With the Washington Capitals winning the 2018 Stanley Cup, the hockey season has officially come to a close. Game 5 ended in a 4-3 win for the Caps, and gave Alex Ovechkin his first Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup in his hall-of-fame career. Here is the news from around the league:
BLACKHAWKS
**We’ll be back again soon (SCH)
**Andreas Martinsen signs a one year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks (SCH)
**What does Michael Kempny’s run with Washington say about the Hawks? (SCH)
**What will Corey Crawford’s status be in 2018-2019? (SCH)
**The Chicago Blackhawks love CM Punk (NHL.com/Blackhawks)
CENTRAL DIVISION
**Options at forward for the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL Draft (MileHighHockey)
**Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators plays “Head’s Up” (NHL.com/Preds)
NHL
**Caps and their captain clinch first championship (Japers’ Rink)
**Alex Ovechkin’s career timeline (NHL)
**SB Nation’s 2018 NHL mock draft (SBN)
**How the Capitals beat history, and everyone else (SBN)
**NHL Fan’s Choice Awards Ballot (NHL)
**Why hockey players don’t use “I” (ESPN)
**Way too early power rankings for the 2018-2019 season (ESPN)
**Who stays, and who goes in Vegas? (TheHockeyNews)
HOCKEY WORLD
**Texas Stars win Game 4, Calder Cup Finals now tied 2-2 (AHL.com)
**Patrick Kane named USA Hockey’s “Male Athlete of the Month” (SCH)
**Fuzzy history of the playoff beard (TheHockeyWriters)
**McKenna gets another shot at the Calder Cup (TheHockeyWriters)