The Washington Capitals are going back in time to usher in a new era for the team.
On Thursday, the Capitals posted a TikTok video featuring Ilya Protas, Ryan Leonard, Justin Sourdif, and Cole Hutson on Segways, ready to tour the city. Three of the stars are 21 or under, while Sourdif is 24.
@capitals now segueing to segways #ALLCAPS #segway #washingtondc #nhl ♬ original sound – Duggo
The teaser clip showed the four Capitals young guns posing — quite nerdily might I add — in bike helmets. The moment seemed to pay homage to both a memorable past media event and the team’s new young core as Alex Ovechkin enters the twilight of his career.
Naturally, we had some fun with that on Instagram.
The Capitals later posted a longer clip of the four 20-somethings on X.
Ilya Protas, Ryan Leonard, Justin Sourdif, and Cole Hutson tour DC in Segways
In 2009, which now seems like an eternity ago, Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, and Matt Bradley took their own Segway tour together, for reasons Green explained to Dan Steinberg, formerly of the Washington Post.
“Uh, every day, while I go to the rink for games, I see people on these things, and I really just wanted to get out on one and rip around the cities,” Green said. “I think they just wanted to come, but we kind of made into a little tour thing here.”
Ovechkin was a bit reckless on his two-wheeled transporter, nearly getting into several accidents. “Look at him,” Green said.
“He loves to be like that,” Backstrom said. “He drives fast. He moves everything fast. He skates fast, too.”
Eight years later, the Capitals had Braden Holtby, Matt Niskanen, and Nate Schmidt recreate the moment.
Now it’s Ilya, Ryan, Justin, and Cole’s turn — in more ways than one.
