This article is over 2 years old

Gary Bettman comments on Washington Capitals’ potential relocation to Northern Virginia

by

0 Comments

Share:

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman made an appearance on ESPN during the second intermission of St. Louis Blues-Detroit Red Wings game, Tuesday night.

While speaking with Steve Levy, PK Subban, and Mark Messier, Bettman addressed the reporting that the Washington Capitals may relocate to Alexandria, Virginia. He appeared very enthusiastic about the idea.

“I know there’s a rumor about Washington being asked to come to Virginia, which is four miles away from their existing arena,” Bettman said. “That’s all, and it may be a great opportunity to have an incredible, forward-looking fan experience that’s new age and takes care of new technology and new experiences. [It’s] something that could be very special.”

ABC7 reported that Capitals’ owner Ted Leonsis will be attending an event at Potomac Yard alongside Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin Wednesday at 9 am to speak about “a framework for a partnership.”

Hours after reports surfaced about relocation, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the DC Council had agreed to give MSE $500 million towards renovation projects over the next three years starting in 2024. It also included a ground lease extension through 2052.

Per the mayor’s press release:

“Downtown DC is the District’s economic engine that provides revenue resources to support important programs in the city. Mr. Leonsis and Monumental Sports have been critical partners in keeping our downtown thriving, especially after the pandemic. The modernization of the Capital One Arena will be an invaluable investment for continued success and our future prosperity,” said Mayor Bowser. “This proposal represents our best and final offer and is the next step in partnering with Monumental Sports to breathe new life and vibrancy into the neighborhood and to keep the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals where they belong – in Washington, DC.”

The legislation that Mayor Bowser submitted to the Council outlines the parameters of the agreement, including receiving the authority to enter into a lease extension and provide financing of $500 million toward the $800 million renovation project over a period of three years beginning in 2024. City leaders have also committed to a swift and expedited review and approval process to meet current construction plans for the arena.

“We are committed to making the most strategic investments possible to keep the District on the best path forward and we view the revitalization of the Gallery Place-Chinatown community and the Capital One Arena as a lynchpin of that strategy,” said Chairman Phil Mendelson. “This project will fuel jobs, help local businesses, and serve as a top-tier destination for DC residents and visitors to the region.”

Beyond the Capitals potentially moving across the river, Bettman said that no other franchises were moving and that “we like where our franchises are.” The commissioner was not focused on expansion either. “Not interested in starting it right now,” he said. Though he did divulge that there is interest from Atlanta, Houston, Salt Lake City, and Quebec City.

During an appearance on SportsCenter, Bettman also addressed that the league is revamping the All-Star Skills competition where 12 players each will compete in multiple events to try and become champion of the event. The winner will receive $1 million.

“We want to find 12 guys who are going to be engaged, who are the most skilled players in our league, who are big personalities, who are going to go really hard to win the title,” Bettman said.

Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB

Related Articles

RMNB is not associated with the Washington Capitals; Monumental Sports, the NHLPA, the NHL, or its properties. Not even a little bit.

All original content on russianmachineneverbreaks.com is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International – unless otherwise stated or superseded by another license. You are free to share, copy, and remix this content so long as it is attributed, done for noncommercial purposes, and done so under a license similar to this one.

zamboni logo