The Washington Capitals are throwing back to the 1970s with an upcoming visit to George Mason University’s Fairfax campus.
As part of its 50th anniversary season, D.C.’s NHL team will bring a free youth tournament known as the Capitals Street Hockey Extravaganza to EagleBank Arena (4500 Patriot Circle) on Saturday, Nov. 16, briefly reviving what was once the largest street hockey clinic in existence.
According to a press release, the original Capitals Youth Hockey Extravaganza in 1975 saw more than 2,000 kids aged 9 to 14 play in 50 simultaneous street hockey games at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland.
“They were bussed from across Prince George’s County after the Capitals and the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission teamed up for a summer street hockey program to celebrate the growing interest in street and ice hockey in the region,” the team said. “The Capitals continued hosting the event throughout the 1970s, eventually expanding the invite to all children in the Washington, D.C. region.”
The new extravaganza at EagleBank Arena will be more modest in scope, focusing on 12 to 14-year-olds who will be sorted into 14 teams to each play at least four games. No prior hockey experience is required, according to the Caps.
Registration is now open, with participants getting the option to sign up as a team or as an individual.
Running from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the event will be open to the general public and start with a preliminary round of 10-minute games before shifting to a single-elimination playoff tournament.
The Street Hockey Extravaganza joins a full slate of activities and promotions planned for the Caps’ 50th season, which will kick off with a “50 Fest” celebration at Capital One Arena in D.C. next Thursday, Oct. 10. With tickets going for $19.74, a nod to the team debuting in 1974, the event will feature current and former players as well as a rock concert by Third Eye Blind.
More than 60 former Caps players are expected for an alumni game at the MedStar IcePlex in Arlington on Oct. 11, and the team will have a pre-game ceremony at its home opener for the 2024-2025 season against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 12.
“We are excited for a special season-long celebration in honor of our 50th anniversary,” Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said in a Sept. 17 press release. “Our incredible community drives all our celebratory events and initiatives. We look forward to commemorating our historic season with our passionate fanbase, dedicated players, esteemed alumni and devoted supporters.”
Though a divisive attempt to relocate the Caps and the Washington Wizards, also owned by Leonsis, to Alexandria collapsed earlier this year, the hockey team still has a presence in Northern Virginia. In addition to having its practice facility in Ballston, it donated a skating rink to Lake Fairfax Park in Reston, where it recently hosted a free clinic.
More from the Capitals on their youth programming:
The Washington Capitals continue to offer an array of on- and off-ice programming to engage with the game. USA Hockey registration of adult and youth players across Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland currently totals 21,949 individuals, of which 12,749 are youth players. Inline hockey participation in the Capitals market continues to grow and a large population of players reside in the I-95 corridor of Virginia. To date, the Capitals have also refurbished or built 14 outdoor ball/inline hockey rinks across Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia to further encourage participation in hockey. In addition to on-ice programming, the Capitals also offer a robust lineup of off-ice programming to grow the game, including initiatives surrounding ball hockey and inline hockey.
