Caps Care Year in Review: Youth Hockey Development

During the 2023-24 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 $1,768,584 raised for charity.

Over the next five weeks, WashCaps.com is taking a look back at highlights across the following categories:

**Caps Care Community Programs and Initiatives**

**Theme Nights and NHL Platforms**

**Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation**

**Capitals Player Programs**

Youth Hockey Development

This week, WashCaps.com recaps Youth Hockey Development:

Youth Hockey Development

According to USA Hockey, overall, there's been significant growth in participation in the D.C. area since Alex Ovechkin was drafted. Total participation in ice hockey has increased by 70%. In that same time frame the female participation in ice hockey has increased 140%. In addition, the total USAH registration of adult and youth players across Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland is 21,949 individuals, including a total of 12,749 youth players.

Coaches Day: In November, the Capitals and Capitals coaching staff extended a unique opportunity to local youth hockey coaches by hosting Coaches Day. More than 175 coaches from across the region participated. To kick off the day, Coaches were invited to watch the Capitals practice following Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery’s practice plan. Post practice featured remarks by Carbery, followed by presentations by members of the Capitals coaching staff. A moderated Q&A session by members of Capitals coaching and player development staff followed.

A panel featuring notable coaches from the hockey community also highlighted Coaches Day. New this season, the Capitals hosted an on-ice Girls & Women’s Coaching Clinic prior to Coaches Day. The clinic was led by Capitals Skating Coach, Wendy Marco and also featured USA Hockey’s ADM Manager of Female Hockey Heather Mannix, as well as other notable coaches.

Hockey School: In January, the organization announced a partnership with Prince George’s County Public Schools through which the Capitals are introducing hockey to more than 93,460 students across the county’s 167 elementary, middle and charter schools through the Capitals Hockey School program presented by Capital One. With the addition of the school system, the Capitals surpassed more than 1 million students participating in the Hockey School initiative on an annual basis.

The Capitals Hockey School program is aimed at providing access to the sport of hockey by introducing it to children in elementary and middle school. The Capitals donate hockey equipment including sticks, nets, balls and pucks to each school, and P.E. teachers receive a standardized curriculum following SHAPE America’s national requirements. In addition, the Capitals Youth Hockey Development staff visits schools to host assemblies surrounding the game. There are currently 1,601 schools in the Hockey School program, reaching 1,052,294 students across Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.

Youth Hockey Day: The Capitals celebrated Youth Hockey Day presented by Delta Dental on Jan. 7, when the Capitals hosted the Los Angeles Kings.

Select youth hockey players from the region walked with Capitals players during pregame arrivals. Each Capitals player was paired with a local youth player while walking to the locker room, with both wearing the youth player’s team jersey. In-game and social content highlighted Capitals youth hockey programming throughout the evening. Game presentation activities throughout the evening also featured youth hockey players. Two youth referees joined the NHL referees on the ice for the national anthem.

Woodbridge Ball Hockey Rink: In February, the Capitals, Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation, George Mason University, the George Mason University Ice Hockey Club and the national law firm of Baker Donelson announced a partnership through which the organizations will fund an outdoor ball hockey rink in Woodbridge, Va. Each organization is contributing funds for a $100,000 local cash contribution to the project. The rink will be constructed at the Boys & Girls Club adjacent to the Prince William Ice Center.

Rising Stars Academy Clinic: Capitals Youth Hockey Development hosted a Rising Stars Academy clinic on Feb. 19 at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. The clinic featured on- and off-ice elements, including panels and skill development sessions with participation by Capitals players Ethan Bear, Joel Edmundson, Beck Malenstyn and Max Pacioretty.

The Capitals launched the Rising Stars Academy in 2023 as a co-ed program established to provide elite skill development and mentorship for local hockey players of color. The inaugural Rising Stars Academy took 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 and funded through the Capitals Capital Impact Fund.

Madison Donation: In April, the Capitals announced a combined donation of $30,000 from Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation, MSE chairman and CEO Ted Leonsis and the National Hockey League to Support Hoover Ridge, Inc. for the Madison County Parks and Recreation Hockey Program in support of the construction of a new inline rink in Madison County, VA. A former inline rink was destroyed by a wildfire caused by high winds on March 20. MSE Foundation, Leonsis and the NHL each contributed $10,000 toward the cause. In addition, Riley Sports and Mateflex, the Capitals vendors for their street rinks, have donated a combined $30,000 in product towards the project.

On March 20, the majority of the rink was destroyed, including a shed with hockey gear, rink equipment, tools, skates, uniforms and other gear and supplies. The rink was used by the Madison Hockey League, whose Madison Wildfire are an inaugural member of the Capitals Inline Hockey League that launched in 2023.

Madison Hockey League, Madison Parks and Recreation, and Support Hoover Ridge are continuing to fundraise for the Hoover Ridge Outdoor Recreation Center, which includes a new inline hockey rink. The rink was located behind the American Legion Building on Thrift Road in Madison. Click here for more information and to make a donation.

USA Warriors Tournament: From Sept. 8-10, the Capitals hosted a Standing USA Warriors Tournament presented by LiUNA at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va.  The USA Warriors Ice Hockey program consists of veterans wounded or injured during combat who have since joined hockey teams across the country in an effort to rekindle the camaraderie between fellow military men and women. The tournament consisted of six teams: USA Warriors White, USA Warriors Blue, Pittsburgh Warriors, Flower City Warriors (Rochester, NY), Capital Beltway Warriors White, Capital Beltway Warriors Blue. This season marked the third tournament the Capitals have partnered on with LiUNA since 2019.

Capitals Inline Hockey League: In the fall, the Capitals announced the launch of the Capitals Inline Hockey League (CIHL), a youth inline travel league administered by the Capitals. Current inline hockey players ages 8-18 are able to participate in the CIHL, which consists of one team per club, per division. The inaugural participating clubs included the Ashburn Fury of Ashburn, Va., the Fauquier Dragons of Fauquier, Va., the Fredericksburg Phantoms of Fredericksburg, Va., the Madison Wildfire of Madison, Va. and the Richmond Renegades of Hanover, Va.

Inline hockey participation in the Capitals market continues to grow and a large population of players reside in the I-95 corridor of Virginia. To date, the Capitals have also refurbished or built 14 outdoor ball/inline hockey rinks across Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia to further encourage participation in hockey. In addition to on-ice programming, the Capitals also offer a robust lineup of off-ice programming to grow the game, including initiatives surrounding ball hockey and inline hockey.

Bar-T: The Capitals launched a partnership with Bar-T, the largest private provider of before and after school programs for children in Montgomery and Frederick County, Maryland, this season. Through the relationship, the Capitals Hockey School program is available to 1,800 elementary school students. The Caps Hockey School program had been partnered with Montgomery County Public Schools since 2019, so schools already possessed equipment donated by the Capitals. With Bar-T, the Caps donated additional equipment for Bar-T to have for its programs separate from the school itself and available during after school programming.

Ball/Inline Rinks: 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.

October Saves: The October Saves Goalie Challenge saw youth hockey goalies from across Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland collectively raise nearly $206,400 in October. Their fundraising contributed to a record-breaking $675,784 raised across the entire October Saves platform. The top ten fundraisers attended the Capitals Hockey Fights Cancer Night on Nov. 18 to present a check for $20,000 to the #CapsFightCancer campaign and met Capitals goaltenders Darcy Kuemper and Charlie Lindgren postgame.

College Combine and Fair: The Washington Capitals 2024 College Hockey Combine & Fair took place on April 4 virtually and April 5 and 6 at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. The Capitals College Hockey Combine & Fair is a free opportunity for high school aged hockey players throughout the Washington, D.C., region to showcase their on-ice and off-ice talents, as well as learn about the different avenues and opportunities in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA).

The Capitals are the only NHL club to offer an initiative of this nature. More than 200 student-athletes registered to attend, with 28 ACHA programs involved. The event provides young hockey players and their parents the chance to meet and gain valuable insight from coaches as the fair covers the qualities and characteristics that college coaches look for and how players can best prepare themselves academically and athletically.

ALL CAPS ALL HER: The Capitals continued to offer programming through ALL CAPS ALL HER, an initiative that provides access to hockey and elevates the game for women and girls in the Washington, D.C., area. More than 600 women and girls participated in on- and off-ice programs within the ACAH platform during the 2023-24 season. In addition, there has been a 46% growth in female hockey participation in the Washington, D.C., region in the past 10 years according to USA Hockey registration data.

To date, more than 2,000 individuals have participated in an ALL CAPS ALL HER initiative. ALL CAPS ALL HER recognizes and supports female players, coaches, referees, parents, advocates, students and leaders in the community. Events, programs and content provide various levels of entry into hockey for women and girls of all ages, offer leadership, business development, and networking opportunities and highlight influential women and families in the community.

ACAH programming during the 2023-24 season included an ACAH Girls Learn to Play, ACAH Adult Learn to Play and Learn to Skate, an ACAH High School Training Camp, an ACAH Summer Camp, an ACAH DMV Girls Try Hockey for Free Day and ACAH Girls Try Ball Hockey For Free clinic. Additionally, the Capitals support the Capitals Women's Hockey League (CWHL) at MedStar Capitals Iceplex.

In honor of Women in Hockey Night in March, the Capitals hosted a pregame ACAH Women in Sports Networking Event in February, welcoming more than 100 undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a career in the sports industry to District E at Capital One Arena.

Future Caps Learn to Play: In partnership with the National Hockey League and National Hockey League Player's Association, the Capitals continued this season to offer the Future Caps Learn to Play program presented by World Wide Technology. Future Caps offers first-time participants, ages 5-9, free, Capitals-branded head-to-toe equipment and eight classes of instruction from certificated coaches, Capitals alumni and female ambassadors. Since its launch in 2016, more than 9,000 players have been introduced to hockey through the Capitals Learn to Play Program. The program was offered at 21 local rinks throughout the 2023-24 season. To learn more about the program, visit CapsYouthHockey.com/FutureCaps.

Sticks & Sneakers: Sticks & Sneakers is a first of its kind learn to play ball hockey initiative that provides families the opportunity to join the hockey community through an accessible and affordable program. Participants develop fundamental skills that will help them succeed in hockey and beyond. The Sticks & Sneakers program is designed for first-time players between the ages of 5-14. For a small fee, participants will receive free equipment and three weeks of age-appropriate introductory instruction on the fundamental skills of hockey from certified coaches. To learn more about the program, visit www.CapsYouthHockey.com/SticksAndSneakers.

Sunday Summer Skills: Capitals youth hockey continues to offer the Sunday Summer Skills Clinic Series, which features Members of the Capitals youth hockey development staff guiding co-ed sessions for players of all skill levels including across offensive, goalie and defensive skills, and more.

Capitals Cup High School Championship: This year’s Capitals Cup High School Hockey Championship took place February-March, with each league receiving support from Capitals Youth Hockey and the winners receiving custom medals.

The Capitals also host league information, team pages, stats, standings, and more for all eight local High School Hockey leagues at CapitalsCup.com.

Mites on Ice: Through Mites on Ice, local youth players are able to play a game at Capital One Arena during intermission while the Capitals home crowd cheers them on. Mites on Ice games, presented by Delta Dental, are refereed by Capitals mascot, Slapshot, and players get to wear Capitals jerseys while they skate. This program is limited to teams in the 8U age group and a maximum of sixteen (16) total players are allowed to participate (14 skaters and 2 goalies total).

Learn to Inline Skate Clinics: The Learn to Inline Skate program offers free inline skating clinics to kids ages 5-17. The program is designed for first-time skaters. Participants receive age-appropriate introductory instruction on the fundamentals of hockey skating and power-skating in order to be more proficient and agile on the rink. The focus is on developing proper techniques with all instruction being conducted without a puck. To learn more about the program, visit www.CapsYouthHockey.com/LearnToInlineSkate.

Try Hockey for Free Clinics: The Try Hockey for Free program is geared toward participants ages 4-17. It launched in April 2022 to offer ball hockey clinics free of charge to local children across the Washington, D.C., area. Each participant learns the basics of hockey, including stickhandling, passing and shooting. Additionally, all participants receive a stick and ball to take home following the event to encourage continued development. The Capitals Try Hockey for Free program is designed as both an introduction to the game for participants as well as an opportunity to reach families in the Washington community interested in more affordable options to participate in hockey. To learn more about the program, visit www.CapsYouthHockey.com/TryHockeyForFree.

USWNT Partnership: The Washington Capitals and the USA Ball Hockey's Women's National Team (USWNT) announced a partnership in 2023 on behalf of the Capitals ALL CAPS ALL HER platform that saw the Capitals serve as the presenting sponsor of the U.S. Women's National Ball Hockey team's final evaluation camp. The camp took place Sept. 9-10 in Pittsburgh, Pa., prior to the World Championships in June in Switzerland. In conjunction with the partnership, the Capitals ALL CAPS ALL HER platform hosted a Girls Try Ball Hockey for Free clinic on October 8.

PWHL Watch Party: In March, Capitals Youth Hockey and ALL CAPS ALL HER represented the Capitals are the Embassy of Canada for a Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and the National Hockey League (NHL) celebration of the PWHL’s record-breaking inaugural season and girls/women’s hockey. The evening’s focus was a watch party highlighting two live PWHL games: Boston at Toronto, and Ottawa at New York, as well as the NHL contest between the Maple Leafs and Capitals.

JWHL and D1 in DC: During the 2023-24 season, the Capitals were proud to support the 2023 NCAA Women’s D1 in DC tournament, presented by the Washington Pride, as well as the Junior Women’s Hockey League Challenge Cup. Both events took place at MedStar Capitals Iceplex.