Select youth hockey players from the region will have the opportunity to greet Capitals players during pregame arrivals. The starting lineup display will feature images of Capitals players in their youth, 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. In addition, the first intermission mites on ice will be comprised of players from Hampton Roads. The second intermission mites on ice will be comprised of players from Potomac Lady Patriots. Postgame the Capitals will host the Maryland 14U Tier II Champion Montgomery Blue Devils as they take on the Delaware 14U Tier II Champion Delaware Ducks as both prepare for the USA Hockey National Championships at the conclusion of March.
The region has seen an overall growth in hockey participation of more than 200% since captain Alex Ovechkin's arrival in 2005, termed "The Ovechkin Effect." The impact on the ice has seen USA Hockey registration grow more than 58% in that same time period (based on pre-pandemic registration data). Specifically, in Washington, D.C. alone, that number has increased more than 184%.
On Feb. 10, Herndon, Va., native Joe Snively recorded three points (2g, 1a) in the Capitals 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens and became the third Virginia-born player to score an NHL goal. Snively trained at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va., during his youth and was a participant in the Little Caps program. He originally signed with the Capitals as a free agent on March 18, 2019 and was re-resigned to a two-year contract extension on March 16.
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 and Capitals alumni. Since its launch in 2016, more than 7,300 players have been introduced to hockey through the Capitals Learn to Play Program.
Through the Capitals Hockey School program presented by Capital One, elementary and middle schools receive street hockey equipment, a custom written curriculum and staff training. Capitals youth hockey development staff visit first- through eighth-grade classrooms and provide instruction. Since the 2016-17 season, the Capitals have donated equipment to 1,085 schools and engaged 750,000 students with the game.
The Capitals have refurbished or built 14 rinks as of March 2022 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.
