Capitals enjoy 'some time away' ahead of season opener

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The rain didn't dampen the Washington Capitals' enthusiasm for the upcoming season during a team-building trip the past two days.

With their 23-player roster set after making final cuts following training camp, the Capitals took advantage of a break before they open their regular season at the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes on Friday (7 p.m. ET; HHN, CARNHL, MNMT, SN, TVAS) by traveling to Maryland's capital for some bonding time that concluded Monday with practice on the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy.

"I thought it was just an opportunity at the end of a difficult training camp, with some difficult decisions, to get, ultimately, our final group, roster together, spend some time sort of out of our normal environment and come to a great area," Washington coach Spencer Carbery said  "You come to downtown Annapolis and all the history and the Naval Academy and being the capital city of the state of Maryland, just try to enjoy 48 hours here, get some time away with an off day yesterday, and then skate here."

The Capitals were one of the NHL' s most aggressive teams in the offseason, adding forwards Alex Tuch (trade with the Buffalo Sabres after signing eight-year, $84 million contract), Jordan Kyrou (trade with St. Louis Blues) and Boone Jenner (signed four-year, $23 million contract) and defenseman Vincent Desharnais (signed four-year, $16.8 million contract). The trip provided a chance for them to get to know their new teammates better -- and vice versa -- outside of hockey.

After bussing Sunday morning from its practice rink in Arlington, Virginia, the team went to nearby Woodmere Country Club for a golf outing. Playing through on-and-off rain, the foursome of forwards Tom Wilson, Ilya Protas, Ryan Leonard and defenseman Dylan McIlrath turned in the low score in the scramble format.

The players then watched some NFL games together before going out for a group dinner.

"It's fun," defenseman Matt Roy said. "I think a lot of guys are outgoing, and it's pretty easy for them to come in, it seems, and we're all trying to make it easy on them as well and help them with the transition."

Washington's roster also includes 20-year-old rookies -- Ilya Protas and defenseman Cole Hutson -- who each received small tastes of the NHL toward the end of last season and will begin a full season in the League for the first time. It was also the first time for forwards Ivan Miroshnichenko, 22, and Ethen Frank, 28, making an NHL opening night roster, though each has also played with the Capitals.

"You only get that once in your career with your first time that you're on the opening night roster," center Pierre-Luc Dubois said. "We're very privileged to do what we do for a living. We work extremely hard to get to this point, but the young guys that have dreamt about this moment for all their lives, it's really fun for them. So, we're all happy for them."

Washington has held its rookie camp in Annapolis since 2023, but this was the first time the NHL team practiced here since a similar bonding trip before start of the 2014-15 season, when Barry Trotz was coach. The Capitals also played an outdoor game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at nearby Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium as part of the 2018 NHL Stadium Series.

"Your whole career is such a whirlwind, and then you end up in a place that you've been before, and your brain is like, 'Oh wait, I've been here and I've spent some time here,' so you get a little bit more familiar," said Wilson, who is beginning his 14th NHL season, all with Washington. "Obviously, with the outdoor game here, there's been some cool team-building stuff in this town over the years, and, obviously, a pretty big fan base this way. The Capitals have been around for a long time here.

"I remember eating lunch with the midshipmen and stuff at the at the food hall at Navy (in 2014). … It was a long time ago, but obviously some good memories."

The Capitals have experienced a lot of roster turnover since then. Wilson said captain Alex Ovechkin turned to him during dinner on Sunday and said, "We're the only ones left," referencing that they are the only remaining players from the 2018 Stanley Cup championship team.

Each team develops its own identity, though, and this trip was an important step toward doing that for the Capitals, who have set high expectations to be Stanley Cup contenders after missing the playoffs last season (43-30-9).

"When you get away, there's no distractions." Wilson said. "You're just spending time together, and you can already just feel having two days of it, it's going to be a great year. If we have one of the closest groups, I think we'll have one of the best teams in the League. So, it's important for us to get together off the ice and keep that culture going.

"There's a lot of talent, a lot of skill, and if we band together, I think we'll be a pretty dangerous team."