The Washington Capitals Win the Stanley Cup. . . and the Cup visits Severn! ​

By Claudia Decker '21
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This past summer, on Thursday, June 7, captain Alexander Ovechkin led the Washington Capitals to their first ever Stanley Cup victory. After 44 long years of losses in the playoffs, the Washington Capitals won four games to three against the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Although the Capitals’ victory was well deserved, one cannot overlook the skill of the newly formed Golden Knights. ​​
     Following this victory, the Capitals celebrated with the Stanley Cup for more than a week, bringing it from bar to bar and sharing it with the fans of DC. In the NHL, there is a tradition in which each member of the winning team gets his own day (or several days if you’re Alex Ovechkin) to do whatever he wants with the Stanley Cup. On July 16, Severn parent and Capitals director of player personnel Chris Patrick spent his day sharing the cup with our school. He and his family brought the Stanley Cup to Severn, where students were allowed to take photos with the massive trophy.

          
         
          Despite winning the 2018 title, the Capitals went through many changes following their victory in June. Things started to change when head coach Barry Trotz resigned and assistant coach Todd Reirdan took over. The team also decided to trade defensemen Brooks Orpik along with backup goalie Philip Grubauer to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2019 draft. The Capitals maneuvered their way through this trade by resigning Orpik only a short time later for less money than what would’ve been spent by simply re-signing him. The team also lost a fan favorite, center Jay Beagle, to the Vancouver Canucks. Although the team lost a few big players, they also locked in others and signed many new ones. The Caps re-signed defenseman Michal Kempný for four years, winger Devante-Smith Pelly for one year, right winger/enforcer Tom Wilson for six years, and defenseman John Carlson for eight years. This preseason many of the Capitals’ prospects proved their worth with breathtaking goals against some top teams in the NHL. Prospects Jayson Megna had a great goal on the Carolina Hurricanes, as did Connor Hobbs against the Montreal Canadiens. 
          Despite many preseason losses, the Washington Capitals still have great odds at the Stanley Cup in the 2018-19 season. Between the prospects and the re-signed players, the Capitals have a shot to repeat as NHL champions.