Celebrating Black History Month: Capitals Host Rising Stars Academy Clinic

Around 30 kids took the ice at Medstar Capitals Iceplex recently, donning grey and black jerseyswith the ‘Rising Stars Academy’ gold logo stapled to the crest.

This was the second time this season that the Rising Stars Academy held on- and off-ice sessionsto provide elite skill development and mentorship for local hockey players of color.

Four Washington Capitals players shortly joined them on the ice wearing a jersey unfamiliar that had yet to been seen by anybody.

The jerseys, black and grey in color, were unveiled as the team’s Black History Month jerseys.

In celebration of Black History Month, initiatives were planned throughout the month 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.

The jersey was designed by Washington, D.C., based illustration and art director J. Freeman Robinson. The design is unique but the meaning behind what it stands for is monumental.

The shoulder patch honors the 1974 Capitals logo and the year that Mike Marson was drafted, the first Black Washington Capitals player and second Black Canadian NHL player.

In each number on the back, 11 names are displayed that represent Black hockey and their impact on the history of the Washington Capitals.

The type for the player’s name is The Neue Black. It’s based off the signage of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Chicago Freedom Movement.

Freeman has worked with professional sports organizations in the past but credits the journey with the Capitals as, “amazing.”

“The relevance of this specific jersey is what really got my fire going and creativity moving on it,” he said. “The second the Capitals reached out, just for the opportunity to do it. I was on board.”

Freeman likes art that engages people together -- that makes them think a certain way. The best designs provoke thought and he made sure to incorporate that in the smallest of details.

He hopes the names on the jersey can start a conversation between people to discover the relevancy of these individuals and their achievements in hockey.

Along with the jersey, custom-made skates and sneakers were made in celebration of Black History Month.

One pair of player-worn autographed skates and one pair of autographed sneakers were painted by Cory Bailey, also known as Sierato; two pairs of player -worn autographed skates and two pairs of autographed sneakers were painted by Lloyd Ferguson, also known as SwaggyPicasso; and three pairs of player -worn autographed skates and three pairs of autographed sneakers were painted by David Zambrano, also known as Dez.

The skates and sneakers featured an assortment of colors and designs made by the local Black artists.

Two pairs of Zambrano’s custom-made skates included airbrushed and painted images of Tom Wilson and John Carlson with an uncanny resemblance of the two.

“I pride myself on trying to do detail work,” said Zambrano. “I received game-worn skates from particular players, so I wanted to use the imagery and kind of take the opportunity to show off a little bit, but also add value. The more detail the artwork, the more value comes out of it.”

All items are being auctioned off by Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation to benefit the Capital Impact Fund.

The MSE Foundation auction featuring the jerseys, skates, sneakers and pucks opens at noon on Feb. 26 and concludes at 3 p.m. on March 4 at washcaps.com/BHAuction.

With the new apparel displayed, it was time to get back to instruction from the Rising Stars Academy clinic.

The Capitals launched the Rising Stars Academy in 2023 as a co-ed program offered at no cost to participants and funded through the Capitals Capital Impact Fund.

Off the ice, a group panel led by Rising Stars Academy Coach Duante Abercrombie, RishingStars Academy Coach Bryan King and Monumental Sports Network’s Tarik El-Bashir spoke around player development, the local hockey landscape and character development, with sessions for both youth hockey players and parents.

On the ice, Abercrombie and King, as well as Ethan Bear, Joel Edmundson, Beck Malenstyn andMax Pacioretty led a mix of small area games and drills.

Smiles flashed not only with each youth player but the NHL players as well.

“It’s incredible,” said Malenstyn. “Any chance we get to come out into the community, give back a little bit it’s so fun. It brings you back to being a kid yourself, goofing around out here and enjoying the game, which is why we all started playing it.”

Edmundson seconded that.

“It’s always nice to get out here,” he said. “I think over the years you’re seeing more and moreprograms like this, so it’s really cool to see and we’re just so happy to be here with the kids.”

Each year, more programs and opportunities like the Rising Stars Academy are being made available to children of all races and gender proving the growing inclusion of the game.

Abercrombie who was last on the ice with the kids at the Rising Stars Academy in August is encouraged by the game’s growth and the impact the Rising Stars Academy is having within the community.

“The best part is seeing the Rising Stars Academy sweatshirts, shirts and apparel that we gave out walking around the rinks in the D.C. area,” he said. “The kids really did enjoy their time and they really do feel as though this is something that they can own, and the name is getting out there. This is the next group of kids that we’re starting to see now. We did our older group in August, and this is our youngest today. It’s good to see.”