In what is likely Alexander Ovechkin’s last year in the NHL, the Washington Capitals opened the season on Wednesday, October 8, with their traditional “rocking the red carpet” party.
The F Street fun included a street hockey rink, face painting, a caricature artist, and a pregame block party, according to the Capitals. As the players arrived, they were introduced and accompanied down the red carpet by preselected fans. One of those fans was Sunny Thornton, a 4-year-old pediatric leukemia patient, with whom Ovechkin walked the red carpet. The NHL’s all-time goalscorer has pledged to donate to cancer charities for every career goal he scores above his 885th this season.
The Caps ended up losing to the Bruins later that evening, 3-1. Their next game at Capital One Arena is Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite the opening loss, fans seem excited by what’s ahead, as evidenced by an explosion in ticket resale prices for the season’s closing games.
