Nick Jensen and Jonas Siegenthaler skate with Fort Dupont Cannons

February 1, 2020 10:44 pm

For two Capitals players, Saturday afternoon’s practice at Medstar Capitals Iceplex was only the beginning of their day. After a high-energy practice focused on the team’s power-play and penalty-kill, Capitals defensemen Nick Jensen and Jonas Siegenthaler both put in extra time on the ice, albeit in a different rink: DC’s historic Fort Dupont Ice Arena.

Jensen and Sigenthaler practiced with the Fort Dupont Cannons. The Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Program was founded in 1978 by Neal Henderson, who was recently inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame for his community leadership and contributions to the growth of hockey in DC.

The 82-year-old Coach Henderson watched the practice from the bench, something that still brings him excitement even after over 40 years in coaching. “Every day, I look forward to seeing these kids play hockey,” Henderson said.

“They’re eager to learn and they were overjoyed at the fact that the Caps were here today,” Henderson said of the Cannons. “They enjoy meeting with [the Capitals players] and talking to them. It inspires them to do better, when they see the Caps come out because we talk about the Caps sometimes when we’re having our meetings. To let them know the Caps came up the same way that they’re doing.”

Nick Jensen meets Neal Henderson, founder of Fort Dupont Hockey Club pic.twitter.com/a5sepcor8n

— RMNB (@russianmachine) February 1, 2020

Jensen and Siegenthaler helped the Cannons coaches run drills and, in some cases, joined in on the same skating and stick-handling drills that the 14 to 17-year-old Cannons players were skating.

Siegenthaler said that seeing the kids practice reminded him of his own youth hockey days.

“It wasn’t that long ago that I was doing the same kind of drills when I was their same age,” Siegenthaler said. “Brings back some memories for sure. I know how it was being that young, just enjoying playing hockey, coming to practice with a big smile and just being excited to skate on the ice for a little bit.”

Capitals’ Jonas Siegenthaler disguises himself as a big kid, joins local hockey team 😂 pic.twitter.com/MFOqL8FrKs

— RMNB (@russianmachine) February 1, 2020

Siegs is putting in his audition for the next Mites on Ice game pic.twitter.com/dnVEuVxPbc

— RMNB (@russianmachine) February 1, 2020

Part of the Capitals’ visit was in recognition of February being Black History Month. The Cannons are the oldest minority youth hockey program in North America. Jensen spoke about the NHL’s message that hockey is for everyone.

“We want that mentality in our sport, that hockey is for everyone,” Jensen said after the practice. “It’s not just for certain areas or states or countries. It’s all about being able to come out here and see what Mr. Henderson has done and his whole organization has set up here. It’s pretty important to me having the kids see what it’s like from me and Jonas’ situation, being in the NHL, at the top of the podium where a lot of kids want to be. We just want to put it in their minds that anything is possible.”

Henderson spoke of his own childhood experience of being inspired by professional athletes. “It’s like being in another world, being able to be around them. Since I was a kid growing up, being around the pros and learning from the pros, having that extra touch with the pros made me more of a person who wanted to be like them.”

Henderson said that he hopes his players use the discipline that hockey teaches them to help them grow their lives.

“I’d like someday to see that each one of these kids can come back and say that they had the joy of their lives in hockey,” Henderson said.