WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Washington Capitals will host Celebrating Black History Night Presented by Giant on Friday, Feb. 27, when they play the Vegas Golden Knights at Capital One Arena. The organization is celebrating Black History Month with custom designed specialty jerseys being auctioned off to support minority youth hockey programming, in-game and social media activations and content, the Capitals Black Hockey History Display and more. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Ceremonial puck drop participants on Feb. 27 include: 13-year old Deaf hockey player from the Bowie Hockey Club and The Last of Us actor Keivonn Woodard, 16-year-old U16 AAA player from the Washington Little Capitals Luke Zeigler and Fort Dupont Cannons alumnus, Capitals Rising Stars Academy ambassador and the first head coach of a HBCU Hockey Program at Tennessee State Univeristy, Duante\u2019 Abercrombie.<\/p>\n
Together, their journeys in hockey reflect a shared dedication to advancing inclusion and diversity across the sport, from expanding youth participation and supporting elite development to leading the next generation through coaching.<\/p>\n
Woodard, from Bowie MD, is a hockey player with Bowie Hockey Club and a multi-sport athlete. He is Emmy-nominated for his role in HBO\u2019s The Last of Us, becoming a trailblazer as one of the first Black Deaf youth recognized at this level in television. One of his goals is to become the first Deaf hockey player in the NHL. The Capitals teamed up with P-X-P<\/a> to surprise Woodard in American Sign Language with the news that he will be participating in the ceremonial puck drop.\u00a0<\/p>\n Zeigler, from Laurel, MD, has been playing hockey for 10 years. He grew up watching the Capitals and currently plays for the Washington Little Capitals. Zeigler also participated in the Capitals Mites on Ice and Rising Stars Academy youth hockey development initiatives. His goal is to compete at the highest level of juniors and to go as far as he can playing hockey.<\/p>\n Abercrombie is a Washington, D.C., native whose hockey journey began at Fort Dupont Ice Arena under legendary coach Neal Henderson. He serves as the head coach of the Tennessee State University Men\u2019s Hockey team, leading the first NCAA Division I hockey program at an HBCU. Abercrombie has also worked in various capacities with USA Hockey and NHL teams including the Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Nashville Predators and Arizona Coyotes. He also serves on the Washington Capitals\u2019 Black Hockey Committee and is an ambassador for the Washington Capitals Rising Stars Academy, a free development program for young players of color in the D.C. region.<\/p>\n Capitals players will arrive at Capital One Arena on Feb. 27 wearing the Capitals specialty Celebrating Black History jersey, designed by the Washington, D.C., based apparel brand Bailiwick Clothing. Jerseys\u00a0signed by all players on the Capitals 2025-26 roster are being auctioned off at washcaps.com\/BHauction<\/a> by Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation to\u00a0benefit\u00a0the Capitals Capital Impact Fund.\u00a0The auction also features\u00a0Capitals Black History Month pucks\u00a0and team-signed youth hockey jerseys\u00a0that were part of the Capitals January Youth Hockey Day player arrivals.\u00a0The auction\u00a0is now open at\u00a0washcaps.com\/BHAuction<\/a>\u00a0and will\u00a0conclude\u00a0on\u00a0Feb. 28 at 3 p.m.\u00a0Click here for more information on the jersey and fundraiser.<\/a> In game and social media content during the game on\u00a0Feb. 27 will honor Black achievement in hockey and highlight how the organization is working to further grow the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n The evening will also\u00a0feature the debut of\u00a0\u201cDistrict Dozen,\u201d a remix of the original \u201cCaps 11\u201d song by\u00a0Emmy Award winning\u00a0musical artist\u00a0Saukrates. \u201cDistrict Dozen\u201d\u00a0is dedicated to honoring the Black\u00a0players and\u00a0alumni in Capitals history.\u00a0The song will be featured in a music video and on-ice projection during the game on Feb. 27.\u00a0<\/p>\n Capitals fans are encouraged to visit the Black Hockey History Display at Capital One Arena, which was unveiled in February 2022. It is a permanent display\u00a0on the main concourse\u00a0at section 112\u00a0devoted to the Capitals Black history and players. It features:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Memorabilia including a 1975-76 home jersey worn by Mike Marson (1974-79), a game-used stick by Joel Ward (2011-15) and a game-worn helmet by Devante Smith-Pelly (2017-19).\u00a0<\/p>\n A jersey featuring a Players Against Hate end racism shoulder patch. Capitals players wore and auctioned off the jerseys during\u00a0the Feb. 25, 2021, Black History Night.\u00a0<\/p>\n A timeline featuring Black players and key moments in Capitals history.\u00a0<\/p>\n