Today, the Washington Capitals launched a Little Free Library at their Arlington practice facility, where they stocked the book-sharing box with both hockey-themed titles (think: Z is for Zamboni: A Hockey Alphabet by Matt Napier, and Ken Dryden’s Game Change: The Life and Death of Steve Montador, and the Future of Hockey), as well as picks from Caps players themselves.
In advance of the launch, players were asked for their suggestions, including their favorite books and recent reads—and the list of recommendations offers a fun peek into the minds of some of DC’s favorite hockey players. Here’s what they picked:
- Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson, selected by Connor Brown
- The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister, selected by Nic Dowd, last read to his son
- Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World—and Why Things are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling, selected by Lars Eller
- Twelve and a Half: Leveraging the Emotional Ingredients Necessary for Business Success by Gary Vaynerchuk, selected by Carl Hagelin
- The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson, selected by Garnet Hathaway, last read to his son
- Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan, selected by Darcy Kuemper
- Wins, Losses, and Lessons: An Autobiography by Lou Holtz, selected by Charlie Lindgren
- Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey, selected by T.J. Oshie
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, selected by Trevor van Riemsdyk, last read to his niece
- Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World by Tim Marshall, selected by Joe Snively
- Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, selected by Dylan Strome, last read to his daughter
- A Marine, a Stray Dog, and Now they Rescued Each Other by Craig Grossi, selected by Tom Wilson
The Caps, according to a press release, are the first NHL team to have a Little Free Library—the box was painted by DC artist Taylor Kampa Olson. The initiative is an extension of the organization’s new Caps in School Reading Program, which encourages elementary-school students to read more as part of their daily routine. As is the practice of Little Free Libraries, fans are invited to stop by the practice facility to grab a book and encouraged to leave another when they can.
Amy leads Washingtonian Weddings and writes Style Setters for Washingtonian. Prior to joining Washingtonian in March 2016, she was the editor of Capitol File magazine in DC and before that, editor of What’s Up? Weddings in Annapolis.
