WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Washington Capitals will host Celebrating Black History Night Presented by Giant on Friday, Feb. 27, when they play the Vegas Golden Knights at Capital One Arena. The organization is celebrating Black History Month with custom designed specialty jerseys being auctioned off to support minority youth hockey programming, in-game and social media activations and content, the Capitals Black Hockey History Display and more.
Ceremonial puck drop participants on Feb. 27 include: 13-year old Deaf hockey player from the Bowie Hockey Club and The Last of Us actor Keivonn Woodard, 16-year-old U16 AAA player from the Washington Little Capitals Luke Zeigler and Fort Dupont Cannons alumnus, Capitals Rising Stars Academy ambassador and the first head coach of a HBCU Hockey Program at Tennessee State Univeristy, Duante’ Abercrombie.
Together, their journeys in hockey reflect a shared dedication to advancing inclusion and diversity across the sport, from expanding youth participation and supporting elite development to leading the next generation through coaching.
Woodard, from Bowie MD, is a hockey player with Bowie Hockey Club and a multi-sport athlete. He is Emmy-nominated for his role in HBO’s The Last of Us, becoming a trailblazer as one of the first Black Deaf youth recognized at this level in television. One of his goals is to become the first Deaf hockey player in the NHL. The Capitals teamed up with P-X-P to surprise Woodard in American Sign Language with the news that he will be participating in the ceremonial puck drop.
Zeigler, from Laurel, MD, has been playing hockey for 10 years. He grew up watching the Capitals and currently plays for the Washington Little Capitals. Zeigler also participated in the Capitals Mites on Ice and Rising Stars Academy youth hockey development initiatives. His goal is to compete at the highest level of juniors and to go as far as he can playing hockey.
Abercrombie is a Washington, D.C., native whose hockey journey began at Fort Dupont Ice Arena under legendary coach Neal Henderson. He serves as the head coach of the Tennessee State University Men’s Hockey team, leading the first NCAA Division I hockey program at an HBCU. Abercrombie has also worked in various capacities with USA Hockey and NHL teams including the Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Nashville Predators and Arizona Coyotes. He also serves on the Washington Capitals’ Black Hockey Committee and is an ambassador for the Washington Capitals Rising Stars Academy, a free development program for young players of color in the D.C. region.
Capitals players will arrive at Capital One Arena on Feb. 27 wearing the Capitals specialty Celebrating Black History jersey, designed by the Washington, D.C., based apparel brand Bailiwick Clothing. Jerseys signed by all players on the Capitals 2025-26 roster are being auctioned off at washcaps.com/BHauction by Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation to benefit the Capitals Capital Impact Fund. The auction also features Capitals Black History Month pucks and team-signed youth hockey jerseys that were part of the Capitals January Youth Hockey Day player arrivals. The auction is now open at washcaps.com/BHAuction and will conclude on Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. Click here for more information on the jersey and fundraiser. In game and social media content during the game on Feb. 27 will honor Black achievement in hockey and highlight how the organization is working to further grow the game.
The evening will also feature the debut of “District Dozen,” a remix of the original “Caps 11” song by Emmy Award winning musical artist Saukrates. “District Dozen” is dedicated to honoring the Black players and alumni in Capitals history. The song will be featured in a music video and on-ice projection during the game on Feb. 27.
Capitals fans are encouraged to visit the Black Hockey History Display at Capital One Arena, which was unveiled in February 2022. It is a permanent display on the main concourse at section 112 devoted to the Capitals Black history and players. It features:
- Memorabilia including a 1975-76 home jersey worn by Mike Marson (1974-79), a game-used stick by Joel Ward (2011-15) and a game-worn helmet by Devante Smith-Pelly (2017-19).
- A jersey featuring a Players Against Hate end racism shoulder patch. Capitals players wore and auctioned off the jerseys during the Feb. 25, 2021, Black History Night.
- A timeline featuring Black players and key moments in Capitals history.
- An interactive QR code that drives visitors to washcaps.com/blackhockey, featuring additional information to learn about the Capitals commitment to diversity, honoring Black players in history, community partners, resources and more.
On Feb. 21, the Capitals Youth Hockey Development hosted a Rising Stars Academy clinic on at MedStar Capitals Iceplex for elite high-school Rising Stars athletes. The clinic featured on- and off-ice elements, including skill development sessions with participation by Capitals players Declan Chisholm, Brandon Duhaime, Ryan Leonard, Justin Sourdif and Trevor van Riemsdyk, along with Rising Stars Academy lead instructor Bryan King and guest lead instructor Kush Sidhu. During the clinic, Capitals players wore the team’s 2025-26 Celebrating Black History specialty jersey that is being auctioned off by MSE Foundation to benefit the Capital Impact Fund. Clinic participants also wore a version of the jersey during the event.
