One NHL team is officially relocating and it's NOT the Arizona Coyotes!
Whoa! Who saw this news coming!?!?
HockeyFeed
According to a report from Scott Abraham of ABC 7 News in Washington D.C., the Washington Capitals, along with the NBA's Washington Wizards, are expected to announce tomorrow that they'll be moving from their home at Capital One Arena in downtown D.C. to a yet to be built arena in nearby Northern Virgina.
From Abraham:
NHL insiders like Elliotte Friedman and Frank Seravalli are now sorting through the details of this enormous story:
Abraham also reports that Capitals and Wizards owner Ted Leonsis will speak to the media tomorrow alongside Virgina Governor Glen Youngkin at the site of the future arena.
More from Abraham:
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (7News) — Ted Leonsis, the majority owner of the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards will be attending an event at Potomac Yard on Wednesday alongside Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, sources have told 7News.
The event is expected to start at 9 a.m. Wednesday, 7News learned. An executive with Monumental Sports and Entertainment is calling the announcement, “A framework for a partnership.” Gov. Youngkin is calling this event "a remarkable economic development project for the Commonwealth."
As of Tuesday afternoon, there are currently tents erected at the site for the event.
On Monday, news broke that Leonsis was considering moving the Capitals and Wizards to Northern Virginia. Virginia lawmakers voted to approve a proposal designed to lure the teams across the river and into an 8 million-square-foot sports and mixed-use campus in Alexandria, Va.The vote approves a sports district that includes a new stadium both teams will use --- a 3,000-seat music and entertainment venue, a conference center, hotels, and the headquarters for Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns both teams plus the Washington Mystics. The Mystics and other concerts and events would remain in D.C.
The source told 7News that this vote merely moves the process along. The project still has to be approved by the full General Assembly and Alexandria City Council.
If everything goes as planned, 7News learned they could break ground in 2025 and move teams in 2028.The potential sports district would be located within walking distance of the new Potomac Yard Metro station, a source confirmed.
A Virginia stadium authority would own the arena and Monumental Sports and Entertainment would enter a 40-year lease, the source said.
More to come on this developing story.