"I think it's going to be much bigger than everyone is expecting," owner Ted Leonsis said after the Capitals' 4-3 Cup-clinching win against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday. "We want to be able to say thank you to people in Virginia and Maryland and Washington, D.C."
The parade route begins at Constitution Avenue and 17th Street NW and proceeds along Constitution Avenue to 7th Street NW, where it will turn right and culminate in a rally at 7th Street NW and the National Mall.
The parade is free and open to the public. Fans are encouraged to take the Metro or ride-share, with parking extremely limited near the parade route. The Metro will operate at rush-hour service levels throughout the day to accommodate the fans expected to attend.
Since returning from Las Vegas on Friday, the Capitals have celebrated privately and in public, sharing the Stanley Cup with fans at gatherings throughout Washington and Virginia. They brought the Cup to the Washington Nationals game against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, and captain and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Ovechkin and goaltender Braden Holtby will bring the Stanley Cup with them to an appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in New York on Monday (11:35 p.m. ET/PT). They'll return to Washington in time for a team photo at Capital One Arena on Tuesday, followed by the parade.
"It's going to be amazing, not just for us, for the city of Washington, I think, that has waited a long time for this," center Nicklas Backstrom said Saturday. "It's going to be great to share that with them."
