Caps to Host Youth Hockey Day Feb. 12

The Washington Capitals will celebrate Youth Hockey Day on Sunday, Feb. 12, when the Capitals host the San Jose Sharks at Capital One Arena at 1:30 p.m.
The first 5,000 youth hockey players who wear their jersey will receive a Capitals bag tag.

Select youth hockey players from the Washington, D.C., region will walk into the arena with Capitals players during pregame arrivals. Each Capitals player will be paired with a local youth player while walking to the locker room, with both wearing the youth player's team jersey. Programs represented include: ALL CAPS ALL HER, Ashburn Ice House, Baltimore Banners, Calvert Hall High School, Caps Academy, Fort Dupont Cannons, Langley High School, Montgomery Ice Devils, Navy Youth Hockey, Northeastern Co-Op, NOVA Cool Cats, Piedmont Predators, Potomac Lady Patriots, Reston Raiders, The St. James, St. Johns College High School, Tucker Road Ducks, Washington Ice Dogs, Washington-Liberty High School, Washington Pride and Winston Churchill High School.
Six participants from the Capitals Future Caps Learn to Play program presented by World Wide Technology will take the ice with the Capitals starting lineup.
In addition, the starting lineup jumbotron display will feature images of Capitals players from their own youth hockey careers, and in-game and social content will highlight Capitals youth hockey programming throughout the evening.
Game presentation activities throughout the evening will also feature youth hockey players. The first intermission mites on ice will be comprised of players from the Baltimore Stars girls team. The second intermission mites on ice will be comprised of players from The St. James.
Two local amateur referees will attend the game and meet with the NHL officials prior to the game. They will also stand with the NHL referees for the national anthem. The Capitals partnered with the USA Hockey Officiating Education Department and the NHL Officials Association to coordinate the inclusion of local amateur referees to participate in the NHL game day experience.
There are currently 19,877 USA Hockey Youth and Adult players across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, a 36% growth from the 200-21 season. This number reflects a 57% growth in Washington, D.C. The region has also seen a 37% growth in female youth and adult players, including a 53% growth in Washington, D.C.
The Capitals offer a robust lineup of on- and off-ice youth hockey programming. In partnership with the NHL and NHLPA, the Capitals offer a 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 weeks of instruction from certificated coaches, Capitals alumni and female ambassadors. Since its launch in 2016, more than 8,100 players have been introduced to hockey through the Capitals Learn to Play Program. The program is offered at 21 local rinks throughout the 22-23 season
Through the Capitals Hockey School program presented by Capital One, public elementary and middle schools receive street hockey equipment, a custom written curriculum and staff training. Capitals youth hockey development staff offer visits to first- through eighth-grade classrooms and assist teachers in providing instruction. Since the 2016-17 season, the Capitals have donated equipment to 1,302 schools and engaged 843,277 students with the game. In addition, more than 2,100 teachers have been trained by Capitals staff, leading to more than 50,000 hours of teacher-to-student instruction.
The Try Hockey for Free program is geared toward participants ages 4-17. It launched in April 2022 to offer street 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 street hockey 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
.
Learn to Play Street Hockey is a first of its kind 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 Learn to Play Street Hockey program is designed for first-time players between the ages of 5-9 and 10-14. For a small fee, participants will receive free equipment and six 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/LearnToPlayStreetHockey
.
The Capitals 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 list of rinks can be found at washcaps.com/streetrinks.
For additional information on Capitals Youth Hockey programming, visit CapsYouthHockey.com.