Islanders Army

Capitals Hold Outdoor Practice

December 6th, 2007 by murph

 
Check out On Frozen Blog’s coverage and photos of the Capitals special outdoor practice from Tuesday night. A very cool (no pun intended), fan-friendly idea that I thought was worth mentioning. I’d totally show up if the Isles did something like this (hint, hint),

Want ideal weather for an outdoor skate conceived to thrill hundreds of young hockey fans in lower Montgomery County, Maryland? Try Tuesday night’s 32 degrees at 6:00 p.m. in Chevy Chase, Md., where the Caps — many outfitted in ski caps under their helmets — skated for 45 minutes under the lights at the gorgeous Chevy Chase Country Club’s outdoor ice rink.

This was the second straight year that the Caps traveled to Chevy Chase for such a skate, and being there among the club’s spectators, we left it hoping that it becomes an annual tradition. Coach Boudreau told us afterward, “Every [NHL] team should do something like this . . . [the fans] see the human element of guys laughing and having fun.” He’s right. The practice itself was as easy-going as the holiday mood surrounding it (complete with strings of seasonal lights hung about the plexiglass): basic passing drills, some two-on-ones against goalies at boths ends, and finally a bit of non-checking three-on-three shinny. This was an event mostly about the team connecting with its community, in a novel setting, in perfect conditions.

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