Hockey Fever Hits TC

Hockeytown. This term is highly sought after by many NHL general managers, but few towns can claim the title. Traditional hockey markets in the Northeastern United States and in Canada fight over who owns the title, while newer hockey markets strive to approach the title. The storied Detroit Red Wings franchise prides themselves on their spot as the NHL’s premier Hockeytown. The tides could be changing though as hockey becomes increasingly popular in less traditional hockey areas. The highlight of these teams is Washington D.C.’s very own Capitals.
The team’s swift rise to the top of the NHL has is a result of a hard rebuild that led to many frustrated fans. The team ended the 2005-2006 last in the Southeast Division, 14th in the Eastern Conference, and at the end of the year 2006, 28th out of 30 in attendance. Senior long time Caps fan Emma Cordell remembers those rough times. “It was fun being by yourself in a huge stadium, people could hear you when you shouted things, but it was also sad that there were no people there, and it was always disappointing to see them lose. It was very frustrating. We had talented players; they just never got anything done.”
There was one very bright spot for Capitals fans through the long rebuild process. The Capitals won the 2004 Draft lottery, and selected left wing Alexander Ovechkin. Ovechkin began his NHL career in the 2005-2006 season. He led all NHL rookies in scoring and beat out rival Sidney Crosby for the Calder Memorial trophy. “I remember how big of a deal to hockey fans it was when he came here. If you knew anything about hockey you knew he was amazing. It was definitely exciting to have the best player in the league, bar none,” Cordell said.
Ovechkin’s first two seasons in Washington were rough, but the team slowly made moves to better themselves, trading for veteran center Sergei Fedorov and goalie Cristobal Huet, along with the free agent signings of center Michael Nylander and right wing/center Viktor Kozlov. General Manager George McPhee and owner Ted Leonsis began to see a team that they knew could make the playoffs and make D.C. sports fans proud. “It was amazing to see the new guys, Ovechkin and Semin come together with to make the playoffs, it was like, finally after all that, they got it done,” Cordell said.
The team proved them right, winning their division that year and making the playoffs for the first time since 2003; jumping from 14th place in the league at Thanksgiving. Alex Ovechkin put in an MVP worthy season, breaking the single-season left wing goal scoring record by notching 65 goals, new coach Bruce Boudreau won the Jack Adams award for coach of the year, and rookie center sensation Nicklas Backstrom was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy. Fans began to take notice, and by the end of 2008 attendance began to climb. Long time New York Islanders fan and AP US History teacher Phil Engle attributes much of this success to the Capitals star player. “I remember when the owner of the caps gave hundreds of free tickets to TC when the arena was half empty, and now you can’t buy a ticket because they’re always sold out. A lot of that development can be placed with the capitals wining and having a superstar like Ovechkin.”
Attendance through the first 34 home games of the season is listed at 100%, sellouts for all 34 games of the season. Engle knows first hand what keeps the fans coming back for more hockey. “It [high attendance] is also based on the fact that once people go to a hockey game and see it live, it’s a much better experience than watching it on TV: going to a game is when people get hooked.”
After meeting in the second round of the playoffs last season, the Capitals renewed rivalry with their old Patrick Division rivals the Pittsburgh Penguins began to intensify, and the ever entertaining rivalry between Alex Ovechkin and fellow superstar Sidney Crosby has made for a fun fan experience. Senior Molly McNabb is a fan that appreciated the rivalry between the two teams and the two superstars. “The tension between the two teams makes games between the two more intense than any other game during the season. The Ovechkin and Crosby rivalry is a big deal. The anticipation for it is always entertaining.”
The winning and popularity of the Capitals along with the success of the U.S. Olympic team is also helping to get people hooked on playing the sport. T.C. continues to field boys and girls club hockey teams. Ice time is harder to get at the local rinks with the rise in youth interest and enrollment on youth teams. “When I moved to DC I didn’t think of this area as a hockey market. Having refereed and coached it has been nice to see the growth at the youth level, but there’s still a lot of growth to do.”
Things continue to look up for a team that was continually at the bottom of the standings for so many years. With only a few games left in the regular season, the Washington Capitals continue to top the list of Stanley Cup contenders. The Capitals continue to achieve their regular season goals. The have clinched the Southeast Division, the Eastern Conference, and the Presidents Trophy, which is awarded to the team with the best overall record. Alex Ovechkin remains at the top of the league in goals scored, points, and plus/minus. He is arguably on track for a third straight Hart Trophy, awarded to the league’s Most Valuable Player, and a third straight Lester B. Pearson. Overall, it’s a very good time to be a Caps fan.