Remembering the Summer of Ovi and the Caps

WASHINGTON — Believe it or not, the first practices for the 2018-19 NHL season begin Friday. Thus officially marks the end of the Summer of Ovi, the wildest extended championship celebration in recent, or even extended memory.

But before we drop the puck for another season, let’s take a walk down memory lane, starting with Game 5, and look at everything that’s happened since the Caps won the Cup.

Fans and Washington Capitals players celebrate a goal by Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly during the third period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights, Saturday, June 2, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) — **June 7: Caps win Game 5, 4-3, win Stanley Cup** In year three of a two-year window, Alex Ovechkin and the Caps finally won it all. They exorcised their Pittsburgh demons, their closeout game demons, their 3-1 series lead demons. They were the champions. As the drama played out in Las Vegas, tens of thousands of fans went nuts both inside and in the packed streets around Capital One Arena long into the night. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Imagine winning a #StanleyCup. For this #ALLCAPS team. After all these years. Then stepping out, with all that adrenaline, into the Las Vegas night
— Noah Frank (@NoahAFrank) June 8, 2018

June 9: The Cup comes home The Cup got a crash course in D.C. social hangouts. From Don Tito in Clarendon to the Georgetown Waterfront, to Nationals Park, it was the star attraction and played witness to some tattoo artistry and rudimentary attempts at aquatics along the way. There was much more revelry to come all around town, though. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Caps fans pour onto the National Mall for the rally and to get in position to see the parade. (WTOP/Dave Dildine) — **June 12: Caps victory parade in Washington** It was, at last, time for a championship parade in Washington. T.J. Oshie drank a beer through his shirt. Ovechkin reminded us that he told us the team would, uh, not be bad. It wasn’t the most family friendly affair, but after the prior five days, what did anyone expect? (WTOP/Dave Dildine)

**June 15: Georgetown Hospital visit** The Cup made a visit, along with Ovechkin, to the pediatric cancer unit at Georgetown University Hospital. After all — the legendary trophy is more than just a drinking vessel. (WTOP/Mike Murillo)

June 18: Trotz steps down He rode a horse. He shot a gun. But in a rare sobering moment this offseason, Barry Trotz stepped down as head coach. Trotz wanted to negotiate a better deal than the automatic extension that kicked in when he won the Cup. Unable to come to a new agreement, he signed with Islanders three days later. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File

Washington Capitals goalie Philipp Grubauer, right, of Germany, celebrates with defenseman John Carlson (74) after an NHL hockey game as Tampa Bay Lightning center Cedric Paquette (13) skates away, Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) — **June 23: Caps trade Grubauer, Orpik** More reality of the offseason kicked in with the trade of Philipp Grubauer and Brooks Orpik to the Colorado Avalanche. But the Caps were able to get Orpik back after his contract was bought out, bringing him back on a new one-year deal. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

June 24: Caps re-sign John Carlson The above trades were needed to open up enough room to keep Carlson, who landed a monster deal. Just four days later, the team inked playoff hero Devante Smith-Pelly and Michal Kempny as well. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Washington Capitals assistant coach Todd Reirden talks with the team during a timeout in the third period of Game 1 in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoffs against the Philadelphia Flyers, Thursday, April 14, 2016, in Washington. The Capitals won 2-0. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) — **June 29: Reirden introduced as head coach** Washington didn’t travel far in the search for a new head coach, promoting former assistant Todd Reirden to the head spot. He’s certainly a familiar face, having been with the team since 2014. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Fans rocked the red on Saturday at Fanfest for a picture with the Stanley Cup and a chance to get a peak at the team's development camp scrimmage at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia. (WTOP/Melissa Howell) — **June 30: Fanfest overflows** Fans waited for hours in the summer sun for their own chance for a photo with the Cup. Unfortunately, unprecedented turnout meant some still didn’t get their opportunity. (WTOP/Melissa Howell)

**July 4: Carlson raises money for cancer** Fresh off his new deal, Carlson used his day with the Cup to help raise $100,000 to fight childhood cancer in Bethesda, where he lives. (WTOP/Megan Cloherty)

July 7: Ovechkin shows off the Stanley Cup to the World Cup Washington’s Stanley Cup win couldn’t have come at a better time for Ovechkin, who got the chance to bring the hardware back to his native Russia just weeks later as the World Cup kicked off. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)

AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov

July 27: Caps re-sign Tom Wilson With the re-signing of Wilson, Washington kept the team as intact as it possibly could given salary cap constraints moving into next season. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

AP Photo/John Locher, File

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18.08.2018....❤️спасибо тебе моя девочка за самый прекрасный день в жизни !!!@nastyashubskaya ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

A post shared by Alexander Ovechkin (@aleksandrovechkinofficial) on Aug 18, 2018 at 9:24am PDT

August 24: Chandler Stephenson emotional Cup visit While many of the days with the Cup were spent living it up this summer, forward Chandler Stephenson spent his day with the trophy in the 6,000-person town of Humboldt, Saskatchewan, where 16 people, including 10 junior hockey players, died in a bus crash in April. (Kayle Neis/The Canadian Press via AP)

Kayle Neis/The Canadian Press via AP

September 14: Caps hold first practice Whoa, that was quick. And while we may never really forget the Cup celebrations of 2018, hockey’s back already and the Summer of the Caps is officially over. Long live the Summer of the Caps. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

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