Caps Care Year in Review: Theme Nights, NHL Platforms and Fundraisers

During the 2022-23 season, the Washington Capitals, its players, and Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation (MSE Foundation) continued to give back to the community and grow participation in hockey throughout the region. Through fundraising and programming efforts, the Capitals and MSE Foundation supported numerous organizations in an array of missions. The organization's efforts resulted in $1.6 million raised for charity.

"As a professional sports team we are in a unique position to make a difference and are proud of the work our players and the Capitals organization have done in the community this season," said Capitals president Dick Patrick. "We look forward to continuing to build on our efforts in the future to further support the many organizations who are having such a substantial impact on our region and to provide opportunities to participate in the game that we love."

Each week this May, WashCaps.com is taking a look back at highlights across the following categories:

This week, WashCaps.com recaps theme nights, NHL platforms and MSE foundation fundraisers:

Hispanic Heritage Reception: In October, the Capitals hosted a reception at La Cosecha in the Union Market area of Washington, D.C., to celebrate the Hispanic and Latinx communities and their contributions to growing the game. Business leaders, influencers and community members came together to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and engage in conversation around ways to continue to grow participation in hockey.

October Saves: Washington Capitals goaltenders Darcy Kuemper and Charlie Lindgren participated in the October Saves Goalie Challenge in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. The October Saves Goalie Challenge was founded in 2014 by the Ashburn, Va., Xtreme Hockey Club. The challenge encourages goaltenders throughout the country at any age and skill level to pledge money for each save they make during the month of October, with proceeds benefitting charity. Following the Capitals November Hockey Fights Cancer game, Kuemper and Lindgren met with the top 10 local youth goalies who participated in fundraising for October Saves. Virginia and Maryland participants raised $153,410 in total. The top 10 that met with Caps goalies raised a total of $53,995. As part of the fundraising efforts by local goalies, October Saves donated $15,000 to the Washington Capitals as part of their Hockey Fights Cancer campaign.

Hockey Fights Cancer: The Capitals and Monumental Sports & Entertainment's 2022-23 Hockey Fights Cancer campaign raised a total of $126,038 for charity. This season's Hockey Fights Cancer beneficiaries included the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Mid-Atlantic Region, Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and MSE Foundation. In addition, the American Cancer Society received a portion of the proceeds through the HFC Assist initiative.

Nov. 19 marked the Capitals annual Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Game supported by Leidos. Six children who are currently battling cancer or who are in remission were announced as members of the team's starting lineup. During warmups, players wore lavender warmup jerseys that were auctioned off along with other items including player-used sticks and autographed Hockey Fights Cancer pucks.

Hockey Fights Cancer Night featured various Hockey Fights Cancer related moments and themes throughout the evening. During the game, Leidos also presented a $40,000 check to Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation in support of the Capitals Hockey Fights Cancer auction beneficiaries.

The Capitals participated in the HFC Assist Program supporting the American Cancer Society. The Capitals worked with local youth hockey leagues to encourage teams to join the fight against cancer by holding their own Hockey Fights Cancer game and fundraiser. Teams were provided lavender tape and HFC helmet decals. A total of 24 local teams participated raising $39,885.

Hockey Fights Cancer Skate: The 2022-23 Capitals team hosted a Hockey Fights Cancer skate with children and families from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic and Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Nov. 6. Families affiliated with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Make-A-Wish® Mid-Atlantic and Pancreatic Cancer Action Network watched the team's practice. Following practice, players were greeted in the locker room by the children who were currently battling cancer or in remission. The children and families then joined players on the ice for a skating session.

Veterans Day:The Capitals honored former service members during the Veterans Day game presented by LiUNA on Nov. 11 when they hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning at Capital One Arena.

The Capitals and MSE Foundation Veterans Day auction raised more than $41,000 for United Heroes League and MSE Foundation. Auction items included autographed military-themed jerseys that were worn by players during the Nov. 11 pregame skate and autographed camouflage pucks.

In addition, Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren wore a special mask in tribute to Every Third Saturday, a Minnesota-based organization focused on assisting veterans in finding a new purpose following military service.

Pride: The Capitals hosted Pride Night for the seventh-consecutive year on Jan. 17. The Capitals and MSE Foundation Pride auction featuring autographed player-used sticks wrapped in rainbow-color 'Pride Tape' raised more than $40,000, including a $5,000 donation from Giant. Proceeds benefitted SMYAL (Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders), with a portion of funds allocated for Team DC and MSE Foundation.

The Capitals Pride Night presented by Giant spotlighted LGBTQ+ community members, messages and themes. The Capitals social accounts featured rainbow avatars, and fans were encouraged to post on social media with the #CapsPrideNight hashtag. In conjunction with the evening's events, Team DC hosted a happy hour at Guy Fieri's DC Kitchen & Bar on the second floor of Caesars Sportsbook for individuals who purchased Pride group tickets through Team DC. The happy hour featured drink specials and giveaways and marked the 11th year Team DC has hosted a Pride Night OUT with the Capitals.

Hockey Talks Mental Health Awareness Night: On Jan. 26, the Capitals hosted their third Hockey Talks Mental Health Awareness Night in partnership with MedStar Health. Hockey Talks is an initiative that focuses on promoting mental health and wellness and encourages teams to use their platform to continue the conversation and share resources around the topic.

In collaboration with Morgan's Message, an organization focused on student-athletes and mental health, the Capitals hosted a pregame mental wellness panel for student-athletes affiliated with Morgan's Message. The mission of Morgan's Message is to amplify stories, resources and expertise to strengthen student-athlete mental health, build a community by and for athletes through peer-to-peer conversations and to provide a platform for advocacy.

Capitals in-game messaging and social media featured content pertaining to mental health, including player PSAs, a feature on Morgan's Message, a feature on Capitals alumnus Aaron Volpatti, and more. There was also an information table on the 100- and 400-level concourse. Fans were encouraged to visit the table for resources and for the opportunity to fill out a Hockey Talks sign in support of mental health awareness. In addition, players wore the Hockey Talks decal on their helmets to further raise awareness around mental health.

Caps Canines Night: The Capitals hosted their second Caps Canines Night Pawsented by PEDIGREE Foundation on Feb. 23. Capitals players arrived at Capital One Arena with puppies available for adoption through Wolf Trap Animal Rescue and Capitals service dog in training Biscuit participated in a ceremonial puck drop. The evening's Raytheon Heroes Welcome featured area service dogs and their veterans, while the Salute to the Troops highlighted Capitals service dog in training graduate Captain and his veteran, retired U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. Mark Gwathmey. Fans at the game were also able to tune in to a "Puppy Love" dating show on the jumbotron featuring puppies available for adoption through Wolf Trap Animal Rescue.

Black History Night:The Capitals Feb. 25 game marked the organization's Black History Night presented by Capital One. Capitals players wore special warmup jerseys designed by Robert Generette III, also known as Zilla. The jersey design features a minimalistic take on the Capitals W alternate crest to represent the past, present and future Black players of the Washington Capitals, expressed through line work that is commonly used in Zilla's illustrations. The jersey's red crest, number and player names are in red to exude energy and power, while the gold stars are a nod to Washington, D.C.'s Fort Dupont Cannons, the oldest minority hockey program in North America, and symbolizes value and prestige. The gold is also meant to represent the past and provide a beacon for the future of Black players in hockey.

The jerseys were signed and auctioned off to raise $53,308 for the Capital Impact Fund.

Initiatives took place throughout the day to honor the organization's history, celebrate Black achievement in hockey and highlight how the Capitals are working to further grow the game in the region. Capitals alumnus Devante Smith-Pelly participated in a ceremonial puck drop.

The Capitals and musical artist Saukrates collaborated on an original song called "Caps 11" dedicated to honoring the 11 Black alumni in Capitals history. The song debuted in-game on Feb. 25. Capitals Black Hockey Committee member and Tucker Road Ducks Parent Hockey Organization President Alexandria Briggs-Blake assisted with conceptualizing and developing the initiative.

for the song and related music video.

As part of the jersey artwork designed to represent past, present and future black players of the Washington Capitals, the organization recognized future "Rising Stars" for their leadership and paving the way for the next generation of Black hockey players.

Click here

for more info on the local "Rising Stars."

Military Night: The Capitals hosted their 21st annual Salute to the Military Night on March 15, dedicated to honoring the men and women who have served the country in the armed forces. More than 1,000 service members were in attendance, and in-game and social media content throughout the evening featured tributes to service members.

Go Green Night Fundraiser: The Washington Capitals Go Green Auction raised $42,800 for Anacostia Riverkeeper, Rink2Reef, and MSE Foundation. Auction items included autographed special green warmup jerseys that were worn by players during the March 17 pregame skate and autographed limited-edition green Capitals pucks. The Capitals held Go Green Night presented by Suburban Propane and BioSafe on March 17.

Women in Hockey Night: The Capitals hosted a Women in Hockey Night presented by Fresh Vine Wine on March 23 vs. the Chicago Blackhawks. In-game and social content highlighted women in hockey and showcased the Capitals ALL CAPS ALL HER program. Nearly 500 women and girls have participated in programs within the ALL CAPS ALL HER platform during the 2022-23 season. In addition, there has been a 46% growth of female hockey participation in the Washington, D.C., region in the past 10 years according to USA Hockey registration data. During warmups, players wore a Women in Hockey warmup jersey inspired by Title IX. The jersey was designed by former Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) goaltender and current PWHPA board member Kimberly Sass of SASS STUDIO and was unveiled during a special ceremony with players from four PWHPA teams at the National Archives in early March. The jersey fundraiser raised $46,683. A portion of the funds raised were donated to the Women's Sports Foundation.

Cherry Blossom Warmup Jersey: The Capitals cherry blossom warmup jersey raised $117,435 for MSE Foundation. The jersey, designed by Washington, D.C., based artist Taylor Kampa Olson of TKOPaintings, was worn during warmups on Sunday, April 2. The fundraiser marked the Capitals and MSE Foundation's highest grossing auction to date, with 31 items selling for $2,000 or more.

The jersey was inspired by Washington, D.C.'s, cherry blossom season and features hand-drawn blossoms incorporated into the Capitals logo, with white outlines symbolizing the blossoms beginning to bloom. The design continues into the numbering, which features the cherry branches, buds and blossoms.

Caps Fore Charity: The 2022-23 Capitals roster participated in Caps Fore Charity Presented by Tanium in January. MSE Foundation's first Topgolf fundraiser featured two rounds of tournament play with sponsors and fans.

Canine Calendar: A portion of proceeds from MSE Foundation's 2023 Caps Canine Calendar was donated to Wolf Trap Animal Rescue (WTAR). The calendar featured photos of every Capitals player with either his dog(s) or dogs available for adoption through WTAR.

Line Change: The Capitals Team Store at Capital One Arena continued to offer a women's apparel collection with Line Change, an apparel brand by Julie Petry and Angela Price. The collection is exclusively available at the Team Store at Capital One Arena, and a portion of sales proceeds benefit MSE Foundation.

50/50 Raffles:MSE Foundation's 50/50 Raffles during Capitals home games raised nearly $640,000 this season, meaning Capitals fans walked away with nearly $320,000 in prize money. To participate in 50/50 Raffles next season, visit

MonumentalFoundation.org/5050

.