The NHLPA Rookie Showcase is coming to Washington DC. The NHLPA announced that 28 top NHL prospects will participate in the event slated to be held Sunday, August 25 at MedStar Capitals Iceplex.
The event allows Upper Deck to capture photos and other multimedia for the prospect’s first rookie cards.
The news was first reported by Sportsology.
Devante Smith-Pelly, the playoff hero who chose to stay with the Washington Capitals despite better offers, is one of many Capitals players eager to start preparing for the season. Smith-Pelly is the latest to join the informal practices at Capitals MedStar Iceplex.
Meanwhile, Michal Kempny and Andre Burakovsky are flying back from overseas, both posting travel pictures on their Instagram accounts.
By Brennin Weiswerda 12 months ago
Dave Gunnarsson is known for his eclectic airbrush artwork on goalie helmets. His past clients include Braden Holtby, Philipp Grubauer, and Phoenix Copley.
Gunnarsson can now add Capitals goalie prospect Ilya Samsonov to his list of goaltenders whose helmets are decorated with his work.
Gunnarsson showed off Samosonov’s new mask on his Instagram last Friday.
Photo credit: Panini
Earlier in the week, Washington Capitals prospect Tom Wilson participated in the NHLPA’s Rookie Showcase. The two-day event, held in Wilson’s hometown of Toronto, Ontario, brought dozens of the NHL’s most talented prospects together so that NHLPA partners Panini and Upper Deck could take photos and collect signatures for future trading cards. Big names at the event included 2013 first overall pick Nathan MacKinnon, third overall pick Jonathan Drouin, and that one Subban who plays goalie.
On day one, the players were split into groups and led through a series of sessions with Upper Deck and Panini. The uber-talented prospects signed helmets, sticks, and jerseys that will be sliced up and put into cards. Above, you can see that Wilson signed some cards with “Go Caps!”
Once the prospects were done signing and their hands were sufficiently cramped, handlers herded them into a room hosted by EA Sports, which probably did not help their sore hands. The players took 3D headshots (to be used in the NHL15) and then tried out the unreleased NHL14. Later, the players had a pretty intense tournament on the upcoming new release and Wilson– in the words of the NHLPA — won, “fearlessly dominating the entire group.” ‘Atta boiiii.
