Arlington, VA – The Washington Capitals announced today Rink Pass, an NHL Industry Growth Fund supported program that’s part of Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s District of Play initiative. Rink Pass is an extension of the organization’s Hockey School platform through which students are first introduced to the sport in their Physical Education classes. The Rink Pass program provides students the opportunity to further engage with the sport outside of school through field trips to their local ice rinks for skating classes and to local ball hockey rinks for continued hockey instruction. Through these field trips, students will further develop their knowledge of the sport and continue to receive hockey instruction both on and off the ice.
Visits to each rink are scheduled in coordination with participating school systems and are offered to select grade levels. The Capitals will provide transportation and all necessary equipment. Participating schools are selected by county administrators.
Rink Pass is part of the Capitals' investment of more than $3.8 million toward the development of youth hockey in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., and is funded primarily by the National Hockey League's Industry Growth Fund. Announced recently, District of Play is a multi-million-dollar investment designed to break down the barriers that can keep kids on the sidelines. The Rink Pass program emphasizes inclusivity and aims to give every child, regardless of experience or ability, the opportunity to further engage with the sport of hockey in a fun and safe environment
Local school systems participating in the program’s inaugural season include DC Public Schools (DCPS) and Montgomery County Public Schools. Rink Pass will run concurrently with the calendar school year, from September 2024 through May 2025.
During the Rink Pass program’s inaugural year, more than 1,000 total participants are slated to participate in a skating session or ball hockey clinic.
Nearly 200 DCPS fifth-grade students will participate in a skate at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Thursday, Oct. 24 at1 p.m. Prior to the skate, DCPS Chancellor Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee will speak with students about this exciting partnership, connecting the importance of physical education and recreation with experiential learning opportunities.
The Washington Capitals Hockey School program, presented by Capital One, is aimed at providing access and introducing the sport of hockey to children in elementary and middle school. The program is currently implemented in over 1,601 local schools reaching over 1,052,294 students annually and includes free equipment and a custom curriculum. The Capitals donate hockey equipment including sticks, nets, balls and pucks to participating schools and provide a standardized curriculum following SHAPE America’s national requirements.
In addition, USA Hockey registration of adult and youth players across Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland currently totals 21,949 individuals, of which 12,749 are youth players.
For additional information on Rink Pass, click here.
