| Ice hockey in the District of Columbia | |
|---|---|
 Flag of the District of Columbia | |
| Country | United States |
| Governing body | USA Hockey [1] |
| National team(s) | Men's national team Women's national team |
| First played | 1948 |
Club competitions | |
List
| |
The District of Columbia has a small but expanding relationship with ice hockey in the United States. With the Washington Capitals serving as the flagship franchise in the region, ice hockey has seen steady growth in the Washington, D.C. area.
Due to its modest winters, ice hockey was a relative unknown in D.C. until the opening of Riverside Stadium in 1938. While it was not primarily an ice rink the multi-purpose arena could be flooded for that purpose. That enabled Georgetown to found a varsity ice hockey team the following season. [2] 1939 also saw the city get its first professional team when the Washington Eagles joined the Eastern Hockey League. Two years later the Uline Arena was completed and the new building served as the home for the Washington Lions. Competition between the Eagles and Lions was fierce in 1942 but eventually the new club won out and the Eagles folded. Compounding problems was the entry of the US into World War II and that caused both the Hoyas and the Lions to suspend operations for the duration. [3]
The Hoyas returned in 1946 but it was another year before the reappearance of the Lions. The late return did no favors to the team and Washington finished dead-last in league standings in back-to-back campaigns. To make matters worse, the Lions operated as an independent club in and did not have a parent team to help bail them out of their dire financial situation. After the Lions announced that they were ceasing operations in 1949, the Uline arena changed its policies and no longer allowed ice hockey games to be played. The loss of the venue forced Georgetown to suspend its ice hockey team, leaving the region without an active ice hockey club. [4]
The changes didn't last and a second Washington Lions franchise was started in 1951. They returned to the Uline arena, however, Georgetown didn't try to restart its program at the time. The Lions played for five seasons, pausing briefly when the Eastern Hockey League went dark in 1953–54, but were only able to achieve a modest level of success. After the franchise was bought by Harry Glynne III, and Jerry DeLise, the club changed its name to the 'Washington Presidents' and played for another three seasons before stopping for good. [5]
In June 1972, the NHL announce that Washington was one of two cities that would receive an expansion team in 1974. Abe Pollin, the owner of the Washington Bullets, announce his plan to build a new arena in nearby Landover, Maryland that would open in time for the Washington Capitals' first season. The team debuted at the Capital Centre in October 1974 an kicked of the worst season in the history of the NHL. Washington was just 8 of its 80 games that season and the club would not produce a winning record for nine seasons. Fortunately, Pollin was able to keep the team's head above water during their early struggles. Whereas many other new teams were forced to move to new locales, The Capitals remained in the D.C. area and became one of the leagues better teams in the 1980s. While Washington was able to achieve regular season success, playoff wins eluded the franchise. Washington made the postseason every year from 1983 through 1996 but only once advanced past the second round, often losing to lower-seeded teams. Despite a surprise run to the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals, the Capitals were not a hot ticket by the end of the 20th century and the team was bought by Ted Leonsis.
New ownership brought about new management and the team brought in several big name players, chief among them was 5-time scoring champion Jaromír Jágr. The changes did not bear fruit and by 2004 the team traded most of its players in order to undergo a rebuild. That summer, Washington won the draft lottery, enabling them to select Alexander Ovechkin with the first selection. The arrival of Ovechkin brought about a sea change as his battles with Sidney Crosby (who was on Washington's chief rival, Pittsburgh Penguins) generated a renewed interest in both the team and the game. Since 2005, interest in the sport has flourished in the region, culminating with the franchise's first championship in 2018.
| Team | City | League | Arena | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Capitals | Washington, D.C. | NHL | Capital One Arena | 1974 |
* relocated
| Team | City | League | Years Active | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Eagles | Washington, D.C. | EAHL | 1939–1942 | Defunct |
| Washington Lions | Washington, D.C. | AHL | 1941–1943, 1947–1949 | Defunct |
| Washington Lions (second) | Washington, D.C. | EHL | 1951–1953, 1954–1957 | Defunct |
| Washington Presidents | Washington, D.C. | EHL | 1957–1960 | Defunct |
| Team | City | Gender | Division | League | Years active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown Hoyas | Washington, D.C. | Men's | None (pre classification) | Independent | 1939–1942, 1946–1949 |
Active Active (out of state)
Washington D.C. has seen a few of its locals achieve notability in the sport. However, because of the city small footprint, nearby regions in Maryland and Virginia a usually included when discussing the impact of the sport on the region. Of those players who are from D.C. proper, about as many were raised elsewhere as inside the borders of the district.
† Moved from elsewhere
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, and is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, headed by Ted Leonsis. The team initially played its home games at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, before moving to the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., in 1997.
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). For the 2023–24 season, 31 of the 32 NHL teams have official affiliations with an AHL team, with only the Carolina Hurricanes having no such affiliation. When NHL teams do not have an AHL affiliate, players are assigned to AHL teams affiliated with other NHL franchises. Twenty-six AHL teams are located across the United States whereas the remaining six are situated in Canada. The league offices are located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and its current president is Scott Howson.
Capital One Arena is an indoor arena in Washington, D.C. Located in the Chinatown section of the larger Penn Quarter neighborhood, the arena sits atop the Gallery Place rapid transit station of the Washington Metro. The arena was opened on December 2, 1997 as MCI Center but renamed to Verizon Center in 2006 when MCI was acquired by Verizon Communications and changed again to its current name in 2017.
The Kansas City Scouts were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1974 to 1976. In 1976, the franchise relocated to Denver, and became the Colorado Rockies. In 1982, the Rockies relocated to New Jersey where they have since been known as the New Jersey Devils.
Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Ovi" and "the Great Eight" in reference to his jersey number, Ovechkin is widely regarded as one of the greatest goal scorers of all time. Second only to Wayne Gretzky for all-time goal scoring, Ovechkin also holds many records, including the most power play goals, most goals in away games, most overtime goals, and most goals with the same team in NHL history. He is the third NHL player, after Gordie Howe and Gretzky, to score 800 goals in the regular season.
The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to internationally as the British Elite League, is an ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey Superleague, it is the highest level of ice hockey competition in the United Kingdom.
Total Mortgage Arena is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in downtown Bridgeport, Connecticut. It is the home venue of the Bridgeport Islanders of the American Hockey League (AHL) and PWHL New York of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).
CAA Arena is a 4,365-seat multi-purpose arena in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. It is the home of the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League (AHL). Built in 1978, it was then known as the Quinte Sports Centre and eventually Yardmen Arena. It is part of a larger recreational complex with several ice rinks, a pool and other facilities.
Peter Joseph Ferraro is an American former professional ice hockey forward who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He and his twin brother Chris became the second set of identical twins to play on the same NHL team, in the 1995–1996 NHL hockey season. The first was Ron and Rich Sutter.
The Uline Arena, later renamed the Washington Coliseum, was an indoor arena in Washington, D.C. located at 1132, 1140, and 1146 3rd Street, Northeast, Washington, D.C. It was the site of one of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's inaugural balls in 1953, the first concert by The Beatles in the United States in 1964, and several other memorable moments in sports, show business, politics and in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. It had a capacity of over 8,000 people and was a major event space in Washington until the early 1970s.
Nicklas Bäckström is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Bäckström was selected fourth overall by the Capitals at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and made his NHL debut the following year.
Washington, D.C., has major league sports teams, popular college sports teams, and a variety of other team and individual sports. The Washington metropolitan area is also home to several major sports venues including Capital One Arena, RFK Stadium, Commanders Field, Audi Field, and Nationals Park.
Theodore John Leonsis is an American businessman. He is a former senior executive with America Online (AOL), and the founder, chairman, and CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals, Washington Mystics, and Monumental Sports Network.
MedStar Capitals Iceplex is the practice arena of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League. The highest ice rink above street-level in the United States, it is located on the eighth floor atop the parking garage adjoining the Ballston Quarter in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington County, Virginia.
The 2017–18 NHL season was the 101st season of operation of the National Hockey League. With the addition of a new expansion team, the Vegas Golden Knights, 31 teams competed in an 82-game regular season. The regular season began on October 4, 2017, and ended on April 8, 2018. The 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs began on April 11, 2018, and concluded on June 7, with the Washington Capitals winning their first Stanley Cup in the Finals over the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.
The 2014–15 NHL season was the 98th season of operation of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Ice hockey, referred to in the US simply as "hockey", is a popular sport in the United States. Hockey in the US began in 1894 when the first artificial ice rink was built in Baltimore, Maryland. Now hockey is most popular in regions of the US with cold winter climates, such as the northeast and the upper Midwest. However, since the 1990s, ice hockey has become increasingly popular in the Sun Belt due in large part to the expansion of the National Hockey League to the southeast and southwest US, coupled with the mass relocation of many residents from northern cities with strong hockey support to these Sun Belt locations.
The Georgetown Hoyas men's ice hockey team is a college ice hockey program that represents Georgetown University. They are a member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association. The university sponsored varsity ice hockey from 1939 to 1949.
O"Neal Henderson is the coach for the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club since 1978. Black players have mainly been on his team leading up to the 2020s. Before starting the Washington, D.C. team, Henderson was a hockey player before becoming a coach at Hill Air Force Base. Between the late 1990s to early 2000s, Henderson was the vice president for the NHL/USA Hockey Diversity Task Force. In 2005, he co-created the Hockey in the Hood tournament in Detroit. Outside of hockey, Henderson worked for the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles while at Fort Dupont.
