Washington Capitals open their season tonight in Raleigh, and Alex Ovechkin is on the ice
After a lower-body injury wiped out all of his preseason action, the 41-year-old captain is expected to play as the Capitals begin their 2026-27 campaign against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
In brief
Ovechkin laces up in Raleigh as the Capitals start a season they can't afford to waste
Alex Ovechkin did not play a single preseason minute. He spent the better part of two weeks watching from the bench in a non-contact jersey, his lower-body injury keeping him off the ice through every exhibition game Washington played. For a 41-year-old in what many around the league believe is his final NHL season, that was not exactly a confidence-building start.
Friday night, none of that matters anymore. The Washington Capitals open the 2026-27 NHL regular season against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., with a 7 p.m. puck drop. And despite dealing with the lower-body injury for most of training camp, Ovechkin is expected to be good to go for tonight.
Coach Spencer Carbery said so plainly last week. "I expect him to be ready," Carbery told reporters. "We would need a setback for him not to be ready for our opening game of the season in Carolina. We would need something to change, but I expect him to be ready."
That is a significant statement when you consider what this season is supposed to mean. Ovechkin signed a one-year deal to return to Washington for his 22nd NHL season, making him the longest-tenured pro athlete in Washington history, surpassing Walter "The Big Train" Johnson, who pitched 21 seasons for the Washington Senators from 1907 to 1927. One more year. One more shot.
A roster built for right now
The 2025-26 campaign ended without a postseason appearance for just the fifth time since Ovechkin arrived in the District in 2005. General manager Chris Patrick did not spend the summer pretending that was acceptable. He signed forwards Jordan Kyrou and Boone Jenner, traded for Alex Tuch, and added defenseman Vincent Desharnais to the blue line.
While previous Washington squads were overly reliant on Ovechkin and Tom Wilson, this year's Capitals have depth. Eleven players on the roster have recorded at least 20 goals in a season. That is not a coincidence. Patrick spent the offseason hunting for exactly the kind of secondary scoring that kept disappearing in the years Washington missed the playoffs.
The young core is locked in, too. Ryan Leonard became the first player in franchise history since Ovechkin to post a 20-goal rookie campaign, and Justin Sourdif finished with 15 goals and 20 assists last season. Both players signed eight-year extensions, which is the organization telling the world it plans to be good for a long time, not just this year.
Tom Wilson put it directly. "We have a window right now with a lot of really solid players locked in for a bunch of years, and we're hungry," he said. "It's gonna be that time where you can't take no for an answer; you gotta go out there and get it done. There's no excuses anymore. We've got a great team."
The injury and what it cost them
The preseason setback was not minor in terms of what it denied the team. Ovechkin's projected line with Dylan Strome and Ryan Leonard never got to play together because of the injury sustained early in camp. The trio never skated together in a preseason contest. Three-quarters of the way through what may be his last season, chemistry on that line matters.
After missing several days with the injury, Ovechkin made a brief appearance on the ice and was eventually able to complete a full practice. Carbery's read on that? "It was a good sign," the coach said. "Participated fully, didn't have to take any portions off, so that's a good step."
He also had a point about context. "I'm not worried," Carbery added. "At this point in his career, I'm pretty sure he knows what he needs to do to get up to speed for a season opener."
Fair enough. Ovechkin's 32 goals last season were the third most by a player age 40 or older in NHL history, behind Gordie Howe's 44 goals in 1968-69 and Johnny Bucyk's 36 goals in 1975-76. The body still works.
The opponent: reigning champions, banner night
Washington does not get a soft opening-night opponent. The Capitals open the season against the defending Stanley Cup champions. Carolina hangs its championship banner before tonight's opener, though the Hurricanes weren't anywhere near their best on a celebratory night like that last preseason.
The Capitals finally play their first game tonight after being idle through the first three days of the league's season. Looking to return to the playoffs after a year away, their front office retooled Spencer Carbery's roster and added some big pieces. Boone Jenner came aboard from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Jordan Kyrou was acquired from the St. Louis Blues, and Alex Tuch joined from the Buffalo Sabres.
The Capitals then head south Saturday to face Tampa Bay at Benchmark International Arena, completing a back-to-back before returning to Capital One Arena for their home opener against Pittsburgh on Oct. 7. Washington's 2026-27 season is home-heavy early, with the Caps set to play 11 of their first 15 games at Capital One Arena.
Center Pierre-Luc Dubois kept it simple in the lead-up. "We're extremely excited," he said Friday. "Camp is always fun, getting back with everybody. But playing in the regular season is a lot different. It's a lot more fun."
The building in Raleigh will be loud, the banner will be fresh, and the Hurricanes will have every reason to want to make a statement. And Ovechkin, healthy or close enough, will be on the ice for it. Tonight is where the preseason conversation ends.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
