Caps Care Year in Review: Capitals and MSE Foundation Raise More Than $1.8 Million for Charity During 2025-26 Season

During the 2025-26 season, the Washington Capitals, its players and Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation continued to give back to the community and grow participation in hockey throughout the region. Through fundraising and programming efforts, the Capitals and Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation supported numerous organizations in an array of missions. The organization's efforts resulted in more than $1.8 million raised for charity this season.

Over the next several weeks, WashCaps.com is presenting highlights across the following categories:

Caps Care Community Programs and Initiatives

Theme Nights and NHL Platforms

Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation

Youth Hockey Development and District of Play

Capitals Player Programs

City Engagement

This week, WashCaps.com recaps Caps Care Community Programs and Initiatives:

Caps Care Community Programs & Initiatives

Caps in School Presented by KPMG: Caps in School presented by KPMG returned for the 2025-26 season and school year. The program engages and rewards teachers across the region through year-long programs and partnerships in the education space. It encompasses Educators Appreciation Night, a reading program, writing program, STEM field trip and a hockey school program.

The reading program, which is designed to encourage elementary school students to add more reading to their daily activity, finished the 2025-26 season with its largest registration number to date. Reaching more than 11,000 students in 500 classrooms, more than 10,000,000 combined minutes were read. All participating students received bookmarks, as students and teachers participated in monthly competitions and raffles.

Caps in School Amazon Wish Lists: As the Capitals again invited teachers to share their Amazon wish lists and details around their classroom, school and Capitals fandom, the Capitals donated $5,000 worth of school supplies to 10 teachers throughout the region over the course of the 2025-26 season. The initiative included Capitals forward Ryan

Leonard and mascot Slapshot surprising Ms. Joyner’s second-grade class at Walker Jones Education Campus in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 7. Leonard brought items from Ms. Joyner’s Amazon Wish list and read a book to the students, who also asked Leonard numerous hockey questions.

Caps in School STEM Field Trip Presented by KPMG: The Capitals hosted a Caps in School STEM field trip presented by KPMG at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on April 8. The annual event used hockey to show 70 third-grade students from Chesterbrook Elementary School how science, technology, engineering and mathematics are all around them.

Stations included Capitals assistant general manager Don Fishman quizzing students on hockey trivia, Monumental Sports Network teaching participants how a camera brings a segment to life on screen, MedStar Capitals Iceplex assistant general manager Jeremy Cross explaining the ice resurfacing process and how Zambonis work, Play-Well TEKnologies exploring basic engineering terms and principles with a LEGO-building station and Caps Youth Hockey Development members leading a station that demonstrated the force used behind a shot on net.

“Ovi” the Service Dog: In Oct., America’s VetDogs, a New York-based national nonprofit that provides specially trained service dogs to veterans and first responders with disabilities, announced they named a service dog “Ovi” in honor of Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin met future service dog Ovi and representatives at MedStar Capitals Iceplex earlier this season. This tribute came in celebration of Ovechkin’s monumental achievements surpassing the all-time NHL goal record with his 895th career goal and as he became the 23rd player in NHL history to play in 1,500 career games. The black Labrador Retriever will help mitigate the disability of a U.S. veteran or a first responder with skills that include retrieving dropped items, interrupting nightmares, opening handicap doors and more.

Caps Care Toy Drive: The Capitals hosted a toy drive at Capital One Arena to benefit The Salvation Army National Capital Area Command on Dec. 7, when the Capitals took on the Columbus Blue Jackets. Fans were encouraged to donate new, unwrapped toys at building entrances. The toys were used for The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program, which helps provide holiday gifts for children. Individuals who donated to the toy drive received a Capitals poster. That night’s MSE Foundation also raised $6,320 for The Salvation Army National Capital Area Command.

Caps Wives Ronald McDonald House Visit: Wives and girlfriends of Capitals players joined MSE Foundation and Melissa’s Produce for an afternoon with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington, D.C., on Dec. 15. The group cooked a meal for the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House: Northern Virginia, as well as participated in various holiday-themed activities. MSE Foundation also donated $25,000 that funded a Capitals room at the house.

First Responders Practice: On Dec. 19, the Capitals hosted local first responders and their families at practice ahead of the organization’s First Responders Night game the following month. First responders watched the Capitals practice and took a group photo with the Capitals team. The Capitals have continued to invite first responders to practice over the past several seasons to express their gratitude for their service.

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Holiday Visit: A group of Capitals players joined MedStar Health and Capitals mascot Slapshot to visit youth patients at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital on Dec. 19. The group spread holiday cheer as they brought gifts and participated in various holiday-themed activities with kids in the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Make-A-Wish Experience: The Capitals partnered with Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic and Make-A-Wish Connecticut to grant 13-year-old, Durham, Connecticut native Josie Flynn’s wish to meet Alex Ovechkin. On March 20, Josie watched the Capitals morning skate at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, where she met Ovechkin and other Capitals players. She also attended that night’s Capitals game, as the team took on the New Jersey Devils. Josie received a special tour of Capital One Arena and the Monumental Sports Network studio before watching warm-ups from the Capitals bench.

Golf “Fore!” Rare Cancers Golf Tournament: Capitals players and alumni participated in The Laughlin Family Foundation’s fifth annual golf tournament, raising awareness and funds for those affected by rare cancers. The tournament broke its previous fundraising record by raising $300,000.