Anyone who’s ever played street hockey on a playground or empty tennis court knows the excitement that comes with passing, shooting and scoring — the Washington Capitals are offering a way to take that excitement to the next level.
The team is launching the Capitals Street Hockey League — or CSHL — for kids between the ages of 8 and 12. The inaugural season will run from March to May 2026, at three rinks: Lake Fairfax Park, in Reston, Virginia; Francis C. Hammond Middle School in Alexandria; and Ridge Road Recreational Park, in Germantown, Maryland.
Kids from Virginia, Maryland and D.C. are invited to join the coed league, which the team described as a “fun, low-stress environment.” No prior hockey experience or gear is required to participate in the coed league.
The league will be broken into three divisions, by age, with groupings of 5-6-year-olds, 7-8-year-olds, and 9-12-year-olds. All divisions will play on the same day at the selected locations, during the 8-week season, with each team playing two games per weekend.
Each team will have a minimum of six players and maximum of 10. For those not registering with or as a team, the Capitals will place individuals on one.
The price to participate varies by location from $149-179, and registration includes a t-shirt. The Capitals are also offering a 15% holiday discount for those who register during December
The team offers more than 30 ways to play hockey, including on-ice and off-ice versions. The Caps have refurbished or built 14 outdoor street or inline hockey rinks across Virginia, Maryland, D.C. and West Virginia, to encourage participation in hockey.
According to the team’s news release, the number of people playing in ice hockey leagues is way up.
“The total number of USA Hockey-registered players (youth and adult) in the Washington D.C. area climbed more than 186% from 2005-06 through 2024-25, and 70% across the region as a whole during the same time frame,” the news release stated.
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