The Capitals are hosting their annual Mentors' Trip this week.
The Washington Capitals are in need of a spark and some good vibes with the second half of the season coming at them hard and a lot of ground to gain. And that's where their families come in.
Washington is on its annual Mentors' Trip over these next couple of games, with players, coaches and staff bringing along their fathers, brothers and other family members to experience NHL hockey with.
"That's what we're looking for. Positive vibes coming into our locker room and buildings," head coach Spencer Carbery said. "I found this over the limited amount of mentors' trips that I've been on: you always want to impress your dad, brother, father-in-law, at least with effort and compete. And I think that's what we can bank on seeing on the road trip, and just being around them as well, too. It's a special time for us, the coaches and the players and the staff to not only share and show some of what we do on a daily basis, but also let them know during this tirp how much we appreciate all the things that they've done for us that have enabled us to get to this point in our lives."
Carbery got to go on a mentors' trip with Toronto, but that was only for the Maple Leafs players. This time, he gets to take in the experience with his father, which he said has been a memorable moment as he navigates his first year as an NHL head coach.
"It's going to be phenomenal to be able to share the trip," Carbery said. "You can say all you want about what you do, but to really experience and see the day-to-day and all the meetings and the stuff that goes on behind the scenes from a coaching perspective shows an appreciation for all the things he has done for me."
Trevor van Riemsdyk, who has brought his dad in the past, chose his younger brother, Brendan, to attend the trip this year. "BVR" is a youth hockey coach, and this is his second trip of the year after attending the Boston Bruins' trip with eldest brothers, James.
"It's pretty special," van Riemsdyk said. "My dad loves it when he gets to come, and now to be able to share it with my little brother, it's pretty cool. Obviously, you don't get to this point in life without the support of your family and all that good stuff, so it's nice to be able to share something like this with him."
He added that this is the boost the team needs right now, especially with the losing streak hitting five games and a difficult slate of opponents coming in.
"It gives you that little extra energy. You want to put on a good show for them, and it's always a lot more fun when you win games," van Riemsdyk said. "Not that you need any extra motivation, but you know, having a loud bus, fun plan ride after a couple big wins is always a lot more fun for everyone."
Rasmus Sandin, who got to experience two Mentors' Trips last season with his dad, Patric, agreed, saying that the players are looking forward to proving their mentors right. The Capitals are 17-8-0 in their previous Mentors' Trip outings.
"Looking forward to playing some really good hockey teams with the dads in the building, so we got to accept the challenge and have some fun with it," Sandin said.