Amateur hockey has been a focus of the Washington Capitals since the team’s inception in 1974. Times and needs change, but the Capitals continue to be an active initiator and participant in the youth hockey community. The team’s involvement encompasses education, participation, recognition, awareness and fundraising.

Here is a snapshot of a few of our more popular and current initiatives:

Street Hockey is a great, low-cost introduction into the sport. The Capitals NHL Street program is free for participants and offered to all community centers and rinks in the area. So far we have donated equipment to more than 16 community centers and ice rinks around the area reaching more than 600 kids. Each of those centers also receives a one-hour clinic where kids are taught how to pass and shoot.

Rink Partnership Program includes eight local rinks (D.C., Maryland and Virginia) and 25 or so regional rinks. The Capitals provide jerseys for initiation and learn-to-play programs in a grass-roots effort to expand the game. Caps players visit local rinks and join in practice sessions for hands-on clinics and instruction. Each year through this partnership we connect with approximately 2,400 youth players, and each rink also will have multiple visits from Slapshot, the team mascot.

Mites on Ice is an intermission favorite at Verizon Center. I remember when we would host mites during several games a year. It became so popular and fun that we expanded it to nearly every game. In the course of a season about 1,400 kids enjoy the opportunity to skate on the NHL ice and in front of a cheering crowd.

The Youth Hockey Shootout is a Maryland vs. Virginia shootout competition for each age group and it originates at local rinks. The winners advance to Kettler Capitals Iceplex for the semifinals, and the finals are held during intermission of a Caps game at Verizon Center.

Flag Kids is a more recent undertaking. These hockey players participate in the pregame show, holding flags and forming an entryway on the ice for our players. It’s an exciting time for them to be up close when the Capitals starting goalie leads the team onto the ice.

Ice Crew members are comprised of slightly older kids and assist our Verizon Center staff during timeouts, helping to clear the extra ice that gathers around the net and in front of the benches. They get a great view, sitting on the glass in the Olympia corner.

Game Program Sellers from local teams are positioned on the concourse each game, selling programs for $2 and keeping 100% of what they sell to benefit their team.

Ice Time is such a key component to introducing the sport to kids, and we provide 500 hours of free ice time at Kettler Capitals Iceplex to Arlington County each year. The county utilizes the ice time for a variety of groups, and it’s a great way to introduce our facility to local residents.

Verizon Center Ice Time has frequently been requested by many teams looking to play on the NHL sheet. We usually accommodate two teams the afternoon of every Caps game, and frequently we utilize the ice after games for various high school, college and adult games.

Hockey School was introduced in 2007 and has hosted approximately 30 clinics and reached more than 3,500 students in the D.C. area. Hockey School is a free program, designed to be both instructional and interactive, with the goal of exposing students and physical education instructors to floor hockey and teaching proper technique. Each Hockey School visit takes the Caps to a local elementary school and consists of an interactive floor hockey clinic focusing on puckhandling, passing and shooting. Caps coaches, players, mascot and team representatives host Hockey School sessions, which operate between September and May for groups of 100 to 150 fifth-eighth graders. Schools in need of street hockey equipment receive a free set, which includes sticks, goals and goalie equipment. Students receive a variety of goodies during the visit, including a Capitals-autographed player card, a hockey 101 instructional booklet and coupons for a free open skate session and a free learn to skate or learn to play introductory class at a local rink.

Diversity, Education and Fundraising are important roles of Washington Capitals Charities, which provides financial support to many programs and initiatives. For example, in recent years Caps Charities has contributed roughly $75,000 to the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, a developmental program that provides local and inner-city youth the opportunity to participate in an organized ice hockey program. Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club is one of only 24 programs throughout the United States and Canada privileged to be a member of the National Hockey League’s Diversity Program and is the oldest minority program in the United States. Part of the diversity program includes Hockey is For Everyone Month, which is a Capitals and NHL-supported initiative. Throughout the month we incorporate many of the local girls and women’s teams, local inner-city programs and Special Hockey Washington’s players into our game-night activities.

PVAHA Grant was awarded by Washington Capitals Charities when it formed a partnership with the Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association (PVAHA) by donating $25,000 to its John Crerar Hockey Development Grant. The purpose of the grant is to assist the member associations within PVAHA to increase participation and promote hockey development within Maryland, Virginia and D.C. This grant was distributed to 15 Washington metropolitan area amateur hockey programs during the course of the 2009-10 season.

The College Hockey Fair has been a huge hit with local players and parents. In its fourth year, the College Hockey Fair brings together representatives from USA Hockey, Division I and III schools, ACAHA (club) members and prep schools. Last year approximately 500 players and parents were on hand for a comprehensive look at the various opportunities that are available after high school.

General Contributions are made throughout the year and have included donations to the NOVA Cool Cats, Washington Ice Dogs, Montgomery Cheetahs, Baltimore Saints, Maryland Scholastic Hockey League, Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League, Capital Beltway Hockey League, Special Hockey Washington and American Special Hockey Association.

Caps Academy is on the horizon, and it will have something for everyone. In the summer of 2010 WashingonCaps.com will be a hub of information designed for the novice as well as the more skilled and knowledgeable players and fans. There will be how-to videos, skill and drills materials, rules, photos, learn-to-play information, summer camps and much, much more.

Kettler Capitals Iceplex serves as our training facility and home to the team’s administrative offices. The rink, located in Arlington, Va., opened in 2006 and was a joint effort between the Capitals and Arlington County. It has been a tremendous addition to our organization and has been a widely acclaimed asset for our fans and the community. All of the Capitals practices are open and free to the public, and it’s great to see so many fans enjoying a close-up experience with our sport and our players. You get an entirely different perception of the speed, power and agility that is required to perform at the NHL level. The rink is located on the eighth level of the parking garage attached to the Ballston Common Mall and includes two sheets of ice with seating for more than 1,000 people. We have witnessed standing-room-only crowds during training camp and our rookie game – fans wearing red in the stands and standing two- and three-deep behind the goal. Kettler Capitals Iceplex is the first indoor ice rink inside the beltway in Virginia and is conveniently accessible by Metro. The Capitals are just one of many teams to use the ice, as youth, high school, junior, adult and college hockey teams play here. The rink also is utilized for figure skating, synchronized skating, recreational skating, learn-to-skate and learn-to-play programs and broomball. Basically, it’s a buzzing facility, and I hope those of you who live in the area have had a opportunity to come and enjoy yourself.
If you have any amateur hockey-related questions or suggestions, we welcome your feedback at youthhockey@washcaps.com. Thanks and Go Caps!