The Stanley Cup Champions were in Baltimore on Thursday to announce a partnership with the City of Baltimore, its schools and City Recreation & Parks.
The Washington Capitals are helping launch a new street hockey curriculum in more than 150 Baltimore City schools for the upcoming academic year.
The Caps are using about $100,000 to provide physical education teachers with hockey skills training and give all schools and 42 city recreation centers street hockey equipment.
It’s all in an effort to grow the game in Maryland.
“We want to make sure that we can break down and remove those financial barriers and provide the equipment, curriculum, the training, the coaching, the staffing for as many kids as possible so they have the opportunity to realize that they can play hockey. Really hockey is for everyone,” said Capitals Director of Community Relations Peter Robinson.
“I think it’s very good because nobody really ever thinks about hockey,” said 11-year-old Arthur Womack. “Everybody’s all about football, basketball, soccer. Hockey is a good sport.”
Most of the funding for the initiative has come from the National Hockey League’s Industry Growth Fund. Thursday’s announcement took place at the 8th annual Baltimore Street Hockey Tournament at Madison Square Recreation Center.
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