Three Washington Capitals players are taking part in the league’s annual NHL/NHLPA Rookie Orientation Program.
Eighty-seven prospects from around the NHL, including the Caps’ Cole Hutson, Lynden Lakovic, and Terik Parascak, made their way to Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia, for the event, a three-day life-skills boot camp.
First established by the league and players’ association in 2013, the orientation program teaches young players about everything from finances and medical rights to gambling rules and personal safety. Lessons also cover media relations, social media, mental health, and life after hockey.
The NHL published a photo of all the players together at the event. Other notable participants included Toronto Maple Leafs forward Gavin McKenna — the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft — the San Jose Sharks‘ Michael Misa, and the Philadelphia Flyers‘ Porter Martone.
During the 2025 edition of the event, which was attended by the Capitals’ Ryan Leonard, Ilya Protas, and Ryan Chesley, former Hershey Bears defenseman Sheldon Souray gave a presentation on the confidential NHL/NHLPA Assistance Program, sharing his own story about substance abuse and revealing advice he received at the same age.
“I’m sitting in the back of the room going, ‘What are they talking about? I don’t have a drinking problem. I don’t have anxiety,” Souray said per NHL.com. “The old culture was you suffer in silence, right? You’re a rookie, shut up, do what you’re told. I guess my point is that I never expected I’d be in this position.”
Souray then shared with the prospects that he thought he would be dead without the help of the program, as he became addicted to painkillers after his career ended.
“I had a lot of injuries and a lot of surgeries,” Souray told The Gazette in 2018. “When I played, I always wanted to get back. There were no issues at all when I was playing. When I stopped playing and I had a surgery, the recovery was longer. People knew I wasn’t playing, and I was getting offered the pills. It came so easy. When I look back on it, it’s like holy s***.”
Former NHL player Rob Ramage, the first overall pick in the 1979 NHL draft, spoke about being jailed after crashing his car during a drunk-driving incident. The accident killed the passenger in the car, former NHL defenseman Keith Magnuson. Rampage urged players to make responsible decisions and look out for teammates who are struggling.
Former Capitals defenseman Joe Reekie also spoke about medical rights and how he had no problems after turning down two team-suggested surgeries, long before the NHL CBA allowed second opinions from doctors.
“It’s your body, it’s your career,” Reekie said. “Ask questions.”
There was also financial instruction stressing that NHL careers can be much shorter than expected, and prospects were encouraged to save and plan as soon as possible. NHL security officials spoke about the problems that can come with the visibility and money in hockey. Gambling was addressed, too, as the league prohibits players from betting on hockey.
