Washington Capitals vs Toronto Maple Leafs Set for 2018 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series
COORS LIGHT NHL STADIUM SERIES RETURNS FOR FIFTH SEASON
The Capitals and Maple Leafs will contest the ninth Coors Light NHL Stadium Series game since the series was launched in 2013-14. The series has gone to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles with the NHL’s first regular-season outdoor game played in California, showcased the first two hockey games ever played at Yankee Stadium in New York, ventured to Northern California for a game at state-of-the-art Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, staged the first-ever NHL games at Soldier Field in Chicago and Coors Field in Denver, traveled to the State of Hockey for a contest at TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota and featured an all-Pennsylvania clash between the Penguins and Flyers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
CAPITALS, MAPLE LEAFS MATCHUP RECALLS EPIC 2017 PLAYOFF SERIES
The Capitals and Maple Leafs met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 2017 and produced a memorable series. The teams required overtime in five of their six games, matching the single-series NHL postseason record set by the Maple Leafs and Canadiens in the 1951 Stanley Cup Final (4-1 TOR W) and Coyotes and Blackhawks in the 2012 Western Conference Quarterfinals (4-2 PHX W). The Capitals clinched the series in Game 6 when Marcus Johansson tied the game in the third period and scored the series-winning goal at 6:31 of overtime. Washington won three overtime games in a series (also Games 1 and 5) for the second time in franchise history.
Since the 1974-75 season, when Washington joined the NHL, the Capitals and Maple Leafs have faced off 143 times during the regular season. Washington holds a 160-136 point edge in the head-to-head series (WSH: 72-55-16, TOR: 61‑68‑14).
The 2018 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series will be the third and final regular-season meeting between the Capitals and Maple Leafs in 2017-18, with each team posting a road victory to date. Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen made 30 saves in blanking Washington 2-0 on Oct. 17 and Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tallied a hat trick in the Capitals‘ 4-2 win on Nov. 25.
CAPITALS, MAPLE LEAFS UNDEFEATED OUTDOORS
The Capitals are undefeated in their two previous regular-season outdoor appearances, earning a 3-2 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks at the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Nationals Park in Washington and a 3-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
The Maple Leafs also are undefeated in two previous outdoor contests, which were both played against the Detroit Red Wings. Toronto defeated Detroit 3-2 in a shootout at the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor in front of 105,491 fans. The Maple Leafs again defeated the Red Wings at the 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic in a 5-4 victory at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium.
OUTDOOR NHL GAME EXPERIENCE
Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock has the opportunity to join the Rangers’ Alain Vigneault as the only bench bosses with three career victories in regular-season outdoor NHL games. Vigneault (3-0-0) reached the milestone when the Rangers defeated the Sabres in the 2018 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Citi Field in New York on Jan. 1. Babcock (2-0-1) previously guided the Maple Leafs to a win in the 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto and the Red Wings to a victory in the 2009 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Other coaches tied with Babcock with two victories are Bruce Boudreau (2-0-0), Claude Julien (2-2-0) and Michel Therrien (2-0-0).
Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik and Maple Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk both have the opportunity to tie a record by appearing in their fifth regular-season outdoor NHL game. Orpik skated with the Penguins in outdoor games in 2008, 2011 and 2014, and with the Capitals in the 2015 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Van Riemsdyk played in two such games for the Flyers, in 2010 and 2012, and for the Maple Leafs in the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor and the 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. Orpik and van Riemsdyk would tie the mark of five outdoor appearances shared by Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Benoit Pouliot, Brad Richards, Brent Seabrook and Jonathan Toews.
Capitals defenseman Jakub Jerabek and Maple Leafs forward Tomas Plekanec – who each played with the Canadiens in December’s 2017 Scotiabank NHL100 Classic at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa – can become the first players in NHL history to participate in outdoor games with multiple teams in the same season.
The 2018 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series marks the 25th regular-season outdoor game in NHL history.
The NHL’s 24 regular-season outdoor games to date have drawn total attendance of 1,284,097 – an average of 53,504 per game. NHL outdoor attendance surpassed the 1-million mark at the 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series between the Avalanche and Red Wings at Coors Field in Denver on Feb. 27, 2016.
Thirteen outdoor games have taken place at football venues, 10 have been hosted by baseball parks and one has been staged in a soccer stadium.
STADIUM SERIES UNIFORMS
Washington’s uniform salutes the game’s locale – Annapolis, Md. Marking the first time in Capitals history that the team will wear a navy-blue uniform, the overall design aesthetic pays homage to the U.S. Navy and highlights key elements of Washington’s brand. The special edition crest design centers around the team’s informal nickname, “CAPS.” Additionally, the crest incorporates the three stars from the Capitals’ primary moniker, which also honors the Washington, D.C., city flag.
Utilizing the classic striping of Maple Leafs uniforms past and present, the stripes on the Toronto uniform are emphasized to create a bolder, more visually pronounced look in the outdoor stadium setting. The team’s iconic logo is unchanged and executed in white with a blue outline to accentuate the amount of white on the uniform, symbolizing in color the “team from the north” narrative. Additional design details include a salute to the Royal Canadian Navy with the credo “Ready, Aye, Ready” on the inside collar.