Prince Frederick Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM (PFCJDR) is holding their eleventh annual community appreciation event on Saturday and some big Washington Capitals names are stopping by.
Current Capitals players John Carlson and Logan Thompson will join Caps legend Al Iafrate at the Prince Frederick, Maryland dealership to sign autographs for fans from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm. But one other name was added to the signing as a surprise on Tuesday afternoon: 2018 Stanley Cup champion centerman Evgeny Kuznetsov.
Kuznetsov, who is currently an unrestricted free agent, returned to the DC area earlier this summer after playing a season in Russia with SKA St. Petersburg. Last week, Kuznetsov made headlines after being spotted participating in a beer-league hockey game at MedStar Capitals Iceplex.
“We love giving back to our amazing community and this is just one small way by bringing some of the Caps players for a meet and greet free autograph session,” Dee Aud, PFCJDR comptroller and event coordinator, said to RMNB. “It’s so exciting for us to see the faces of the fans as they get to have a one-on-one experience. Our commitment to our community is to exceed any expectation and provide an experience that can be remembered. Our reward for the day is knowing that we’ve reached out and hopefully put a smile in their heart to pay it forward.”
Dee also encouraged fans to keep their eyes peeled for Craig Laughlin, who will be inducted into the DC Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 class next week.
PFCJDR has inspired a number of huge Capitals names out to their events over the years, including Nicklas Backstrom, Braden Holtby, TJ Oshie, Devante Smith-Pelly, and Connor McMichael.
“Much thanks go out to our extended family Monk Wells with AAG graphing who help make these visits possible,” Dee said.
According to the flyer published by PFCJDR, wristbands for the autograph signing will start to be handed out at 9 am. Fans will receive one wristband per person and they must be physically present to receive one. The players will sign autographs for the first 200 people in line with wristbands. “One autograph per person per player and ‘NO GAME USED ITEMS, ARTWORK, OR ROOKIE CARDS WILL BE SIGNED,’” reads the small print.
Other things to check out at Saturday’s celebration includes a silent auction by Above Average Graphing, the RAMINATOR Monster Truck, HSCC dog adoptions, and food trucks from ‘Mouth of the Bay’ and ‘Did Someone Say Funnel Cake?’
