On Tuesday, the Washington Capitals assistant equipment manager Craig “Woody” Leydig will have his day with the Stanley Cup. Leydig has been with the Capitals organization for 29 years and, as an Annapolis resident, wants to share the Cup with local fans.
Leydig and the Cup will be at Ego Alley/City Dock from 12:30 until 1:15pm, and he is encouraging Caps fans in the Annapolis area to come out, touch the Cup, and take their picture with it. Once Leydig has finished taking the Stanley Cup around town, he plans to conclude his day with a party with friends and family.
This won’t be the first moment Leydig has shared with the Stanley Cup. During the Capitals parade, when Leydig was being announced on stage, captain Alex Ovechkin made a spur of the moment choice to grab the Cup and join him in celebration. The two lifted the Cup together, to the uproarious cheers of the crowd gathered in front of the stage.
“What an incredible moment. It gave me chills,” Leydig said to The Baltimore Sun. “I still get chills thinking about it now.”
Leydig started his journey with the Capitals while he was still playing for the Capital Boys Hockey program at Fort DuPont Ice Rink. From there, he ended up assisting equipment manager Doug Shearer on a part-time basis, as he continued to attend Prince George’s Community College. Shearer eventually offered him a full-time gig in the summer of 1988, and the rest was history.
29 years, 10 head coaches, and three general managers later, Leydig has finally seen the most coveted trophy in hockey come home to Washington, and he gets to enjoy a well-deserved moment with it too.
Put this address into your GPS and this should get you close to where the Stanley Cup will be: Ego Alley, 1 Dock St, Annapolis, MD 21401 | Google Map link
