Photo: @Caleb_Adams3
The sweltering heat and bright shining sun didn’t deter Washington Capitals fans from standing in line for hours on end for a chance to take a picture with the coveted Stanley Cup today. The high in DC was a scorching 93 degrees (33 degrees celsius), and with little shade in nearby Arlington, Virginia, home of the Kettler Capitals Iceplex and today’s Fan Fest activities, fans refused to be discouraged by the summer weather.
With the cool ice of Kettler waiting just beyond the complex’s walls, fans lined up as early as 10:30 pm the night before to get their moment of glory with the Stanley Cup. The event spanned a total of 4 hours and had a number of goings on for fans to be a part of.
First and foremost, the main attraction of the Caps Fan Fest was the opportunity for fans to take a picture with the Stanley Cup. The attendants had to abide by certain rules for their photo opportunity, such as each person could appear in only one photo. This meant that the option of group or solo photos had to be decided upon by the each party prior to their arrival at the Cup’s photo shoot.
The photos were taken by a photographer; no cell phones or personal cameras were allowed to be used by the public. And finally, much to the chagrin of many fans, the line was cut off at 1:15 pm, meaning anyone who arrived later than that did not get their chance to take a picture with the Cup. If you had your picture taken with the Stanley Cup at the Caps Fan Fest, please share it with us via Facebook or Instagram (@Nova_Caps) to have it featured in a post later this week.
Photo: @TheHersheyBears
Even Slapshot and Coco made it out for a fun day with fans!
Meanwhile, on the Kettler mezzanine, the staple Capitals Equipment Auction was open to the public for the duration of the event. Here, fans could purchase game-used items ranging from pucks, to sticks, to jerseys, to gloves. All this, while still having brand new Capitals gear such as hats and t-shirts up for grabs as well.
Just a very small sample of the amazing items up for grabs at the annual equipment sale!
Meanwhile, just a few rooms away, fans could watch the Caps Developmental Camp Training Scrimmage from 10 – 11:30 AM. Here, fans could sit in and watch as Hershey stars and the latest draftees took drills and rushes for the Capitals’ coaching staff. After the players had their time on the ice, there was a free skate period for the remaining time in the event.
Washington goalie prospects seen here after having gone through their share of drills. Washington’s net appear to be in good hands for many seasons to come!
And at 2 o’clock PM, the ice was cleared of skaters and the Stanley Cup went on its way as well to conclude the event. A number of fans expressed displeasure with the fact they did not get their chance to be photo graphed with the Cup. The Washington Capitals did address the problem, and if you were among those turned away before you made it to the Cup, please follow the instructions in the tweet below.
We appreciate your patience as we moved through as many fans as possible to take a picture with the Stanley Cup. If you were in line and did not receive a photo, please fill out the form link below and we will communicate future photo opportunities to you.https://t.co/zvjE4fSSwE
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 30, 2018
By: Chris Laroche
