ARLINGTON, Va. – Registration is now open for the first-ever DMV Girls Hockey Weekend (previously DMV Girls Try Hockey for Free Day), taking place at 18 rinks across Maryland and Virginia on Sept. 12-13.
DMV Girls Hockey Weekend is a joint effort between the Washington Capitals, Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) Foundation, the Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association (PVAHA) and various youth hockey organizations throughout the region to introduce girls ages 4-9 to hockey at no cost. With a $32,991 grant from MSE Foundation supporting the weekend’s funding, hockey equipment is loaned to participants for a one-to-two-hour ice session.
Click here to register for the weekend. Please note that the participating locations are subject to change, and new ones may be added throughout the summer. Provided equipment and equipment requirements will also vary by rink. Registrants are advised to refer to an email from their host rink prior to the weekend. To further showcase girls hockey, some of the rinks will also host a girls hockey game either before or after the free event.
Participating clubs in Virginia include: Ashburn Ice House (Ashburn, VA), Caps Academy at MedStar Capitals Iceplex (Arlington, VA), Hampton Roads Warriors/Hampton Roads Youth Hockey Association at Iceland of Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach, VA), NoVA Ice Dogs at Mount Vernon RECenter (Alexandria, VA), Potomac Lady Patriots at Prince William Ice Center (Woodbridge, VA), Reston Raiders at SkateQuest (Reston, VA), Richmond Generals at Richmond Ice Zone (N. Chesterfield, VA), Roanoke Lady Dawgs at Lancerlot Sports Complex (Vinton, VA) and STJ Hockey Club at The St. James (Springfield, VA).
Participating clubs in Maryland include: Baltimore Youth Hockey Club at Reisterstown Sportsplex (Reisterstown, MD), Bowie Hockey Club at Bowie Ice Arena (Bowie, MD), Hagerstown Ice & Sports Complex (Hagerstown, MD), Howard Huskies at Columbia Ice Rink (Columbia, MD), Montgomery Ice Devils at Rockville Ice Arena (Rockville, MD), Navy Youth Hockey at Brigade Sports Center (Annapolis, MD), Southern Maryland Sabres at Capital Clubhouse (Waldorf, MD), Tri-City Eagles at The Gardens Ice House (Laurel, MD) and Tucker Road Ducks at Tucker Road Ice Rink (Fort Washington, MD).
DMV Girls Hockey Weekend aligns with USA Hockey’s Try Hockey for Free program, which provides local youth with the chance to try hockey during a one-to-two-hour ice session at no cost. Required equipment is loaned to participants through the local youth hockey organization. The program provides these organizations with a platform and opportunity to acquire new players locally and engage interested families into youth hockey programs across the region.
The Capitals partnered with the Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association to host a DMV Girls Try Hockey for Free Day at 16 local rinks/clubs for the first time in 2023. Last year, 18 local rinks/clubs participated in the event, as more than 630 girls ages 4-9 tried hockey for the first time. Additionally, girls participation in the Future Caps Learn to Play program increased by more than 8% in a span of less than seven days following the event.
According to USA Hockey, there has also been significant growth in hockey participation in the Washington, D.C. area since Alex Ovechkin was drafted. The total number of USA Hockey-registered youth and adult players in D.C. has climbed by more than 220 percent from 2005-06 through 2025-26. The total number of USA Hockey-registered girls and women players across D.C., Maryland and Virginia has also increased by 225 percent over that period. Additionally, the Southeastern District (comprised of D.C., Maryland and Virginia, as well as nine other states) ranked No. 1 in registration for the 2025-26 season.
The Capitals Youth Hockey Development team offers a robust lineup of hockey programming and is committed to growing the game throughout the region. For more information on the programming, visit capsyouthhockey.com.
