LAUGHLIN IS TO CAPS WHAT COATES WAS TO FLYERS

 Hockey, hockey, and … more hockey ...


Welcome back … one of sports’ really good 

people, CRAIG LAUGHLIN, who returned 

to the Washington Capitals’ TV booth 

Sunday (March 30) after missing more than 

two months recovering from open heart 

surgery … “Well, look what the dog just 

dragged in,” said on-air partner JOE 

BENINATI.


Laughlin, 67, has been to the Caps what 

former Richmond Robin STEVE COATES, 

now retired, was to the Philadelphia Flyers 

radio/TV … friendly, fun guys who played 

the game yet learned early on to take what 

they did, but not themselves, seriously … In 

fact, they enjoyed each other’s company so 

much that the give-and-take kidding 

occasionally got serious. In town to conduct 

a youth clinic for FRED FESTA’s Ice Den in 

Powhatan a couple of years ago, Laughlin 

recalled being a guest on Coates’ between-

periods show and … “we talked about a lot of 

stuff … it wasn’t scripted, you know … and 

we said, “Yeah, let’s fight,’ and I actually hit 

him a good one, right on the chin … and he 

was really upset. Maybe that’s why he’s 

retiring …” (And Laughlin laughed.) “That 

was a lot of fun,” he said, adding,”Coatsey 

and I are very similar. We love, and have a 

passion for the game … and we always want 

to have fun … always.”



Speaking of Festa … Richmond BizSense 

yesterday (April 1) reported he’s going 

ahead with a two-rink facility in Chesterfield 

County. To be constructed near the River 

City Sportsplex, they will be regulation size 

… but, with seating expected to be about 400 

for each, they will not serve as home for a 

minor-league team … only as a potential 

training/practice site … Festa previously 

said he would like to own an ECHL franchise 

here.


------- New York Rangers Insider began a 

weekend piece with … “PETER 

LAVIOLETTE’s latest move could cost his 

job as fans are furious” … about the 

embattled coach replacing ZAC JONES with

 URHO VAAKANAINEN for last week’s 

game at Anaheim, a 5-4 loss in overtime 

after blowing a two-goal lead the final 5:48 

of regulation … It’s about time the Big Apple 

media recognized how well Jones, the 24 

year old defenseman from Richmond, has 

played this season … At best a journeyman 

defenseman who belongs in the AHL (and 

was said about to be sent there when the 

Ducks gladly unloaded him in the deal for

 JACOB TROUBA Dec. 6), Vaakanainen 

almost knocked IGOR SHESTERKIN out of 

the game when he grabbed Anaheim's 

JACKSON LACOMBE and, together, landed 

on top of the NY goaltender.


Not that Laviolette noticed. Twenty four 

hours later, Jones was a healthy scratch, 

and Vaakanainen in the lineup – again … this 

time against easily the NHL’s worst team, 

the woeful San Jose Sharks. Rangers won 6-

1 in a game that featured at least four bad 

goals including the one that deprived

 JONATHAN QUICK of a shutout with 7:46 

to go.



Until next time ...

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