Washington Capitals: 5 things fans need to do this offseason
We’ve sadly now reached that point in the offseason where nothing too crazy happens. We are in the middle of the month of August which means just over a month until the first preseason game and just under two months until it all counts. What can Washington Capitals fans do to help pass the time and get us to opening night faster?
Luckily for you, we put together a quick guide of fun activities you can do to get through the dog days of summer and the dog days of the NHL offseason. Before you know it, opening night will be here and it’ll be fight night between the Caps and New York Rangers.
#5 Play NHL 21
While we wait for the release of NHL 22, which will probably be this October, we can all play and enjoy NHL 21 with our favorite team captain Alex Ovechkin as the cover athlete. The cool part about NHL 21 is you can choose jersey options including playing games in the Screaming Eagle reverse retro jerseys. You also get the taste of full arenas, and regular schedules and none of that bubble stuff.
Now that things are slowing down in the offseason, I personally plan on binge playing NHL 21 between now and the start of the season.
#4 Attend a Washington Football Team game
Even though it isn’t hockey, the start of football season signals that hockey season is right around the corner and we can’t wait for both. Expect the Capitals and the Washington Football Team to steal the show this fall. Sometimes if you’re lucky, you may even spot a Capitals player chillin on the sidelines before the game. Maybe Alex Ovechkin is there or Tom Wilson.
Last year after the bubble there was a huge sports void in Washington as we all awaited a new hockey season. We had to wait until January but in the meantime we watched a young and exciting Washington Football Team embark on a new era and that new era is off to a solid start as they finished the 2020 season as NFC East champions.
In the playoffs against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they played so well that I wasn’t mad that they lost. In fact, quarterback Taylor Heinicke made an electrifying play running into the end zone for an epic touchdown.
With a quarterback competition between him and Ryan Fitzpatrick as well as an exciting defense led by Jonathan Allen and Chase Young, expect the Football Team to continue to make noise.
#3 Relive the 2018 Cup run
I’ve made this a personal tradition every summer so far and I hope to one day add to that tradition with a brand new Cup run. Looking back on 2018 never gets old and no better way to pass the time than to watch old documentaries and games from that magical year.
If you have the Stanley Cup DVD, it takes you all the way to the beginning of time when the Caps were formed all the way through the ups and downs of that 2017-18 season. There were so many downs in the beginning, then head coach Barry Trotz nearly lost his job in November. But the team turned it around and we all know that the rest is history.
If you didn’t buy the DVD or don’t have any old games saved in your DVR, you’re still in luck! On YouTube you can check out Monumental Sports’ documentary ALL OURS which not only gives us an inside look at the run to the Cup but behind the scenes footage of each player’s day with the Cup.
You can also relive the magical night of June 7, 2018 as YouTube has the full game right here. These never get old.
#2 Attend a Washington Nationals game
It is a hard season for the Washington Nationals but their recent fire sale shows us how lucky we are to have the longevity of the core with the Capitals. Recently the Nats said goodbye to Trea Turner and Max Scherzer. Their recent moves make it hard to attend games but one thing remains that is worth going: Juan Soto.
Soto is a GOAT like Ovechkin and were lucky to watch him night after night. Hopefully the Lerner family follows Ted Leonsis’ lead and extends the slugger after Leonsis extended Ovi. Another reason to attend a Nats game is to get the nostalgic feelings of 2018 and 19. In 2018 the Caps took over the ballpark after bringing home the Cup. The Nats would follow suit by taking over Capital One Arena after winning the World Series. At the time, we were the city of champions before Tampa Bay took the spotlight.
There are also some hot promotions coming up. Ryan Zimmerman bobblehead night takes place on Friday September 3rd against the New York Mets. They’re giving away a zip up jacket on September 13 against the Miami Marlins. On September 19 against the Colorado Rockies, fans will get a Nationals blanket. On Oct. 2 fans get a Nats beanine.
#1 Tour the city of D.C.
The number one thing to do this offseason for fans to pass the time is to go do some sightseeing in Washington, D.C. We are very spoiled to have grown up in the capital of the country and there’s lots of historical sights. Most notable is the National Mall where there’s a reflecting pool.
There’s the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial nearby as well as the Washington Monument. Nearby Capital One Arena, in fact right across the street, there’s the National Portrait Gallery where fans took over the steps during the run to the 2018 Cup.
One favorite museum of mine is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. In it there’s plenty of aircrafts and spaceships to check out. I also recommend the Newseum where you can learn more about the media and the right to free speech.
If you’re into the presidential history, Ford’s Theatre is actually a block away from Capital One Arena. That’s the infamous place where John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln. If you don’t want to deal with the D.C. traffic there’s also Mount Vernon which is the place where George Washington lived.
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I’m not much of a tour guide but that’s pretty much all I’ve got. There’s plenty of other museums and monuments to choose from that I still need to check out. Before we know it, hockey season will be back and we’ll all be back in a familiar arena (fingers crossed).