The DC government is looking in to making Washington DC like other huge hockey towns across North America.
Friday, WTOP’s Jack Pointer spoke to Jack Evans, and the DC Council member expressed his interest to shut down city streets near Capital One Arena for the team’s remaining home playoff games this season. Friday evening, the Capitals are hosting a watch party for Game One in a Rosslyn, Virginia park. Evans wants to shift that activity downtown for future games.
“I guess we’re just not used to that here, because we never got this far before,” Evans said to WTOP. “Wouldn’t that be great if we had 10,000 people sitting … on the museum steps? People who can’t necessarily afford to go into the arena and pay could be outside watching it, or even on game night in Tampa Bay, to use the arena for people to come and watch the game.”
Caps fans began celebrating on the steps of the National Portrait Gallery during the second round. The idea was usurped from visiting Penguins fans who taunted Caps fans after losses.
So #Capitals fans took the steps back and are chanting “one more game”. I love when DC wins! #ALLCAPS @russianmachine pic.twitter.com/pQg8w8iPAH
— Danny Favret (@Danny_Favret) May 6, 2018
Evans told the Washington Post that he believes the chances of a watch party coming together by Wednesday’s Game Three as 70 percent. The game would be projected with sound on a screen near the McDonald’s at the intersection of 7th and G streets.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are one prominent NHL team who has large street parties beside Air Canada Centre during home playoff games. They’re a spectacle.
The Lightning are having their fans congregate outside of Amalie Arena for the Eastern Conference Final.
Thunder Alley, where Tampa Bay fans will sit outside and watch Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final in humid lawn chair comfort. #NHL https://t.co/A5uXghZlu0 pic.twitter.com/Ysjw8IKix0
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 11, 2018
Meanwhile, with Capitals games getting shifted to 8 PM, Evans says he has talked to Capitals owner Ted Leonsis about extending Metro’s hours past its 11:30pm closing time. Evans chairs the Metro board.
“We’re certainly in discussions with the Capitals to see how we can make that happen,” he said. “We’re working toward getting an extra hour. It’s looking good.”
Evans is also speaking with several companies downtown who are considering paying the $100,000 fee to keep Metro open an additional hour.
