Washington, D.C

Eight Gr8 Moments — Ovechkin Arrives in DC | Washington Capitals

Published

9 months ago

April 6, 2025

Eight Gr8 Moments — Ovechkin Arrives in DC | Washington Capitals

As we count down these last eight games of the 2024-25 regular season – the 50th season of Capitals hockey – and as the Alex Ovechkin chase of Wayne Gretzky’s goal mark reaches peak velocity, we’re going to share a personal memory of these last 20 years with the Gr8 Eight every game day until season’s end.

Today’s installment takes us back to the late summer of 2005 when a 19-year-old Ovechkin arrived in Washington to sign his first NHL contract, meet his new teammates and begin his first training camp.

When Alex Ovechkin first arrived in Washington, DC in late August of 2005, Caps hockey was at a low point. Coming off a dismal .360 points percentage performance in 2003-04 – their worst since ’77-78 – the Caps roster had been swept nearly clean of talent by the time an almost 20-year-old Ovechkin arrived on the scene in late summer 2005.

The entire NHL was scrambling for players in what turned out to be a short offseason when the season-killing lockout was finally settled in mid-July of 2005. Washington essentially signed a couple unrestricted free agents a day during one frenzied chunk of August. Dipping into the lower reaches of free agency was necessary; of the 20 Caps who suited up for the 2003-04 season finale, only five were in the lineup for Ovechkin’s Oct. 5, 2005 NHL debut. And only 11 of those 20 opening night Caps in ’05-06 were carryovers from the season before the lockout.

Goaltender Olie Kolzig was the cornerstone returning piece; he was the de facto captain for a chunk of lengthy tenure in the District. Newly appointed captain and local hero Jeff Halpern, sturdy defenseman Brendan Witt and – perhaps most critically – center Dainius Zubrus and winger Brian Willsie were also returning, along with highly regarded up-and-comers like Steve Eminger, Shaone Morrisonn, Matt Pettinger and Brian Sutherby.

Including Ovechkin, 24 of the 40 players who suited up for Washington in his rookie season were pulling the Caps sweater on for the first time that season. Not unlike the current Caps season, there were a lot of new faces.

After playing for Dynamo Moscow in 2004-05, Ovechkin opted out of his contract with the team in early August of 2005 and prepared to come to Washington. But where would he stay? Easy answer: with then-Caps GM George McPhee and his family in their Bethesda, Md. Home.

Almost a year earlier, at the beginning of the lockout in October of 2004, McPhee made a trip to Russia to watch Ovechkin play. That visit ultimately laid the foundation for the relationship between the organization and the player and his family, and the visit affected McPhee profoundly.

“It was a really interesting experience,” McPhee told us shortly after his return. “In my years as an NHL executive I have probably gone over to Europe about 25 times and have been to several different countries on hockey business. I have had some enlightening cultural experiences, but you are always reminded of how little us North Americans know of the rest of the world.

“This trip may well be the highlight of all my trips over there.”

The reason for McPhee’s visit – hockey – didn’t turn out to be the highlight. After watching the game, McPhee met with Ovechkin’s parents.

“The Ovechkin family is just amazing,” McPhee continued. “They could not be more warm, sincere and generous.

“They insisted that we visit their country home, come for dinner and stay overnight. We had an early morning flight back the next day so that kept us from staying over. But they were also insistent on us staying there and not at hotels during future trips.

“When we arrived, they insisted we get out of our business clothes and into something comfortable, so they gave us Dynamo sweatsuits to wear. Then we took a sauna and went for a swim.

“We had dinner and Alex had some friends over, too. There were about 12 of us at the table. Mr. Ovechkin made a toast in Russian that lasted three or four minutes. He welcomed us as his guests and said he was honored to have us and that he hoped we would have a nice time.

“About 30 minutes later, Mrs. Ovechkin made a toast and expressed her happiness that we had come to visit.

“I thanked them personally but also on behalf of the Washington Capitals for having us in their home. I also told them that we felt extremely fortunate to have Alex as a member of our organization and assured them that [Capitals majority owner] Ted [Leonsis] will always look after their son.

“We dined for about three hours. We had caviar, cognac, some spicy Russian sauces. They got a kick out of watching me after I ate those. Mrs. Ovechkin made all the food, and the vegetables were right out of her garden.

“There was conversation all evening, and what is interesting is that you learn that you don’t need to speak the language to communicate with people. The sincerity in these people’s eyes and the warmth in their hearts wasn’t communicated with words.

“I felt as though I was with family. It was easy to relax in their home, and it was easy for us to feel comfortable there.”

Soon after Ovechkin’s arrival in DC, he signed his three-year entry level contract on Aug. 31, 2005, a pact that carried a salary cap hit of $984,200. That figure represented 2.52 percent of the salary cap ceiling in ’05-06, the first season of the cap’s existence.

Ovechkin was introduced to local media in a press conference at Capital One Arena – still known as MCI Center at the time. Following that press conference, I was able to chat with Ovechkin in a one-on-one situation for the first time, in the lobby of nearby Hotel Monaco.

Still a couple weeks shy of his 20th birthday, Ovechkin had an interpreter along with him. Within the first five minutes of our conversation, he dismissed the interpreter, saying he was fine conducting the interview on his own. He was open and engaging, ebullient, eager to experience everything and especially eager to get on the ice with his new teammates.

“I have been waiting for this moment for a long time,” he said. “I want to meet my new partners and my new teammates. I have waited for this moment for a long time.”

He was adjusting to life in the States, and he was also adjusting to the smaller North American ice surface.

“I feel comfortable,” said Ovechkin, when asked how his off-ice adjustment was progressing. “It’s not my home; my home is in Russia. But I’m trying to feel at home.”

Zubrus was a key figure in Ovechkin’s early days. The personable Lithuanian had been an 18-year-old NHL rookie himself; he played in 19 Stanley Cup playoff games as a rookie with Philadelphia in 1996-97.

“When he came here for training camp, he was supposed to [room with Alexander] Semin,” notes Zubrus, mentioning the Caps’ absentee sophomore winger, who stayed in Russia for military service that season. “But he asked me to talk to the coach about putting him with a Canadian or North American. He wants to learn. That’s the most important thing. I think he is rooming right now with Brian Willsie on the road and he’s learning a lot of stuff.”

Ovechkin didn’t have his own wheels as of yet, so Zubrus was his ride to the Caps’ Piney Orchard practice facility in Odenton, Md. In those days.

“I lived in Bethesda, not too far away, and I went by to pick him up for practice,” Zubrus recalls. “And I’ve told this story a few times, but he wanted to go to the hockey store; I think he wanted to pick up a visor and some tape or something like that. Or laces, some shit like that. I just said, “All right man, I think you’ve got to forget about that part. Just worry about being a good hockey player, and everything else will be taken care of for you.” But I would pick him up from George’s house, and we would go skate.”

Kolzig was able to meet Ovechkin prior to his arrival in DC for his first NHL training camp.

“I was playing for Germany in the World Cup, and we were playing an exhibition game against Russia in Cologne, and Ovi was part of that team,” said Kolzig. “He wasn’t playing that night, but I got to meet him before the game. I told him how excited we were in Washington to have him come in, and he didn’t really know much English at that point, but you could tell that he was a very engaging individual. He seemed to be happy to meet me, and he was excited to start his career in the NHL.”

Once training camp started and he first faced Ovechkin’s hard, heavy shot, Kolzig’s impression changed.

“I just said, ‘Oh my God, please don’t hit me in the wrong spot,’” says Kolzig. “That thing was so fast and so heavy. And to his credit, he laid off at times and I think he knew how powerful his shot was. But at the same time, I think he wanted to impress everybody, especially the starting goaltender on his team, and show that he was a special player with special gifts.”

Ovechkin showed all of that and then some throughout that first training camp with the Capitals, and his new teammates found it easy to gravitate to him.

“Personally with Ovi, I clicked with him right away,” says Eminger. “And most of the guys who were within my circle clicked with him right away, too. Most younger European guys coming over here for the first time tend to kind of keep to themselves or stick with their countrymen, which is normal. But Ovi was different. He wanted to learn English, he wanted to speak English, he wanted to be one of the guys and to go out with the guys, and he always brought that attitude to the rink, that laughing and happy attitude that everyone sees. He was different in that way from the get go, wanting to be North American right off the bat.”

“Starting in the ’03-04 season, we had heard lots and read a lot about this talent, and then he was – with him coming over a year later and with a late birthday – a 20-year-old rookie,” says Willsie. “I think our expectations were tempered. We didn’t really realize what we were going to get; we knew we were going to get a talent, but when he comes in and starts putting guys through the boards and scoring goals and generating that excitement, I think it got fast tracked a little bit.”

On Sept. 30, the Caps hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins in a preseason game at MCI Center. These days – and for the last decade or so at least – all Caps preseason games are televised. Back then, televised preseason games were a rarity. But that game – less than a week before his NHL debut – was televised locally, with Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin on the call, as always.

Ovechkin scored the first three goals in a 4-3 Washington win. Anyone watching that game could see something big was brewing in the District, but the Caps were still careful to temper expectations.

“He made some nice solo plays, but he also had a lot of help tonight and that’s what our team is all about,” said coach Glen Hanlon after that game. “Even on nights when Alex does score three goals, we’re still about ‘team.’”

He wasn’t being called “Ovi” yet. He hasn’t established his left dot office yet. But it was clear to everyone around him that Ovechkin was going to be a special player, and the proof was days away from unfolding.

Source link

Washington, D.C

US appeals court allows national guard troops to remain in Washington DC

Published

1 day ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

US appeals court allows national guard troops to remain in Washington DC

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overruled a lower court ruling on Wednesday, allowing US President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard in Washington DC to continue for now.

The three-judge panel reversed US District Judge Jia Cobb’s November 20 decision, which disallowed Trump from deploying troops to DC to help control crime in the city. Cobb’s opinion and order state that the District was unable to perform its duties with the intrusion of the National Guard troops, holding that “the balance of equities and public interest weigh in the District’s favor.”

The appeals court disagreed with Cobb’s decision, stating that the president may prevail in his argument that he “possesses a unique power” to deploy troops in the nation’s capital. The court’s reasoning centered on the fact that DC is a federal district, stating:

Because the District of Columbia is a federal district created by Congress, rather than a constitutionally sovereign entity like the fifty States, the Defendants appear on this early record likely to prevail on the merits of their argument that the President possesses a unique power within the District—the seat of the federal government—to mobilize the Guard under 32 U.S.C. § 502(f). It also appears likely that the D.C. Code independently authorizes the deployment of the D.C. Guard.

This action was initially brought by DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb in August after Trump deployed around 2,300 regional National Guard members to patrol the city. In the months since, Trump has also deployed National Guard troops to other major US cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Memphis. The court’s ruling calls into question the constitutionality of Trump’s deployment of troops in US cities other that the nation’s capital in the future.

A spokesperson for Schwalb said in a statement that this was not the end of the fight against the deployment, stating, “This is a preliminary ruling that does not resolve the merits. We look forward to continuing our case in both the District and appellate courts.”

Source link

Washington, D.C

The Weekend Scene: Bounce to a huge inflatable park and more around DC through Dec. 21

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

The Weekend Scene: Bounce to a huge inflatable park and more around DC through Dec. 21

This weekend is your last for Christmas shopping! We’ll share some unique markets worth checking out, both in the highlights and in our list of bonus events at the bottom of this page.

Weekend weather: Saturday will be chilly, but sunshine on Sunday will bring a little more warmth. Here’s the forecast.

The ‘DMV’s largest indoor bounce park’ jumps into Maryland

Family pick
Funbox Bowie
🔗 Details

Boasting the “DMV’s largest indoor bounce park,” Funbox jumps into Bowie with $4 tickets just in time for kids to get some energy out over winter break.

Funbox opens today, and the $4 grand opening deal runs until Dec. 28 (it also includes birthday parties starting at $99). Typically, it costs $22.95 to bounce.

Tackle a 23-foot slide, obstacle course or the battle beam where competitors tussle with soft tubes while wearing nonslip socks.

Holiday highlights

Free & family-friendly
Late hours for Season’s Greenings
Thurs., plus Dec. 23, 30 and Jan. 1
🔗 Details

The U.S. Botanic Garden’s Dino-Mite! holiday display is open until 5 p.m. daily through Jan. 4 (except Christmas Day), but you still have a few chances to visit during extended hours.

Tomorrow and on four other evenings, the Garden will stay open until 8 p.m. Live music plus food and drink vendors make it a cheap date night option.

Free pick
12 Days of Joy with Art to Go-Go
Through Dec. 22, Historic Anacostia
🔗 Details

Head to Anacostia to get in on 12 days of art, go-go, joy – and shopping!

Local businesses are hosting events like poetry readings, live music, games and classes every day of the week. Pick up a Joy Pass and visit over 15 participating businesses to find “Drops of Joy,” including discounts and neighborhood adventures, around Anacostia.

Drop into the UMOJA Market between noon and 8 p.m. to find small vendors selling giftable items from hand-painted journals to chocolate bars. You’ll find it at 2323 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE. Check the website for special events, including Selfies with Santa on Saturday (make sure to sign up in advance)!

Free pick
Union Station’s Main Hall Holiday Market
Through Sat., 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Northeast D.C.
🔗 Details

Whether you’re coming or going from Union Station, the holiday market in its majestic main hall is worth a stop.

Shop from over 40 local shops, artists and makers while enjoying live music.

Free pick
ROCK’N’SHOP
Sat., 2-6 p.m., Black Cat
🔗 Details

The Black Cat’s annual holiday shop says it’s one of the longest-running in D.C. You’ll find a mix of local crafters, record dealers, shops and junk sellers as DJs provide a great soundtrack, the Black Cat says.

Family-friendly
Christmas Illuminations at Mount Vernon
Sat. and Sun., Mount Vernon, $28.80-$58 (free for kids 5 and under)
🔗 Details

Fireworks over the Potomac River and sparkling lights make George Washington’s former estate a festive destination for the whole family.

You can meet George and Martha Washington, talk to Revolutionary War soldiers at the winter encampment, take a picture with Aladdin the Camel, plus play games and dance for an 18th-century celebration.

Mount Vernon recently reopened the first and second floors of Washington’s mansion after a $40 million renovation, and Christmas Illuminations visitors can be among the first to step inside.

Family-friendly
The Dad Games
Sun., 3-7 p.m., The St. James in Springfield, $5 suggested donation
🔗 Details

The whole family is invited for an afternoon of games and challenges testing dads’ skills with Legos, trash can basketball, golf and more (bad jokes not included).

The organizers say you don’t need any training – just show up and try to win prizes up to $250!

Family-friendly
Arlington Drafthouse Holiday Movie Festival
Sun., Arlington, $10 (adult)/$5 (child)
🔗 Details

The Arlington Drafthouse theater is showing Christmas movies of all stripes – from “It’s A Wonderful Life” to “Die Hard” – through Dec. 23.

On Sunday, you can grab a ticket, then come and go all day for a full day of classics like “Home Alone” and “Miracle on 34th Street” before the fest ends with holiday horror “Krampus.”

Sit back in theater seating, order food and drinks and enjoy an easygoing afternoon of holiday favorites.

Heads up, Commanders’ fans: Arlington Drafthouse will show Saturday’s game against the Eagles on the big screen. Admission is free!

Music Snob: Concerts and more

Patti Smith, 7 p.m. Friday, Lincoln Theatre, $68.40

Not a concert, but this book talk will rock. The icon of punk, prose and photography brings the new memoir of her fascinating life and career – “Bread of Angels” – to the historic Lincoln for discussion. Book included with ticket. Details.

The Max Levine Ensemble, 7 p.m. Saturday, Songbyrd, $18

D.C.’s premiere pop punk band celebrates its 25th (!!!) anniversary. Not as active as a couple decades ago, it’s not as easy to catch this politically minded District institution these days. Among the openers is excellent indie rock singer-songwriter Oceanator. Details.

The Owners, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Black Cat, $18.75

Last-minute shopping? Stop by Black Cat for The Owners’ record release show. The venerable punk venue’s owners – and a couple of longtime employees – used pandemic free time and their empty club to put together one of D.C.’s best bands. Catchy, energetic garage-punk paradise. Details.

More to do in D.C.

Holiday shows and winter activities“

“A Christmas Carol”: Through Dec. 31, Ford’s Theatre, $42+

Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show: Through Dec. 23, Arena Stage, $49+ (see website for discounts)

A Very Improv Holiday: Through Dec. 28, Studio Theatre

National Symphony Orchestra – Handel’s “Messiah”: Thurs. to Sun., Kennedy Center

Procrastinator’s Holiday Market: Sat., Kraken on Rhode Island Main Street, free entry

Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington – The Holiday Show: Sat., Lincoln Theatre, $68.40

“The Nutcracker” by The Washington Ballet: Through Dec. 29, Warner Theatre, $63.50+

Sculpture Garden Ice Rink: Daily through winter, National Gallery of Art, $12-$15 admission and $7 skate rental

Light Yards: Through Jan. 2, The Yards Park, free

Downtown Holiday Market: Through Dec. 23, F Street NW (between 7th and 9th streets), free

Winter Wonderfest: Through Dec. 30, Nationals Park, $29.50

ZooLights: Through Jan. 3, National Zoo, $9

Frosted at Franklin Park: Through Jan. 7, downtown D.C., free

Theater – “ho ho ho ha ha ha ha” with Julia Masli: Through Dec. 21, Woolly Mammoth, $49

“Elf on the Shelf”-themed holiday pop-up bar: Through Dec. 30, Morris American Bar, $15 non-refundable reservation fee

Everything else:

Washington Capitals: Thurs. and Sat., Capital One Arena

Washington Wizards: Sun., Capital One Arena

Comedy – John Mulaney: Thurs. to Sun., The Anthem

More to do in Maryland

Winter Lights Festival: Through Dec. 21, Seneca Creek State Park, $15-$25 per vehicle

Children’s theater – “Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins”: Through Dec. 22, The Puppet Co. Playhouse in Glen Echo, $16 per person

ICE! featuring The Polar Express: Through Jan. 4, Gaylord National Harbor, $41+

Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens: Through Jan. 4, Wheaton, $13.99-$16.99 (free for kids under 5)

Theater – “Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas”: Through Dec. 28, Olney Theatre Center, $63+

Holiday Toast2Peace!: Thurs., World of Beer Rockville, free entry (donations encouraged)

Winter Fest (with Santa photos for dogs and humans): Fri., Sat. and Sun., Song Dog Farm Distillery in Boyds, free entry

BabyCat Brewery ugly sweater holiday party: Fri. in Bethesda and Sat. in Kensington, free entry

Cirque Dreams Holidaze: Fri. and Sat., MGM National Harbor, $41+

Merry Market: Sat. and Sun., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Westbard Square in Bethesda, free entry

Hands on History – Festival of Lights: Sat., 10 a.m., Riversdale House Museum in Riverdale Park, $10

The Winter Jubilee: Sat., 1-4 p.m., Rockville’s Civic Center Park, $8-$10 (adult chaperones free)

Children’s theater – “The Snowman and the Snowdog”: Through Jan. 4, Imagination Stage in Bethesda, $15+

The ‘Lego Menorah’ Lighting at Bethesda Row: Sun., Bethesda Row, free

More to do in Virginia

Holiday Bricktacular at the LEGO Discovery Center: Through Dec. 24, Ashburn, $24.99+

Elf Trivia at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: Thurs., Woodbridge, free

Holi-DIY Crafting & Gift Making Workshop (Sat., 3-6 p.m.) and Family-Friendly Workshop (Sun., 3-5 p.m.), AR Workshop Alexandria, prices vary by project

Tequila & Mezcal Cocktail Making Class: Sat., La Prensa Tacos & Tapas in Sterling, $103.22

Holiday on the Farm: Fri. and Sat., Frying Pan Farm Park, $15 in advance/$20 at door

Christmas Illuminations at Mount Vernon: Sat. and Sun., Mount Vernon, $28.80-$58 (free for kids 5 and under)

Winter Wonderland at Burke Lake Park: Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fairfax Station, $20 in advance/$25 at door

Holiday Train Rides: Through Dec. 21, Reston Town Center, $23.18

Want to know what’s up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.

Source link

Washington, D.C

Several options at play as DC leaders consider transit for new Commanders stadium

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Several options at play as DC leaders consider transit for new Commanders stadium

WASHINGTON – D.C. council members and transportation leaders met for hours on Wednesday to figure out the best way to get people in and out of the new Commanders stadium.

Planning starts:

We’re just about 14 months away from the start of construction, but the conversation about transportation is well underway.

Leaders repeatedly made it clear that this transportation plan isn’t just for Commanders’ fans on eight or nine Sundays — it’s for the people who live in these neighborhoods surrounding the stadium 365 days a year.

“Even folks who were opposed to the stadium early on, they know its coming so they want it to be successful,” D.C. Councilmember and Chair of the Transportation Committee Charles Allen said.

He says success means a smooth ride for fans and everyday residents.

“It’s not having tens of thousands of people driving cars here. It’s thinking about transportation. Get people on Metro,” Allen said.

“I can imagine there’s going be a lot of cars and people trying to park so being able to alleviate that is going to be a benefit to the community,” resident Olo Olakanmi told FOX 5.

Big picture view:

The D.C. Council hearing saw representatives from the D.C. Department of Transportation, WMATA and the Commanders, as well as ANC commissioners in neighboring communities.

Allen emphasized that this is more than just a stadium — they’re also planning 6,000 to 8,000 new homes, 20,000 people living in a brand-new neighborhood.

As of now, there are two parking garages planned for the Commanders Stadium, expected to hold about 6,000 vehicles. But when it comes to transit, there are several possibilities at play.

Dig deeper:

Metro would need major upgrades to use the Stadium Armory stop — likely including adding an entrance, elevator and expanding the mezzanine.

A new Metro stop could end up costing hundreds of millions of dollars and take years to build.

WMATA is getting $2 million from the District for planning. General Manager Randy Clarke said that the goal is to have 40% of game day traffic come from public transit.

But that could also include bus rapid transit lines moving people from Union Station to the stadium along the H Street corridor.

“I have confidence we’re all going to work together and everyone has the same goal here — to make this the best possible urban sports facility and mixed-used development in the country,” Clarke said.

The plan right now is to have shovels in the ground by March 2027 and construction complete by May 2030.

“We want to make this the most transit friendly stadium but also make sure all modes of transportation are optimized for folks to get there,” DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum said.

So, a lot of these transit decisions need to be made fairly quickly.

Washington CommandersWashington Metropolitan Area Transit AuthorityNewsWashington, D.C.TransportationTop Stories

Source link