{"id":69117,"date":"2025-07-17T05:46:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T05:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/69117\/"},"modified":"2025-07-17T05:46:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T05:46:08","slug":"evgeny-kuznetsov-returns-to-medstar-capitals-iceplex-and-dominates-a-beer-league-hockey-game-i-doubt-he-broke-a-sweat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/69117\/","title":{"rendered":"Evgeny Kuznetsov returns to MedStar Capitals Iceplex and dominates a beer league hockey game: \u2018I doubt he broke a sweat\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wednesday night, Evgeny Kuznetsov<\/strong> was back on Washington Capitals ice for perhaps the first time since late January of the NHL\u2019s 2023-24 season<\/a>. The 2018 Stanley Cup champion center played beer league hockey at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, shocking other local players who took the ice.<\/p>\n

Wearing a number 92 jersey of his former KHL team, Traktor Chelyabinsk, Kuznetsov played up the middle and showed off his unbelievable skating despite mostly gliding and only going a quarter of his top speed.<\/p>\n

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\u201cOh my god,\u201d said one player watching Kuznetsov as he went on a rush down the ice and scored easily. \u201cJesus Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kuznetsov, per MedStar Capitals Iceplex\u2019s adult league website<\/a>, suited up for the Moose in an MCIAHL \u2013 Lower B game that began at 8:53 pm. The Moose, wearing white jerseys, defeated the Chiefs (black jerseys) 9-4, getting two goals and a primary assist from the two-time NHL All-Star. <\/p>\n

Kuznetsov scored his first tally with 3:45 remaining in the first period to put the Moose up 3-2. He later scored a power-play goal in the third period with 4:37 left in regulation to put the home team up 8-4. The Moose would improve their record to 11-4-0 with the victory.<\/p>\n

Josh Williams, a 24-year-old goalie for the Lower B team, the Beavers, and a lifelong Capitals fan, began playing a game on the other rink 10 minutes before the start of Kuznetsov\u2019s. He and his Beavers teammates then caught the end of Kuzy\u2019s matchup after hearing excited chatter around the rink about the former Caps star being there.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s unclear how or why he ended up playing,\u201d Williams said to RMNB. \u201cLike we don\u2019t know his connection to the Moose or if he knew anybody on that team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams added, \u201cWhat my teammates and I were trying to decide was, what is the equivalent of Kuzy coming down to our level. We were pretty sure that would be like one of our better players playing against a middle school team. And the league we\u2019re in is Lower B but it\u2019s mostly guys with club college hockey experience, people who played AA and AAA in the DMV area growing up. It\u2019s a pretty talented league, but he made them look like bantams. I doubt he broke a sweat.\u201d<\/p>\n

The goaltender also wanted to be clear that he was more pumping Kuznetsov\u2019s tires than giving any shade to the Chiefs \u2014 one of the best teams in the league.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Chiefs scored 10 on me in a 10-1 game vs my Beavers,\u201d he said. \u201cJust throwing that out there so I don\u2019t come off as talking down the Chiefs.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Mental note:<\/strong> The Chiefs are really good: got it.)<\/p>\n

\u201cTo see Kuzy popping by in our league is super special because he\u2019s responsible for some of, if not the greatest, hockey memories for all of us,\u201d Williams said. \u201cA bunch of young adults and grown men, some with wives and kids, were transported back to 2018 just for a brief moment when Kuzy scored tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kuznetsov returned to North America earlier this summer after mutually terminating his contract with SKA Saint Petersburg this past April<\/a>. The 33-year-old forward is looking for an NHL contract after playing the 2024-25 season with in Russia. Kuznetsov posted 37 points (12g, 25a) in 39 games with SKA, suiting up frequently on the same line as Montreal Canadiens\u2019 super rookie Ivan Demidov.<\/p>\n

Kuznetsov was first spotted back in the DC area in June after spending time with former Capitals teammate Alex Alexeyev. A few weeks later, Kuznetsov took a family trip and threw on Ilya Samsonov\u2019s goalie gear while skating in South Florida<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Evgeny Kuznetsov suits up as goaltender during offseason workouts while wearing Vegas Golden Knights jersey<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Wednesday night\u2019s jaunt on the ice was not the first time Kuznetsov\u2019s been spotted playing beer league in the area. In May 2023, Kuznetsov and close friend Dmitry Orlov took part in a rec league game at SkateQuest in Reston, Virginia shortly after the first round of NHL\u2019s Stanley Cup Playoffs ended.<\/p>\n

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Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov hit beer league circuit in DC with NHL seasons over<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Kuzy wasn\u2019t the only NHL star to take the ice in beer league action on Wednesday night. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were spotted playing with mere mortals at a Newmarket, Ontario ice rink as well.<\/p>\n

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Unlike Kuznetsov, however, they lost their beer-league game.<\/p>\n

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