Twenty Years Strong

Twenty-years ago this month, professional sports in Washington, D.C. experienced a significant shift. In December 1997, both the NHL's Capitals and the NBA's Bullets - who would be rebranded as the Wizards - moved from U.S. Airways Arena in Landover, MD., to the MCI Center in northwest D.C.
This meant that after playing all of their prior home games in Maryland, the Washington Capitals would finally play within the city's limits.

Although the building has changed names over the years, the Capitals' home at 7th and F Street has hosted some of the greatest moments in team history. Below are some of the highlights:
Dec.5, 1997:Capitals Win in MCI Center Debut: The Capitals christened their new home in style with Jeff Toms scoring in overtime to secure a 3-2 win over Florida. Toms scored five goals over parts of three seasons with the Capitals, but the OT winner in the MCI Center opener tops the list.
"There was a lot of excitement and a lot of emotion," Toms recalls. "It was good to get a win that first game. I remember the energy, how excited the fans were and even the organization and the owners. It was a great night of hockey."
May 15, 1998: Kolzig Leads Caps to Eastern Conference Final: After years of premature playoff exits in Landover, the Capitals finally broke through during their first postseason run in D.C. The Capitals reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 1998, with Olie Kolzig leading the way with four shutouts.
Kolzig earned consecutive shutouts in Washington's second-round series against Ottawa, including a 29-save performance in the Capitals' series-clinching 3-0 win in Game 5 at MCI Center. Joe Juneau had the game-winning goal and an assist as the Capitals advanced to the conference final for the second time in franchise history.
March 11, 2000:Capitals Retire Dale Hunter's No.32: One of the most popular players in Capitals history was given one last curtain call as the club honored Dale Hunter by raising his No.32 sweater to the MCI Center rafters. Following the Capitals' 4-2 win over the Devils, Hunter was named the game's first star.
Hunter's 2,003 penalty minutes with Washington remain a franchise record and as part of the pregame ceremonies, the Capitals presented Hunter with the penalty box from the Capital Centre. Hunter remains closely linked with the penalty box which he later converted into a bar at his home in Ontario.
Nov. 30, 2001:Bondra Passes Gartner as Caps Scoring Leader: Peter Bondra held the distinction as the Capitals' all-time goal-scoring leader for more than 13 years. Bondra set the standard in a 6-2 win against Carolina, with his 398th career goal putting him one clear of Mike Gartner for the most in team history. Four nights later, Bondra became the first Capitals player with 400 career goals.
Oct. 5, 2005: Ovechkin Shines in NHL Debut: The buzz was palpable leading up to the Capitals' first regular-season home game in 550 days after a lockout cancelled the entire 2004-05 campaign. While fans were clamoring for meaningful hockey, they were also excited to see the much-hyped Russian rookie.
Alex Ovechkin did not disappoint, delivering a bone-crunching hit on his first NHL shift, and scoring twice in a memorable debut.
"That first game stands out," says Dainius Zubrus, who scored the game-winning goal as the Capitals beat Columbus 3-2. "I remember, here we are all thinking that he's a goal-scoring guy who can put up a lot of points, and obviously he was, but then on that first shift he runs a guy through the glass and we just looked at each other like, 'Oh wow. What do we have here?' That's how the whole season was."
March 12, 2008:Kolzig Earns 300th Win: Although he didn't know it at the time, Kolzig's penultimate start at Verizon Center came in a 3-2 win against Calgary. It was also a milestone night for the 37-year-old, who became the 23rd goalie in NHL history to record 300 career regular-seasons wins.
Ovechkin scored twice, including the game-winner with 1:54 remaining in the third period to secure the victory. Two nights later, Kolzig earned his 301st and final win in a Capitals uniform. He remains the winningest goalie in team history.
April 5, 2008: Capitals Clinch Southeast Division in Season Finale: The task was simple for the Capitals as they prepared for their 2007-08 regular-season finale: Beat the Panthers and the Capitals would be playoff bound for the first time in five years. Fall short, and a furious late-season rally would be for naught.
Ultimately, before a red-clad sellout crowd, the Capitals did their part with a 3-1 victory. It was Washington's seventh consecutive win and their 11th over the final 12 games of the season. For the first time in the 'Ovechkin era', the Capitals were heading to the postseason.
"As Verizon Center was going nuts all around them to cap off this extraordinary run," recalls play-by-play voice Joe Beninati, "we were watching grown men behaving like little kids. It was spectacular. I remember all of the reactions and all of the dog piling going on behind bench. It was a magical moment."
April 28, 2009:Fedorov Secures Game 7 Win over Rangers: Sergei Fedorov spent just over a year with the Capitals, but the Hall-of-Famer had a tremendous impact on the club and scored one of the biggest goals in Verizon Center history.
Fedorov beat New York's Henrik Lundqvist for the eventual game-winner with 4:59 remaining in the third period as the Capitals beat the Rangers 2-1 in Game 7 of their 2009 first-round series. The win completed an incredible comeback for the Capitals who trailed the series 3-games-to-1, before rallying to win in seven. Many Capitals fans point to the atmosphere after Fedorov's goal as the loudest they've ever heard the arena.
May 4, 2009:Ovechkin & Crosby Deliver Hat-Tricks: For all the matchups between Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, few compare to Game 2 of the 2009 Eastern Conference semifinals. The Capitals beat the Penguins 4-3 to take a 2-0 series lead, but the game is best remembered for Ovechkin and Crosby's dueling hat tricks. It marked just the fourth time in league history in which hat tricks were recorded by opposing players in the same playoff game.
"It's great for our sport," said Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau. "When you build hype about superstars playing against each other and then the superstars play like superstars, it's a neat thing."
The Penguins eventually won the series in seven games, but both Ovechkin, then 23, and Crosby, then 22, lived up to the hype. Ovechkin finished the series with 8 goals and 14 points; Crosby with 8 goals and 13 points.
Feb. 7, 2010:Caps Set Record During Snowmaggedon: With D.C. buried in two feet of snow, the Capitals hosted the Penguins on Super Bowl Sunday in 2010. Due to the storm, which President Obama dubbed 'Snowmaggedon,' Verizon Center was hardly full for the Sunday matinee. But those in attendance were treated to a classic.
The Capitals rallied from a 4-1 deficit with Ovechkin scoring the game-tying goal in the third period to complete his ninth career hat trick. It also set the stage for Mike Knuble's OT winner as the Capitals earned their franchise-record 14th-straight win.
Dec. 10, 2013:Capitals Rally to Beat Lightning: In another memorable Verizon Center comeback, the Capitals rallied from a 3-0 deficit and beat the Lightning 6-5 in a shootout. Ovechkin delivered his third career 4-goal game, culminating with the game-tying tally in the final minute of regulation.
Ovechkin also passed Bondra with his team-record 138th career power play goal, while Nicklas Backstrom matched his career high with five points (1 goal, 4 assists).
March 31, 2015:Ovechkin nets 50th; ties Bondra: Ovechkin recorded his 50th goal of the season and the 472nd of his NHL career, tying Bondra for the Capitals' all-time goal-scoring lead. The Capitals beat Carolina 4-2 as Ovechkin secured his sixth career 50-goal campaign. Two nights later in Montreal, Ovechkin set a new team record with his 473rd career lamp-lighter.
Jan. 10, 2016:Ovechkin Joins 500-Goal Club: Working from the left faceoff circle on a Washington power play, Ovechkin beat Senators goalie Andrew Hammond to become the 43rd player in NHL history to record 500 career goals. It was all part of a memorable night at Verizon Center as the Capitals beat Ottawa 7-1.
Ovechkin scored his 500th goal in his 801st game, becoming the fifth fastest player to reach the feat. The Capitals' bench immediately emptied after the milestone goal as Ovechkin was mobbed by his teammates.
"I got goosebumps," Backstrom. "It was a special feeling."