HBO to film Capitals and Penguins

This is great. We’re very excited. If you love HBO’s Hard Knocks (and let’s be honest, how can you not?), then you’ll probably like this too. HBO Sports is going to follow around the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins in December as they approach the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.

Apparently, the topic of “salty language” has already been raised. And while we understand that these professional sports leagues want to deliver a family-friendly product, the truth is that the inside of pro sports is hardly family friendly.

“The standards are different than a normal broadcast, but I believe that when people get an inside look at what goes on with our game, they’ll see something that’s very positive,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “If this is going to be authentic, it needs to be authentic and guys aren’t going to be scripted. As you see in any sporting event, there is, occasionally, language that’s a little more mature than what you might hear on Saturday morning programming for children. But we’ll see what develops, and my guess is, before we get the first show in, we’ll see what we have. There will be the appropriate reviewing and critiquing to who should be watching it.”

Alexander Ovechkin of the Capitals assured us that he won’t offend anyone.

“If I say some bad words, it’s going to be Russian words, so you guys don’t understand it,” Ovechkin said to reporters.