The Capitals will host their annual Pride Night tonight, Tuesday, January 7, when the Caps take on the Ottawa Senators at Capital One Arena. This is the fourth year that the team has hosted a Pride Night.
Select players from both the Washington Capitals and Ottawa Senators will use rainbow-colored Pride Tape on their sticks during warm-ups. There will also be pride-themed elements during the game, including a LGBTQ military family featured during the game’s military salute.
Unlike in past years, which featured an in-game auction of the used warm-up sticks and other memorabilia, the items will not be auctioned off until June 2020 during Pride Month. All proceeds will benefit SMYAL, a local nonprofit for LGBTQ youth in the Washington area. In a tie to DC sports, Eireann Doolittle, wife of Washington Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle, is a Board Member of SMYAL.
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The Washington Capitals will host Pride Night tonight when they host the Ottawa Senators at Capital One Arena at 7 p.m.
Select players will use sticks wrapped in rainbow-color Pride Tape during pregame warmups. In addition, select players from the Ottawa Senators will use Pride Tape as well. Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation will host an auction benefiting SMYAL (Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders) featuring the autographed Capitals pride sticks, along with other signed memorabilia, in June 2020. SMYAL, a local nonprofit that supports and empowers LGBTQ youth in the Washington metropolitan region, will be MSE’s social impact partner that month as MSE focuses on equality and inclusion.
In-game activations will feature pride theme elements. The in-game military salute will feature a LGBTQ military family.
Fans who purchased a special Pride Night ticket will receive a Capitals pride night flag.
Committed to diversity and inclusion, the Capitals are hosting a Pride Night for the fourth-consecutive year. Last season’s auction raised more than $18,300 for charity. In addition, Monumental Sports & Entertainment has participated in the Capital Pride Parade for four years. Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby has participated in pride festivities for several seasons, having marched in three Capital Pride Parades.
Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong
