LAS VEGAS — Terik Parascak picked up a standout nickname right off the bat in his first season with the Prince George Cougars.
Washington, D.C
Capitals take winger Terik Parascak with 17th pick in NHL draft
With 43 goals and 62 assists in 68 games, Parascak led all rookies in the Western Hockey League in scoring and was second on Prince George in goals. Zac Funk, whom Washington signed as an undrafted free agent in April, led the team with 67 goals.
“I kind of went on a little bit of a tear at the start and was hot, and I think they started calling me that after that broadcast,” Parascak said. “It just caught on. Everybody calls me that now. … Definitely got a little bit old after a while. I don’t love the attention that much like that, but obviously super cool to have a nickname like that.”
Macklin Celebrini went first overall to the San Jose Sharks. Celebrini, who turned 18 just two weeks before the draft, won the Hobey Baker award as the top player in college hockey — and the youngest — with a 64-point season in 38 games at Boston University.
About 90 minutes later, Parascak heard his name called. His 105-point season was something of a revelation. As a 16-year-old, he was sent back to the Edge School for another year of prep hockey rather than joining the WHL full time as most high-end prospects do at 16. Parascak got a taste of the WHL that season, playing five games scattered throughout the campaign, but didn’t record a point in those four games. At Edge, he averaged more than a goal per game, with 32 goals and 34 assists in just 30 games.
“Really intelligent player. Really, really smart player,” said Washington assistant general manager Ross Mahoney, who oversees amateur scouting. “Sees the ice really well. Has a really good touch around the net. … Hard-working kid. Really like the hands and the hockey sense.”
Looking back now, still processing everything that has happened in the past 12 months, Parascak believes he wouldn’t have become a first-round pick without that extra year of prep hockey.
“Understanding what it takes to jump to a junior level like that,” Parascak said of his leap this season. “I got a little taste for it the year before and just kind of took that information and took it into that last year there. … I wasn’t in a position where I would get enough ice time to really develop my skills and didn’t want to really kind of ruin my development that way. Got them to send me back and build tons of confidence, so I was able to come into this season and do what I did.”
Parascak was projected to go later in the first round or even early in the second in most mock drafts, making his selection at No. 17 potentially a bit of a reach, but the lack of consensus in this draft class opened the possibility of teams taking swings on players for whom they had a particular affinity.
When Parascak heard his name called by General Manager Brian MacLellan, the look of surprise on his face was evident across the enormous screen at the Sphere.
“Just the whole experience of everything, I didn’t really know what to expect,” Parascak said, noting that he had several meetings with the Capitals ahead of the draft. “It was all kind of, just play everything by ear. That was my whole year, just go with the flow of everything. I was definitely surprised but couldn’t be more excited.”
Parascak’s awareness of the game is perhaps his biggest strength, according to scouting reports, which highlight his off-puck positioning and understanding of how to put himself — or his linemates — in positions to score. Whether he’s shooting the puck himself or setting up a teammate, Parascak seems to have a keen grasp of where the scoring areas are, and how to get there.
“Parascak’s off-puck timing and spatial awareness have defined his game, as he regularly gets into the right spots at the right time to bang home rebounds, tap in backdoor passes or get out in transition to give his D a stretch option on outlets (without really cheating for it),” wrote the Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, who had Parascak as the 20th-ranked draft prospect. “He anticipates play offensively and defensively at a very high level, knows how to get open and play to his linemates’ strengths, has a great wrister and one-touch shot from midrange, always goes to the net when the play funnels there instead of hanging out wide, and has skill around the net and in tight to his body when challenged by defenders.”
The next step of Parascak’s development will be to add muscle to his 6-foot, 179-pound frame, which he believes will help improve his skating and give him another gear to reach.
And after taking a slightly unconventional route to being a first-round pick, Parascak views that route as additional motivation to reach the NHL.
“Everything I’ve been through so far has been a learning experience,” Parascak said. “Definitely been cut from quite a few teams growing up and taken that all as a learning experience. That’s kind of shaped me into the person and player I am. Nothing’s ever going to be given to you. You have to earn everything. Everything happens for a reason. Just taking all those things and being able to face adversity like that and hopefully get to where I want to be one day.”
Washington, D.C
Nonprofit sues the federal government over plans to paint Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool blue
With a blue sky above the Lincoln Memorial, people walk along the reflection pool in Washington, D.C., on June 9, 2023.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
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Jose Luis Magana/AP
A nonprofit is suing the National Park Service, the Department of the Interior and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum over the decision to resurface the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool at Washington D.C.’s National Mall, and to paint the pool’s basin blue.
The suit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF), an education and advocacy organization. In the suit, TCLF is asking a federal judge to halt the project, saying that the Trump administration failed to have the project reviewed federally, as is dictated by the National Historic Preservation Act.
President Trump revealed his plans for the pool do-over last month in “American flag blue,” saying that the project would take one week and $2 million, and that it would be completed in time for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. A few days later on Truth Social, the president posted a fake image of himself and several of his administration officials in swimsuits, along with an unidentified woman in a gingham bikini, lounging in the water with the Washington National Monument at the rear. (Swimming in the reflecting pool is prohibited by federal law.)
In a YouTube video posted by the White House on April 23, Trump called the pool “filthy dirty” and said it “leaked like a sieve.” In that video, Trump said he was going to call three companies that he has worked with in the past – “all they do is swimming pools” – and say, “Give me a good price.”
The New York Times reported last Friday that the contract for the reflecting pool’s resurfacing was awarded in a $6.9 million no-bid contract to a company called Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which previously has never held any federal contracts.
An employee at the Atlantic Industrial Coatings confirmed in a telephone call on Monday that it has been contracted for this project, but referred all other questions to the Department of the Interior.
The Times reported on Monday that the final cost of the project could be upward of $13 million, per documents it says it has obtained. The Department of the Interior did not confirm the cost of the project, but wrote: “The contract price reflects the effort necessary to expedite the timeline of completing the leak prevention coating project—more people, more materials, more equipment and longer hours ahead of our 250th.”
In an unsigned statement emailed to NPR Monday afternoon, the Interior Department wrote: “The National Park Service chose the best company to expedite the repair of the iconic Reflecting Pool ahead of our 250 celebrations. The choice of American Flag Blue will enhance the visitor experience by making the pool reflect the grand Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. NPS is also investing in a state-of-the-art ozone nanobubbler filtration system and will now have a dedicated crew who will maintain the grounds’ from wildlife. The Department is proud of the work being carried out by our Park Service to ensure this magical spot can be enjoyed for not only our 250th, but for many generations to come.”
Critics of the project, including TCLF, don’t share that vision – and are taking particular umbrage at the color.
“The reflecting pool should not be viewed in isolation; it is part of the larger ensemble of designed landscapes that comprise the National Mall,” Charles A. Birnbaum, the president and CEO of TCLF, said in a statement emailed to NPR Monday. “The design intent, to create a reflective surface that is subordinate, is fundamental to the solemn and hallowed visual and spatial connection between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. A blue-tinted basin is more appropriate to a resort or theme park.”
The National Park Service regularly cleans out algae, goose droppings and other detritus from the reflecting pool. The last major renovation of the reflecting pool, which included the installation of a new circulation and filtration system, took place during the Obama administration at a reported cost of $34 million.
Before founding TCLF in 2008, Birnbaum served for 15 years as the coordinator of the Historic Landscape Initiative for the National Park Service.
TCLF has another open lawsuit against the federal administration: it is one of eight cultural and architecture groups currently suing President Trump and the Kennedy Center board over the planned renovations of the complex, which are planned to start in July.
The memorial service will be held at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial at 1 p.m.
WASHINGTON D.C. – A brave K-9 hero from the region will be honored at the Annual National Police K9 Memorial Service on Monday afternoon.
K-9 Knox died in the line of duty last year after he was accidentally hit by a police vehicle while pursuing a suspect involved in a stolen vehicle incident. He was a 3-year-old German shepherd and had served as a narcotics detection and patrol apprehension K-9 for the Roanoke Police Department since May 2023.
The memorial service will include a wreath-laying ceremony and will be held at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., at 1 p.m. The event will open with a musical performance by Frank Ray, and the guest speaker will be Deputy Jared Hahn of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit.
The San Antonio Police Department Blue Line Choir will sing the national anthem, and the Emerald Society Pipes & Drums band will also perform.
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4 things to know about the weather:
- Shower chance Monday morning
- Cooler Monday
- Midweek rain chance
- Warmer end to the week
Showers continue to move west with a cold front tonight. There will be a break in the rain overnight, but showers return for the start of the day on Monday. Monday afternoon will be dry, but noticeably cooler.
Sunshine returns Tuesday, but the break in the rain will be short-lived with rain chances on Wednesday
Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.
QuickCast
TONIGHT:
Showers early
Mostly cloudy
Wind: N 5-10 mph
LOW: Low 50s
MONDAY:
Morning shower chance
Wind: N 5-10 mph
HIGH: Upper 60s
TUESDAY:
Sunny
Wind: N 5-10 mph
HIGH: Near 70°
WEDNESDAY:
Shower chance
Wind: S 5-10 mph
Gusts at 20 mph
HIGH: Low 70s
SUNRISE: 5:59 a.m. SUNSET: 8:10 p.m.
AVERAGE HIGH: 75° AVERAGE LOW: 56°
Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.
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