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courtesy of ‘photopete’

Perhaps overshadowed by the excitement of the NFL’s opening weekend, for hockey fans there is a milestone all of their own that signals the start to another season of their favorite sport. Recently, the Washington Capitals announced the dates of their annual rookie camp, which along with training camp, is the official beginning of the season.

One of the best things about the Capitals’ camps, which start today at 10:30am, and are held at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, are that they are free and open to the public in their entirety. These sessions will consist of a variety of drills, scrimmages, and testing (agility and speed).

Unlike previous years, however, when numerous spots on the team were up for grabs by rookies, this year, after the Capitals’ glorious offseason shopping spree, there is really only one spot on the team left. According to the Washington Times’ Stephen Whyno, the real battle to watch this year will be between two development camp standouts: the small, feisty Canadian Cody Eakin and the big, physical Swede Mattias Sjogren for the last spot.

Schedule:
Sunday (9/11): 10:30am – 11:30am Practice; 11:45am – 1:00pm On-Ice Testing
Monday (9/12): 10:30am – 12:00pm Practice
Tuesday (9/13): 10:30am – 12:00pm Practice
Wednesday (9/14): 10:30am – 12:00pm Practice; 12pm – 1pm Scrimmage
Thursday (9/15): 5:00pm Scrimmage at Philadelphia Flyers

Getting there:
Kettler Capitals Iceplex is located at 627 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA, on top of the Ballston Common Mall, just a short walk from the Ballston-MU station on the Metro Orange Line. The Iceplex is also served by ART bus routes 41 and 75 and Metro route 38B. The is also ample parking in the Ballston Common Mall garage for a nominal fee.

Addison Huber

Addison is a fourth generation Washingtonian, actually born and raised within city limits of DC. He currently resides in Arlington and works in DC as a government lackey. Addison can be reached at addison (at) welovedc.com