The Washington Capitals lost to the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 in the Stadium Series game. The Capitals’ performance in the game was hard to watch, but there were still several fun moments that were memorable during the weekend, including the team arriving in varsity jackets, Nic Dowd throwing a football with fans in the crowd, and the entire pregame ceremony.
One other moment that was special was Evgeny Kuznetsov’s pure excitement about the team’s mode of transportation to the venue. The Capitals rode in a yellow school bus to Carter-Finley Stadium and got a police escort.
Not often you see an NHL team on a school bus with a police escort. pic.twitter.com/3wCBuAMUIm
— Ted Starkey (@TedStarkey) February 18, 2023
NBC Sports Washington’s Al Koken caught up with Kuznetsov after the team arrived at the stadium. Koken was interested in Kuznetsov’s opinion about his overall aesthetic, which included a custom DC varsity jacket and football, but the Russian centerman struggled to focus on his ensemble in his answer.
“I like it. They said it’s more like a college-style, right?” Kuznetsov said. “I was more excited about the bus. That’s my first time in a yellow bus. We didn’t have those back home. That’s what I’ll remember for sure.”
Kuznetsov, a hockey prodigy as a kid, spent most of his childhood growing up in Chelyabinsk, which is the seventh-largest city in Russia.
"I was more excited about the bus" 😂#StadiumSeries | @RealSmokinAl pic.twitter.com/F9F3M8gUpW
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) February 19, 2023
Koken also asked Kuzy about his football.
“Whatever they give me I just carry,” he said laughing. “That’s the style right so we have to do everything perfect. I believe if you’re perfect off the ice, you’ll be sharp on the ice.”
The Capitals ultimately weren’t, but there was an attempt.
Photo illustration: Ian Oland/RMNB; School bus photo via Elijah Ekdahl on Unsplash
