Caps owner Leonsis expects huge parade Tuesday

[June 09, 2018]    The Washington Capitals will celebrate their first Stanley Cup championship with a parade in downtown Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, the team announced Friday.

Washington Capitals right wing Devante Smith-Pelly (25) scores a goal past Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) in the third period in game five of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Harry How/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports

The parade starts at 11 a.m. ET and will follow the path of Constitution Avenue, passing the Washington Monument before arriving at a stage that will be set up at the National Mall.

Caps owner Ted Leonsis said he expects a huge turnout from D.C. residents, as well as fans in surrounding areas.

"I think it's going to be much bigger than everyone is expecting," he said after the Capitals' Game 5 victory to clinch the Cup over the Vegas Golden Knights. "We want to be able to say thank you to people in Virginia and Maryland and Washington, D.C.

"My goal is to create something that elevates and unites all of the people in our community, so people think happy thoughts about Washington, D.C."

The championship was the first by a major professional sports team in the D.C. area since the Washington Redskins won Super Bowl XXVI in January of 1992. Fans acted accordingly after the Capitals triumphed Thursday night, with tens of thousands celebrating in the streets into the wee hours.

"I've always said that we have the best hockey fans in the world," Leonsis said. "All I ever wanted to do was build a team that was as good as the fan base. We can finally say: Best fans in the world, best hockey team in the world."

--Field Level Media

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