Olie Kolzig stepped off the Lightning team bus early Sunday afternoon, walked inside the team hotel and looked around the lobby of the historic Mayflower.
"I think this is the only hotel I haven't been to in the league," Kolzig said.
While other former Capitals Steve Eminger and Matt Petting make their return to Washington for the first time tonight, the storyline will be the homecoming for Kolzig, one he never envisioned having to go through. After spending 18 seasons playing for the Capitals organization, the 38-year-old suits up tonight in a Lightning uniform and will start in goal against the only team he hasn't faced, made possible when he signed as a free agent with Tampa Bay during the summer.
According to The Washington Post, the Capitals plan to show a video tribute to Kolzig during the first period highlighting his career. After being Washington's first pick in the 1989 draft, Kolzig posted a 301-293-61 record with 35 shutouts and a 2.70 goals-against average with the Capitals. He backstopped the franchise to their only Stanley Cup finals appearance in 1998, posting a 12-9 record with a 1.95 goals-against average in the playoffs. Kolzig posted five 30-win seasons, including in 1999-2000 when he captured the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender. That season he went 41-20-11 with five shutouts and a 2.20 goals-against average while leading the league in minutes played.
While Kolzig - who was replaced in goal at the end of last season following the acquisition of Cristobal Huet at the trade deadline - said he began thinking about tonight's game shortly after signing as a free agent, the past few days have brought it to the top of his mind.
"In training camp, Nov. 10 seemed to be so far away at the time, but now all of a sudden it's here; time just kind of flew by," Kolzig said. "So I've spent the past few days on the road here thinking about it. It's going to be some anxiousness and some nervousness, probably more nervousness now than I've probably felt in a long, long time."
"I think this is the only hotel I haven't been to in the league," Kolzig said.
While other former Capitals Steve Eminger and Matt Petting make their return to Washington for the first time tonight, the storyline will be the homecoming for Kolzig, one he never envisioned having to go through. After spending 18 seasons playing for the Capitals organization, the 38-year-old suits up tonight in a Lightning uniform and will start in goal against the only team he hasn't faced, made possible when he signed as a free agent with Tampa Bay during the summer.
According to The Washington Post, the Capitals plan to show a video tribute to Kolzig during the first period highlighting his career. After being Washington's first pick in the 1989 draft, Kolzig posted a 301-293-61 record with 35 shutouts and a 2.70 goals-against average with the Capitals. He backstopped the franchise to their only Stanley Cup finals appearance in 1998, posting a 12-9 record with a 1.95 goals-against average in the playoffs. Kolzig posted five 30-win seasons, including in 1999-2000 when he captured the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender. That season he went 41-20-11 with five shutouts and a 2.20 goals-against average while leading the league in minutes played.
While Kolzig - who was replaced in goal at the end of last season following the acquisition of Cristobal Huet at the trade deadline - said he began thinking about tonight's game shortly after signing as a free agent, the past few days have brought it to the top of his mind.
"In training camp, Nov. 10 seemed to be so far away at the time, but now all of a sudden it's here; time just kind of flew by," Kolzig said. "So I've spent the past few days on the road here thinking about it. It's going to be some anxiousness and some nervousness, probably more nervousness now than I've probably felt in a long, long time."
