Capitals Launch Rising Stars Academy

ARLINGTON, VA - The Washington Capitals announced today the launch of the Capitals Rising Stars Academy, a co-ed program established to provide elite skill development and mentorship for local hockey players of color. The inaugural Rising Stars Academy will take place Aug. 19-20, with an emphasis on physical and mental strength as well as social discussions around hockey culture. The Rising Stars Academy is offered at no cost to participants.

Registration is now open at washcaps.com/risingstars for local players ages 9-17 (USA Hockey birth years between 2006 - 2014). The academy is focused on elite skill development for travel players and high-level house players. All participants must be registered with USA Hockey for the 2023-2024 season.

Capitals Black Hockey Committee member Duante' Abercrombie, who most recently served as the Toronto Maple Leafs coaching development associate during the 2022-23 season, will serve as the Rising Star Academy's lead instructor, with support from individuals including Gonzaga College High School ice hockey coach Bryan King and Capitals Black Hockey Committee member and Fort Dupont Cannons founder and coach Neal Henderson.

The two-day clinic will feature on- and off-ice sessions. Off-ice sessions focus on dryland training, fitness, nutrition, and mental health. Joel "Chef JoJo" Thomas, a private chef and local hockey player, will lead participants in a cooking demonstration focused on healthy eating, while a mental health discussion will feature local leaders in the field. In addition, Abercrombie will lead a session on conflict resolution and a hockey culture and race session. The sessions will feature Players Against Hate curriculum. Players Against Hate works to increase awareness and stop racism and name-calling by youth athletes, their teams and coaches, their families, and spectators. The organization was an inaugural Capital Impact Fund beneficiary.

"It is exciting to bring together local leaders in the sport of hockey to mentor the next generation of players while creating a community that will help grow the game," said Capitals director of youth hockey development Peter Robinson. "The athletes will have an opportunity to focus on elite skills while discussing the current hockey culture, and how they can impact the future of the game."

Abercrombie is a member of the Capitals' Black Hockey Committee, and served as the Coaching Development Associate for the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2022-23 season. He is also an inaugural member of the National Hockey League Coaches' Association's BIPOC Coaches Program. In 2021, he was invited by the Arizona Coyotes to be a guest coach at their Rookie Development Camp and was also selected to participate in the Boston Bruins Scouting Mentorship Program. Prior to joining the Maple Leafs coaching staff, Abercrombie served in roles as Stevenson University's assistant ice hockey coach and as the Washington Little Caps' Director of Player Achievement. Abercrombie is also an alumnus of Gonzaga College High School, including winning multiple championships as a player and a coach. He also coached at Georgetown Preparatory School, and in his first year, he helped lead his team to its first IAC Championship. At the age of six, Abercrombie began playing hockey with the Fort DuPont Cannons at Washington D.C.'s Fort Dupont Ice Arena.

"I was born and raised in Washington, D.C., and the Rising Stars Academy means the world to me," said Abercrombie. "We have the potential to have a lasting impact on not just our athletes, not just Washington, D.C., but the entire hockey community worldwide. This means much more to me than just developing their hockey skills. My goal, with the support of the Washington Capitals, is to help develop great humans through hockey."

The Rising Stars Academy is funded through the Capital Impact Fund. In 2020 the Capitals and Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation created the Capital Impact Fund to provide grants to organizations that can assist in eliminating cost barriers faced by individuals of color in the hockey community. The fund aims to help minority youth players reach their greatest potential and create more equal playing fields for all.

The primary logo for the Rising Stars Academy incorporates artwork by Robert Generette III, also known as Zilla, from the Capitals' 2023 Black History warmup jersey. The logo's 3 stars represent the Capitals logo and Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., and 11 lines represent the Capitals' 11 Black alumni. A secondary logo focuses on the stars and the lines.