Washington Capitals Hockey Is Back: See Home Opener, Season Details

WASHINGTON, DC — Washington Capitals hockey is back in the District as the team hosts its season opener festivities Wednesday and vies for another Stanley Cup.

The Capitals face the Boston Bruins at Capital One Arena for the home opener at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Fans can show up early for the Rock the Red Carpet on F Street in front of Capital One Arena from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday. The Caesars Sportsbook & Casino Truck Tour will provide fan experiences from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., and the Capital One Fan Studio will be open on F Street from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

NBC Sports Washington will have a pregame show at 6:30 p.m. and immediately following the game, and TNT will have a pregame show from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Capitals return for a new season led by captain and forward Alex Ovechkin, who is just 22 goals away from passing Gordie Howe for second most goals in National Hockey League history. Ovechkin enters the season with 780 career goals, just behind Howe's 801 goals.

Ovechkin won numerous Maurice “Rocket” Richard trophies in past seasons for being the NHL's leading goal scorer. The 37-year-old had 50 goals last season, the fourth most among NHL players.

Along with Ovechkin, 22 players are on the roster for the season's start. Some of the team's stars — Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson and Carl Hagelin — are on injured reserve, so the Capitals will look to younger players to step up. Forwards Connor Brown and Dylan Strome will make their Capitals debut. One returning player is Herndon native Joe Snively, who became the Capitals' first Virginia-born player last season.

In goal is Darcy Kuemper, who won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche last season and signed a five-year contract with the Capitals in the offseason. Kuemper had a 37-12-4 record last season with a .921 save percentage. The other goalie is Charlie Lindgren, who signed a three-year contract with the Capitals and had a .958 save percentage in five games with the St. Louis Blues last season.

Head coach Peter Laviolette will begin his third season as the Capitals coach. Last season, Laviolette helped the Capitals achieve a 100-point season, but the team lost to the Florida Panthers in the first round of the playoffs. The Massachusetts native passed John Tortorella for the most wins by a U.S,-born head coach in NHL history, and needs six more wins to pass Alain Vigneault for the eighth-most wins in NHL history.

The Capitals won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 2018. Since then, the Capitals have not won a playoff series but qualified for the playoffs for eight consecutive seasons.

Season Opener Festivities

Before the Capitals' first game, head to F Street in front of Capital One Arena for the Rock the Red Carpet from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday. Capitals players will start arriving on F Street between 6th and 7th street NW around 3:30 p.m. before being introduced and escorted down the red carpet by preselected fans. Players will greet fans and pose for pictures on the red carpet.

TNT will interview players on the red carpet for a pregame show airing from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Caesars Sportsbook Ambassadors Kenny Mayne and Trey Wingo participate in Rock the Red Carpet and will also interview Capitals legends in the Caesars Sportsbook studio.

Along with the Rock the Red carpet, fans can visit the Caesars Sportsbook & Casino Truck Tour, an 18-wheeler with fan experiences, from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Caesars Sportsbook was the first sports betting venue to open in a professional sports facility in the U.S., offering 17 betting windows and dozens of self-service betting kiosks in Capital One Arena. Fans can also enjoy the new Guy Fieri's DC Kitchen + Bar inside Capital One Arena's Caesars Sportsbook.

Lastly, the Capital One Fan Studio will be open to fans on F Street from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. A D.C. artist will be in the studio to create game-inspired art and can offer fans custom prints. Capitals alumnus Karl Alzner will also sign autographs and take photos with fans from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

At Wednesday's game, all attendees will receive a 2022-23 Capitals schedule magnet. The Team Store at Capital One Arena will open at 11 a.m. and remain open during the game to sell Capitals merchandise.

According to Metropolitan Police, road closures will be in place for the Rock the Red Carpet event. From 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, F Street is expected to be closed from 6th Street NW to 7th Street NW. Westbound traffic on F Street from 5th Street NW will also be closed during this time.

For more information on this season's Capitals team and schedule, visit www.nhl.com/capitals.