Capitals unveil Stanley Cup championship plaque at Washington Harbour where they once swam in fountains: ‘In Vegas They Became Champions… Here They Became Legends’ trucc

WASHINGTON, DC — Nearly seven years after the Washington Capitals swam in fountains to celebrate their 2018 Stanley Cup championship, the team, along with the Washington Harbour, unveiled a plaque to commemorate the viral moment.

Placed on the fountain tower in the middle of a seasonal ice rink, the plaque reads, “Home of the 2017-18 Washington Capitals Fountain Celebration. In Vegas They Became Champions … Here They Became Legends.”

Monumental Sports Network’s Alexa Landestoy hosted the event and was joined at the ceremony by 2018 Stanley Cup champion players, Nicklas Backstrom and TJ Oshie. A hundred or so Caps fans took in the ceremony while others skated.

The reveal came on a sunny, blustery day that featured a wind chill below freezing — the opposite of the 84-degree temperature on June 9, 2018, when Alex Ovechkin shed his shirt and paddled in the shallow waters of the Georgetown Waterfront with several of his teammates.

“Short backstory on the fountain,” Oshie said at the ceremony. “We were waiting to get some beverages over there and, I don’t know how hot it was, but it felt like it was scorching outside, and, obviously, with all the fans around and all the guys kinda in a tight area, it was getting a little warm. I had just a little idea to jump in the fountain and try to grab all the guys I could.”

At a Fanatics event in February 2019, Alex Ovechkin credited both Oshie and Tom Wilson for the idea. “I’m like, ‘What? ‘Yeah, let’s go.’ I said, ‘Ok, let’s do it, we’re champions.’ There were policemen and we said, ‘Hey, is it ok we’re going to do it?’ And they were like, ‘You can do whatever you want, guys.'”

Kim Keleher, who manages the property for MRP Realty, confirmed to RMNB that the players ultimately got permission — and with enthusiasm. “I got a call from our security guard saying that there’s people swimming in the fountain. I was like, ‘Well, okay, then get them out, please. I don’t know why you’re calling me.’ And then, she’s like, ‘No, it’s the Washington Capitals.’ I’m like, ‘The Washington Capitals?’ She’s like, ‘Yeah, they’re down here celebrating the Stanley Cup.’ I was like, ‘Oh my, well, let them swim. Let them swim.'”

Celebrating fans took video with their phones as Capitals players, including Oshie, Wilson, Braden Holtby, and Lars Eller, joined Ovechkin and frolicked in the water.

The only part of the plan that didn’t work out was, according to Oshie, they over-estimated how much water there was in the fountain.

“I thought it was a couple feet deep because you can’t tell when you’re running up to it,” Oshie said. “It was only a couple inches, so it probably felt like it would if you dove on this ice right now. It was pretty firm.”

The moment came after the Capitals invented the Cup stand, a modified keg stand where two championship players held the legs up of another while he drank out of the trophy’s bowl.

Videos and images of the celebration were shared everywhere online and made the Washington Harbour a historic landmark to Capitals fans.

“It’s – I don’t even know,” Keleher said. “I’m loss for words with it. It’s amazing. I love it. It’s so historic and just brought the city together and it’s just been fantastic.”

The players ultimately arrived in Georgetown on that legendary day after the team celebrated their Stanley Cup championship victory at Nationals Park and Ovechkin threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Though, he needed two tries to successfully complete his task.

Later that night, a group of players, including Oshie, Holtby, Andre Burakovsky, Jakub Vrana, and Brett Connolly, ended up getting tattoos while others, including Ovechkin, went to Cafe Milano and randomly ran into Ivanka Trump. The players celebrated in the city and took photos with anybody near them.

“The celebration and having the fans involved made it that much more special for sure,” Oshie said.