Washington Capitals: Hershey and South Carolina get Cup visits

The Washington Capitals will showcase the Stanley Cup and other trophies at home games for the Hershey Bears and South Carolina Stingrays.

The Washington Capitals will share the Stanley Cup with their minor-league teams.

For the Hershey Bears and the ECHL South Carolina Stingrays lid-lifter in North Charleston, the Cup will be on display for fans and players alike. A genuine thank you to all those affiliated with the Caps organization.

Hershey’s date with the Cup comes Sunday, October 7 before their game against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Those lucky enough to own season tickets will get the chance to get their picture taken with it and other trophies won by the Caps.

North Charleston fans get their chance on October 20.

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For those hard-working players trying to get in to the National Hockey League, what marvelous motivation for them. Of the new names engraved on the Stanley Cup, 14 played in Hershey on their way to the NHL.

Those fans who fill the Giant Center get the chance to salute their old players and Washington’s championship achievement.

For the Stingrays, the team is under new ownership. On Monday, they hired Spiros Anastas as their new head coach after four years running the Lethbridge University squad in Alberta. To have the chance to show off the Cup is a huge shot in the arm for the team and the community.

The Stingrays will host the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to start the home part of their 2018-19 ECHL season

Five Stingrays alumni, including Pheonix Copley and Braden Holtby, were with Washington during the playoffs last year. For the players who are at the lowest level of affiliated minor-league hockey, the chance to see and touch the Cup will give incentive to excel on their long journey to the NHL.

This move by the Caps shows what their organization means to them. More than teams feeding talent to the big club, Washington with this gesture considers them equal partners.

Good for the Washington Capitals in recognizing winning does not happen in a vacuum. They waited 43 years to win the Stanley Cup why not share it? Also, this gives those players who are away from home and grinding through minor-league hockey a true chance to see what they play for.

Cannot do better than that.