was the first Finals series since 2007 where neither team had previously won the Stanley Cup and the third consecutive year in which a Western Conference team made their Finals debut. This was the first Finals since 2014 to require fewer than six games. Washington captain Alexander Ovechkin was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs.