"It was bright. It was shiny. It was really cool," Oshie said. "When you grow up, you really only think about the Cup. And even when we got here, I didn't know what the ring ceremony was. You kind of forget about it, really. What an amazing job (owner) Ted [Leonsis] did and the amount of rings he bought for everyone that was involved. The ring's amazing."
Ovechkin said he would wear his ring to the arena Wednesday to show the fans. "I hope I'm not going to lose it," the forward said.
It will be a busy day for the Capitals, who will skate at their suburban Virginia headquarters in the morning. At 4 p.m., there will be a red-carpet event in front of the arena, where players will arrive, pose for pictures with fans and escort a lucky few into the arena. An outdoor viewing party will begin at 6:30 p.m. across the street from the arena, and the banner-raising ceremony at center ice is set for 7:15 p.m.
"It's going to be crazy, I think," center Nicklas Backstrom said. "A lot of [emotions]. It's been a long time. The organization's been waiting a long time for this. And it will sit there forever. For all the fans out there, for the organization, for us players, it's a special moment for sure. Let's enjoy it and then get ready for the game."
