Brett Leonhardt, you not doubt recall, was a producer for the Capitals’ official web site, among a legion of other duties, including a one-period appearance in 2008 as a back-up goalie in an honest-to-goodness NHL game against the St. Louis Blues when the Caps couldn’t get Semyon Varlamov into town on short notice from an AHL road trip in Texas.
But the 6-foot-7 former college goalie often helped the Caps out when they were a goalie short and didn’t want to bring someone up from AHL Hershey on short notice. Stretch is gone now, leaving last February for a video job with the NHL. His legacy lives on, apparently. Sergey Kocharov, Washington’s director of media relations, waved at the press corps as he skated laps in full pads before Wednesday’s practice. His rare on-ice appearance came about because Michal Neuvirth is battling a minor lower-body-injury.
Kocharov has long said one of his biggest thrills was taking shots from Wayne Gretzky when he was a member of the Phoenix Coyotes’ media-relations staff. A native of Russia who grew up in Arizona, Kocharov also helped out in practice sometimes out there. His new team took it easy on him on Wednesday.
“They were nice,” Kocharov deadpanned.
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