Want to Play in the NHL? Be a Web Producer

Capitals fans might be holding their breath a little tighter when they host Ottawa tonight, as if banged-up starting goaltender Brent Johnson goes down early in the game, there won't exactly be an NHL-ready backup waiting in the wings.

It'll be one of the team's website producers.

The team's other netminder, Jose Theodore, suffered a hip flexor sometime today, and the Capitals recalled prospect Simeon Varlamov from their AHL affiliate to take his place in case anything happens to Johnson.

But that's where it gets interesting.

See, Hershey is playing on a rare western road swing, taking on the Aeros in Houston. So when the call came, the earliest Varlamov could get to Washington was sometime during the second period.

So in comes emergency goaltender Brett Leonhardt, who was briefly profiled in the Washington Post's Capitals chat earlier today, as he regularly takes practice with the team when Johnson or Theodore can't participate:

His name is Brett Leonhardt and he's a web producer. He cuts and produces all of the videos on the team's site.

He's from Ontario, played some junior hockey and also played at Neumann College in Philly. He's about 6-7 and wears NHL style pads, so people often mistake him for a Caps goalie.

He's pretty good. But he's no match for an Alexander Semin wrist shot. (Then again, not many goalies are.)

The team had to get permission to put Leonhardt to an amateur tryout contract, and it's expected he'll help out Johnson during warm-ups and be on the bench until Varlamov arrives at Verizon Center sometime around the second period.

And now, at least a period-and-a-half, Leonhardt gets the best seat in the house during the game -- although Caps fans will be holding their breath anytime a puck gets near Johnson.

Want to Play in the NHL? Be a Web Producer originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Copyright FANHO - FanHouse
Contact Us