Stepping Into the Spotlight: Scenes From the NHLPA’s Rookie Showcase at MedStar Capitals Iceplex

Posted on September 6, 2022 by Michael Fleetwood

Photo: NHL Players Association/@NHLPA

On Tuesday, the Washington Capitals hosted the Upper Deck NHL Players’ Association Rookie Showcase at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, the team’s practice facility in Arlington, Virginia. Capitals forward Hendrix Lapierre was among the next wave of NHLers in attendance.

The showcase was held for the league’s top prospects and rookies for the 12th consecutive year and, per the NHLPA’s official website):

“…provides Upper Deck, the official trading card partner of the NHLPA and the NHL, with an opportunity to capture photographs and videos of many of the game’s top young prospects and rookies in their official NHL team uniforms. The content collected will be used for upcoming Upper Deck trading cards and related promotional materials.”

In addition to Lapierre (the Capitals’ first-round pick in 2020), other notable attendees included 2021 and 2022 first overall picks Owen Power (Buffalo Sabres) and Juraj Slafkovsky (Montreal Canadiens), and 2022 first-round pick Shane Wright (Seattle Kraken).

Below are some scenes from the day’s proceedings.

JERSEY ADVERTISEMENTS

Beginning this season, NHL teams are eligible to showcase advertisements on their uniforms. The Capitals were the first team to strike an advertisement deal, partnering with Caesar’s Sportsbook, a sports betting branch of the Caesar’s entertainment company.

Lapierre, who was the Capitals’ representative at the event, gave the first glimpse of the Capitals’ players with the Caesar’s Sportsbook patch displayed on the upper-right chest.

Not all of the league’s 32 clubs will be donning such looks this season, with mixed results in terms of sales as recently as July. However, a handful of the attendees could be seen with their respective teams’ sponsors adorning their jersey.

MEET THE PRESS

The Showcase attendees also spoke with the press corps covering the day’s events at MedStar Capitals Iceplex.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, SLAPSHOT

The rookies were photographed in a variety of ways for the future use of their image on Upper Deck trading cards and promotional purposes. The photo shoots included on and off-ice sequences.

The 2022-23 NHL season gets underway at the end of the month, with the host Washington Capitals opening their training camp on September 22, 2022.

By Michael Fleetwood

 

About Michael Fleetwood

Michael Fleetwood was born into a family of diehard Capitals fans and has been watching games as long as he can remember. He was born the year the Capitals went to their first Stanley Cup Final, and is a diehard Caps fan, the owner of the very FIRST Joe Beninati jersey and since then, has met Joe himself. His favorite player became former Capital Nate Schmidt after he met Schmidt in a Hershey hotel while in Hershey PA to see the Bears play, shortly after Schmidt was injured during a conditioning stint. Michael is also a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Orioles, and enjoys photography, watching WildEarth TV's SafariLive live safaris, and watching animals in his spare time. (Photo by Adam Vingan in 2014 at the Capitals Development Camp).
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3 Responses to Stepping Into the Spotlight: Scenes From the NHLPA’s Rookie Showcase at MedStar Capitals Iceplex

  1. novafyre says:
    September 6, 2022 at 8:23 pm

    Don’t like the ads.

    Reply
  2. Lance says:
    September 6, 2022 at 9:35 pm

    Sell outs!

    Reply
  3. Anonymous says:
    September 6, 2022 at 10:24 pm

    Let’s get to the hockey!

    Reply

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