Caps, FCPS to Host Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Hockey Clinic Aug. 26

ARLINGTON, VA - The Washington Capitals and Frederick County Public Schools will host a ribbon cutting ceremony and Capitals Try Hockey for Free Ball Hockey Clinic in honor of the completion of a Capitals outdoor ball/inline hockey rink at James Wood Middle School in Winchester, Va. While the rink opened in the fall of 2021, the ceremony and clinic were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. and feature remarks from representatives with the Washington Capitals, Frederick County Public Schools and Top of Virginia Hockey Alliance.

A Capitals Try Hockey for Free Ball Hockey Clinic will follow the ceremony, featuring stations on stickhandling, passing, shooting and small games. The Capitals Try Hockey for Free programming provides free access to the sport to children and families across the region who have never participated in the game before. Click here to register.

In addition to supporting the construction of a new rink, the Capitals also donated hockey equipment and teacher curriculum to all 16 public elementary and middle schools in Frederick County.

Top of Virginia Hockey Alliance will also host a youth ball hockey pick-up game following the Capitals clinic on Aug. 26 for interested members of the community. Along with Frederick County Parks and Rec and Frederick County Schools, the Capitals also partnered with Top of Virginia Hockey Alliance to garner support from the community for the rink's construction, and Top of Virginia Hockey Alliance has since utilized the location as their home rink.

The Capitals are committed to providing access to hockey across the region and to date have refurbished or built 14 rinks across Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. To further encourage the growth of the game, the Capitals Youth Hockey Development staff holds clinics in conjunction with the refurbishment of each rink. A complete list of rinks can be found at washcaps.com/streetrinks. The Capitals also offer a robust lineup of on- and off-ice youth hockey programming, including a Future Caps Learn to Play program, Hockey Schools, Try Hockey for Free, and more. For additional information, visit CapsYouthHockey.com.