Revisiting the Washington Capitals Outdoor Game History
By Jared Ross
The Washington Capitals will be visiting the Carolina Hurricanes at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, NC this Saturday, February 18th for the 13th Stadium Series game in NHL history. The Capitals will be participating in their fourth ever outdoor game, while the Hurricanes will be getting to experience the outdoors for the first time in franchise history.
With the beloved outdoor game quickly approaching, it seems like it would be an appropriate time to revisit the Washington Capitals outdoor game history.
1. January 1st, 2011: Washington Capitals 3 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins 1
The Washington Capitals first outdoor game came against none other than longtime rivals; Pittsburgh Penguins. A Winter Classic New Year’s day clash at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA, two of the NHL’s biggest names in Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin took the ice. In a game where neither superstar recorded a point, this game was notoriously known for a blindside hit to the head on Sidney Crosby by Capitals’ forward, David Steckel. Eric Fehr was the one who stole the show, scoring two goals in under just 10 minutes of time on ice, to lead the Capitals victorious.
Sidney Crosby remained in the game after the Steckel hit, but was eventually ruled out for the rest of the season after taking a hit from behind from Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman, Victor Hedman in the following game. The Steckel and Hedman hits are deemed as key factors to the start of Sidney Crosby’s concussion history.