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Russian Machine Never Breaks (RMNB) is a credentialed Washington, D.C. area hockey blog that covers professional ice hockey. Created in 2009, RMNB received local and national media attention when it was the first U.S. media outlet to cover the 2013 Russian meteor event in the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia.
RMNB is a fan-operated, credentialed, multinational hockey blog that covers the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League, the Hershey Bears (the Capitals' American Hockey League affiliate), and their respective players. Created in 2009 by Ian Oland and Peter Hassett, RMNB's mission is to "make hockey as fun to read about as it is to watch". [1] RMNB takes its name from current Capitals captain and Russian native, Alexander Ovechkin. In response to questions from the media about a potential injury after being hit with a puck, Ovechkin was quoted in 2006 stating, "I'm okay; Russian machine never breaks." [2]
In February 2013, RMNB received local and national media attention when co-founder and writer Peter Hassett, with contributing writers Fedor Fedin and Ian Oland, published the first U.S. media report about the Russian meteor event. [3] [4] [5]
In November 2013, the Washington Capitals announced that RMNB would contribute segments to their Emmy-winning television show, Caps Red Line. [6]
Russian Machine Never Breaks has eight current contributors. All staff members work full-time for other companies or are pursuing academic degrees in the United States and abroad.
Ian Oland is RMNB's co-founder (with Peter Hassett) and publisher. He is a graduate of University of Maryland, Baltimore County and works as the Senior Email Marketing Design Strategist at Visual Data Systems. His work has been published in The Washington Post . [7]
Peter Hassett is RMNB's co-founder (with Ian Oland) and managing editor. Hassett writes game recaps and analysis. He is a graduate of James Madison University and works as the Director of Technology at Patient Solutions at DrugDev.
Rachel Cohen is a graphic artist and the blog's lead illustrator. She graduated from the University of Hartford in 2013. Her work has been featured in The Hockey News and USA Today .
Chris Cerullo is a writer and analyst for RMNB. He graduated from the Catholic University of America in 2017. Cerullo writes game recaps, does RMNB's NHL Entry Draft coverage, and has an analysis series called Numbers for the Morning After that is posted the morning after every Capitals game.
Elyse Bailey is a writer for RMNB. She graduated from George Mason University and works as a USA Executive for VisitBritain.
Elizabeth Kong is a photographer and writer for RMNB. She also photographs music for DC101 Radio.
Cara Bahniuk is a photographer and associate art director for RMNB. She is a Loyola University Chicago graduate and works at The Pew Charitable Trusts.
On February 14, 2013, Peter Hassett was contacted by Moscow correspondent Fedor Fedin about reports of an explosion in Chelyabinsk, Russia. The writers were following news about Chelyabinsk because it is the hometown of Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov. [8] By gathering information from social media videos and Twitter, including an account from former NHL goalie Michael Garnett and other eyewitnesses, Fedin and Hassett discovered that a meteor had hit Chelyabinsk, and Hassett (with additional reporting by Fedin and Ian Oland) published the news on their blog. [9]
Following the story, Hassett was interviewed by Garance Franke-Ruta, a senior editor at The Atlantic . He confirmed that he published the article a little after 11:00 p.m. EST. Franke-Ruta wrote that The Associated Press did not break the news until 12:21 a.m. EST Friday, confirming that Hassett and RMNB were the first to report the story in the United States. After Franke-Ruta's story was published, other news outlets began to pick up the story. [5]
On Friday evening, Hassett was interviewed by Will Thomas of Fox News DC who also confirmed that RMNB was the first to report on the meteor. On Sunday morning February 17, 2013, Hassett and Gordon were interviewed by NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday host, Rachel Martin. [3] [4] On this broadcast Martin confirmed that RMNB was the first to break the story in the United States by "about an hour and a half".
Though not affiliated with the Washington Capitals nor endorsed by them, the Capitals' owner, Ted Leonsis, congratulated RMNB for its coverage of the meteor event. [10]
In August 2012, Russian Machine Never Breaks published a translation of an interview given by Washington Capitals goaltender Michal Neuvirth to František Suchan of iSportz.Cz. [11]
The interview contained controversial remarks about current teammate Braden Holtby, Capitals' captain Alexander Ovechkin, former teammate Alexander Semin, former coach Dale Hunter, and other Capitals players. The interview was picked up by hockey media in the United States and internationally. [12] [13] The following news outlets published all or parts of RMNB's translation: The Washington Post , [12] Sporting News , [14] NBC Sports' ProHockey Talk, [15] NHL SportsNet , [13] and Yahoo Sports. [16]
In response to the coverage, Michal Neuvirth conducted an interview with Washington Capitals senior writer Mike Vogel where he commented that "there was some misunderstanding. They changed my meaning a lot. I was talking about the boys in a good way. They translate to the way they want it. I feel like they got nothing to write about right now." [17] Neuvirth was also quoted by NHL News and Sportsnet, saying the interview was mistranslated. [18] [19]
On August 21, 2012, RMNB responded to criticisms of their translation by publishing a clarification about the interview. Hassett wrote, "While we stand by the articles we published, we acknowledge that translation is as much an art as it is an academic skill." [20] He wrote that, "Neuvirth's meaning may have been misconstrued." However, in a post on August 30, 2012, RMNB announced that its team had hired a professional translation firm, TransPerfect, to objectively translate the Neuvirth interview. RMNB compared TransPerfect's translation and its own side by side. [21] After review, RMNB stands by its translation as the writers felt the professional translation and their own were nearly identical in meaning and therefore accurate.
Leading into the Capitals 2011-12 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals matchup against the Boston Bruins, Hassett published an article discussing Tim Thomas's performance after he snubbed the U.S. president Barack Obama during the Bruins' Stanley Cup celebration at the White House. Via a chart, Hassett showed that as Obama's approval rating got stronger, Thomas's save percentage got weaker. [22] Because of this, Oland also made Obama signs and masks to try and throw Thomas off his game. Many Capitals fans in game three printed the signs out and wore the masks, gaining the blog national attention. Hockey Night in Canada did a segment on the posts during their live coverage of the game, The Huffington Post wrote a story about it, and ESPN's Pardon the Interruption discussed the signs and masks the next day on its show. [23] [24] [25]
The Barack the Red campaign is a petition by Capitals fans for former President Barack Obama to attend a Washington Capitals game. [26] The campaign was started by Ian Oland, co-founder of Russian Machine Never Breaks. The Barack the Red website features an open letter to President Obama and a petition with a link to the Facebook page where supporters are asked to "like" the page to show support for the campaign.
In 2011, Robert Gibbs, a senior campaign advisor for Barack Obama, was asked if President Obama were planning to attend a Washington Capitals game. [27] The reporter, The Washington Post 's Scott Wilson, referenced the Barack the Red campaign started by Oland.
President Obama has not attended a Washington Capitals game.
On September 22, 2014, Russian Machine Never Breaks revealed images from inside DC's Nationals Park that suggested the Washington Capitals would be introducing a new logo for the 2015 NHL Winter Classic. [28] The following day, RMNB was the first to post leaked images of the new Winter Classic jerseys prior to their official unveiling. [29] [30] [31]
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.
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 other records including for 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.
Alexander Valeryevich Semin is a Russian former professional ice hockey winger. He last played with HC Vityaz of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) the top league in Russia. He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens.
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.
Tatyana Nikolaevna Ovechkina is a former Soviet Russian basketball player who played for a national team that won two Olympic gold medals, the 1975 World Championships and six European Championships. Today, she runs the Russia women's national basketball program.
Semyon Aleksandrovich Varlamov is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Michal Neuvirth is a Czech former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played for the Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, and Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected 34th overall by the Washington Capitals in the second round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
Brett Leonhardt is a former ice hockey goaltender for the Kitchener Dutchmen of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL), the State University of New York at Oswego of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC), and Neumann College of ECAC West. He is currently an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He suited up twice as an emergency backup goaltender (EBUG) for the Washington Capitals, on December 12, 2008, and November 29, 2013.
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.
The 2010–11 Washington Capitals season is the 37th season for the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League (NHL). Despite the Capitals' first round exit in the 2010 Playoffs, ticket prices for this season were increased between 13 and 50 percent.
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.
Michal Kempný is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing with HC Sparta Praha in the Czech Extraliga (ELH). Kempný formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) and won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Washington Capitals in 2018.
The 2011–12 Washington Capitals season was the franchise's 38th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). Washington finished the year as the seventh place team in the Eastern Conference. In the opening round of the playoffs, they matched up with the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. Due to injuries, the Capitals were forced to play rookie goaltender Braden Holtby. Washington's defeat of the Bruins marked the first time in NHL history in which all seven games of a series were decided by one goal. Facing the East's top seed in the Conference Semi-finals, Washington was defeated in seven games by the New York Rangers. Holtby was lauded for his playoff performance, where he recorded a .935 save percentage and was credited with putting Washington in a position to win each game.
The 2015 NHL Winter Classic was an outdoor ice hockey game played in the National Hockey League (NHL) on January 1, 2015, at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. The seventh edition of the Winter Classic, it matched the Chicago Blackhawks against the Washington Capitals. The Capitals won, 3–2, after right winger Troy Brouwer scored the go-ahead goal with less than 13 seconds remaining in regulation play. This marked the first time in Winter Classic history that the home team won in regulation. The game garnered an attendance of 42,832, and was televised nationally in the United States on NBC and in Canada on CBC.
Ilya Alexeyevich Samsonov is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Jonas Siegenthaler is a Swiss professional ice hockey defenceman for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the 2nd round, 57th overall in 2015 by the Washington Capitals, who he previously played for until he was traded to the Devils.
The Capitals–Flyers rivalry is a National Hockey League (NHL) rivalry between the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers ice hockey clubs. Both teams compete in the NHL's Eastern Conference Metropolitan Division. The two teams have been rivals since the Capitals inception in the 1974–75 season, but became most intense in the 1980s when the Capitals joined the Patrick Division. The rivalry was renewed in the late 2000s and 2010s with both teams being equally competitive resulting in two playoff matches in 2008 and 2016.
The Capitals–Penguins rivalry is an ice hockey rivalry between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. Both teams have played in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference since 2013. This rivalry stems from the 11 playoff series that the two teams have met in, which is second most between NHL expansion teams behind the Dallas Stars and the St. Louis Blues. Pittsburgh won in every series except for the 1994 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals and 2018 Eastern Conference Second Round, in which Pittsburgh were heavily favored both times. There is also only a 250-mile drive between the cities of Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh, allowing visiting fans of both teams to attend each other's games in fairly large quantities. In addition to the geography and deep playoff history, the emergence of Alexander Ovechkin (Washington) and Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh) as two of the NHL's biggest superstars has fueled the rivalry.
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.
