Washington Capitals fans excited ahead of regular season opener at Capital One Arena

Fans donning red Capitals jersey line the street outside Capital One Arena ahead of the team's season opener.
Excitement builds outside Capitol One Arena as Washington Capitals fans gather ahead of the first game of the regular season. (WTOP/Shayna Estulin)
Capitals First Game
Fans showed up early to cheer on their favorite players, such as superstar Alex Ovechkin. (WTOP/Shayna Estulin)
Capitals First Game
Caps players trickled in Friday with cheers from the home crowd. (WTOP/Shayna Estulin)
Capitals First Game
A young fan receives a hat outside Capitol One Arena ahead of the Washington Capitals season opener Friday night. (WTOP/Shayna Estulin)
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Fans donning red Capitals jersey line the street outside Capital One Arena ahead of the team's season opener.
Capitals First Game
Capitals First Game
Capitals First Game

Excited Washington Capitals fans gathered outside Capitol One Arena ahead of the first game of the regular season Friday night, with the Caps taking on their rival Pittsburgh Penguins.

They showed up early to cheer on their favorite players, such as superstar Alex Ovechkin, chanting his nickname “Ovi, Ovi.” He comes into the season needing 73 more goals to surpass Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894.

“He’s one of my favorite players and I got to fist bump him a year ago,” a fan told WTOP.

The players trickled in with cheers from the home crowd.

“This is my home team,” Ricky from Richmond, Virginia, said while sporting his red jersey. “We love the Caps. We love everything they stand for.”

Another fan from Richmond named Kenlee, 10, wants to see the team win their opening game, with a specific request: “I wanna see fighting.”

One fan said the Capitals are more than a team.

“It embodies the whole city. Everybody here is family,” said fan Kelly Williams.

The puck drops at 7:30 p.m.

Shayna Estulin

Shayna Estulin joined WTOP in 2021 as an anchor/reporter covering breaking news in the D.C. region. She has loved radio since she was a child and is thrilled to now be part of Washington’s top radio news station.

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