Photo: @Capitals

After what was, to put it lightly, an eventful night in Washington D.C. and in Las Vegas (see Stanley Cup championship), on Thursday, the Capitals returned home with their luggage and two additional pieces of hardware on Friday afternoon: the Stanley Cup, and the Conn Smythe Trophy.The Capitals’ team plane arrived at Dulles International Airport at approximately 5:00 P.M. to much fanfare before a small crowd of team officials and airport staff, even being greeted with a shower of congratulations.

Captain Alex Ovechkin and longtime running-mate Nicklas Backstrom (who kept fans updated on the ride home) were the first to step off the plane, with Lord Stanley’s mug grasped firmly in both of their hands. They were greeted by a chorus of cheers and boarded the team bus with the Cup, followed by Keepers of the Cup, who carried the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) with gloved hands.

THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN! @nbcwashington #Capitals #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/ZsdFPeGFYO

— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) June 8, 2018

One-by-one, the rest of the players, coaches, and team staff emptied out of the plane to equally-raucous chorus of cheers. The Capitals also announced earlier today that the much-anticipated Stanley Cup parade will take place on Tuesday, June 12 in D.C., an event that is reportedly expecting 100,000-plus fans in attendance.

By Michael Fleetwood