Capitals Win Social Impact Award For Women's And Girls' Hockey Program

The Washington Capitals were announced Tuesday as a 2024 NHL Stanley Award recipient in the category of Social Impact and Growth Initiatives for their ALL CAPS ALL HER platform. The category celebrates Club work that strategically expands their brand and the game of hockey to attract new, non-traditional audiences through social impact and growth initiatives.

The NHL’s Stanley Awards were held during the 2024 NHL Club Business Meetings in Boston on July 9. The Stanley Awards, which launched in 2018, recognize Club excellence, innovation, and creativity for fan engagement.

“The Washington Capitals and Monumental Sports & Entertainment take pride in investing in women’s hockey and strive to empower girls both on and off the ice,” said Capitals senior vice president of marketing Amanda Tischler. “Whether it’s engaging with athletes through on-ice programming or providing personal growth opportunities off the ice, our organization is dedicated to increasing avenues for women at all experience levels to engage with hockey. We are honored to receive the Stanley Award in recognition of ALL CAPS ALL HER and look forward to continuing to expand on the platform to create additional pathways for women in hockey.”

The Capitals launched ALL CAPS ALL HER in December 2021 as an initiative that provides access to hockey and elevates the game for women and girls in the Washington, D.C., area. ALL CAPS ALL HER recognizes and supports female players, coaches, referees, parents, advocates, students and leaders in the community. Events, programs and content throughout the year provide various levels of entry into hockey for women and girls of all ages, offer leadership, business development and networking opportunities, and highlight influential women and families in the community.

“The Washington Capitals are deeply committed to providing on and off-ice programming to further develop women’s hockey, and receiving a Stanley Award in recognition of ALL CAPS ALL HER is an honor,” said Capitals senior manager of youth hockey development Jessie Thompson. “Through ALL CAPS ALL HER’s four pillars, we’re devoted to increasing access to hockey in an inclusive environment and elevating the game at all levels to create the next generation of hockey players while also celebrating the influential playmakers in our community.”

More than 2,000 women and girls have been introduced to hockey through on-ice and off-ice ALL CAPS ALL HER platforms, and over 600 women and girls have been introduced to the sport during the 2023-24 program alone. In addition, there has been a 46% growth in female hockey participation in the Washington, D.C., region in the past 10 years according to USA Hockey registration data.

ACAH programming during the 2023-24 season included an ACAH Girls Learn to Play, ACAH Adult Learn to Play and Learn to Skate, an ACAH High School Training Camp, an ACAH Summer Camp, an ACAH DMV Girls Try Hockey for Free Day and ACAH Girls Try Ball Hockey For Free clinic. Additionally, the Capitals support the Capitals Women's Hockey League (CWHL) at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. In addition, in honor of Women in Hockey Night in March, the Capitals hosted a pregame ACAH Women in Sports Networking Event in February, welcoming more than 100 undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a career in the sports industry to District E at Capital One Arena.

For the first time in 2023, the Capitals partnered with the Potomac Valley Amateur Hockey Association to host a DMV Girls Try Hockey for Free Day at 16 local rinks/clubs. More than 300 girls ages 4-9 tried hockey for the first time through the event, and more than 30% of girls registered to continue to play. The Capitals plan to host the second-annual DMV Girls Try Hockey for Free Day on Sept. 14, 2024. In addition, girls participation in the NHL Future Caps Learn to Play Program increased from 14% to 27% in a span of less than seven days. Moreover, 19% of all female USAH-registered players in the D.C. region during the 2023-24 season came from ALL CAPS ALL HER programs.

To date, more than 2,000 individuals have participated in an ALL CAPS ALL HER initiative.