WASHINGTON -- The question was set up on a tee for Washington Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner to knock it out of the park.

He crushed it.

Every Capitals player was issued Oakley sunglasses on Wednesday, but Alzner was the only player to wear them during the practice at Nationals Park. Alzner was asked why he was the only one who did.

"Because I'm the only smart one," Alzner joked.

OK, we'll leave the IQ tests for another day. On Wednesday, though, Alzner's solution to practicing in the sun became the envy of his teammates, and also brought about a legitimate question:

Is it legal for players to wear sunglasses during the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on Thursday at Nationals Park if the sun is as bright and the glare on the ice as challenging as it was Wednesday. The forecast calls for a sunny day.

The answer is that the NHL is currently considering it, according to Kris King, the senior vice president of hockey operations. No decision had been made as of Wednesday night.

WASHINGTON -- Chicago Blackhawks center Brad Richards has become an outdoor-game regular. He's also undefeated in these games.

The 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Nationals Park on Thursday will be Richards' fourth career outdoor game and third in just over 11 months. His previous three came while he was a member of the New York Rangers.

Richards made his outdoor debut in the 2012 NHL Winter Classic in Philadelphia, a 3-2 win for the Rangers thanks to Richards' game-winning goal at 5:21 of the third period.

He also played in both 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series games at Yankee Stadium. The Rangers beat the New Jersey Devils 7-4 on Jan. 26, and the New York Islanders 2-1 three nights later.

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Capitals have put a white decal with the initials 'CR' in red on the back of the helmets they will wear in the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on Thursday to honor Clint Reif, the Chicago Blackhawks assistant equipment manager who recently passed away at the age of 34.

Capitals coach Barry Trotz said the idea to put the sticker on the helmet came from the Capitals training staff.

"I think what you find in this community--the hockey community--it's a lot smaller than people think, and the trainers are very close. They're very tight just like all the players are across the league, the coaches; all that," Trotz said. "When a member goes down they all want to show the respect."

WASHINGTON -- Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik will skate in warmups Thursday at Nationals Park and will be a game-time decision for the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Orpik sustained a knee injury Monday in a 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders.

"Brooks Orpik is taking warm-up and then he will tell me if he's playing," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. "He's feeling much better and we will not put him at risk."

Orpik did not participate in practice Wednesday as he stayed back at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va., to receive treatment on his injured knee.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Washington Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner sat at his locker Tuesday and was asked to participate in a word-association exercise.

The question: When others discussed the Capitals and how they've played over the past several seasons, what would come to mind?

"I think they probably would have said high-risk, high-reward," Alzner said. "Goal-scoring, maybe a little flashy, maybe streaky, not words that you really want to be called."

Alzner was then asked how he thought the Capitals would be regarded now.

"Now I would say hard-nosed, honest, hard, just the word 'hard,'" he said. "I think that's way better."

WASHINGTON -- Peter Bondra spent 14 seasons playing for the Washington Capitals and has watched them become part of the fabric of the community in this historic city.

So it was no surprise to see Bondra, 46, smiling ear to ear Tuesday, when he was able to skate on the fresh sheet of ice with a small gathering of former teammates and media members at Nationals Park, two days before the Capitals host the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic (1 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, TVA Sports).

"I think it's a big event, especially for Washington," Bondra said. "D.C. has become a hockey town and they've got a great team. I mean, they've got Alex Ovechkin, so it's going to bring attention. Nationals Park, we're just a couple of blocks from the White House. This is going to be a really great festivity.

"You go to Verizon [Center] for a regular-season game, and it gets a lot of attention. People are excited about the upcoming Winter Classic. You see a lot of dark red colors in the building and Winter Classic colors. This means a lot. I'm very excited. As a hockey fan, you get to come here and watch Washington and Chicago? Wow. Two good teams. This is really becoming a holiday of hockey."

The build-up for the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic between the Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals shifted into high gear Monday when the NHL Winter Classic Ice Plant presented by York arrived at Nationals Park in Washington.

The 53-foot, 300-ton capacity truck houses the specialized equipment, including the world's largest movie rink refrigeration unit, needed to make the rink the Blackhawks and Capitals will skate on for the New Year's Day extravaganza.

Among those on hand to greet the arrival of the NHL Winter Classic Ice Plant were Capitals alums were Peter Bondra and Sylvain Cote.