The Washington Capitals currently practice in Arlington, Virginia, and now, they could end up playing games in NoVa as well.
In the near future, the Washington Capitals may be moving on from Capital One Arena and finding a new home in Crystal City.
Per a Washington Post report, Monumental Sports & Entertainment is meeting with city government officials about relocating the Capitals and Washington Wizards from downtown Washington, D.C. to Arlington in Northern Virginia.
Their new home would be relocated near Amazon's new HQ2 in Crystal City. It is unclear what exactly the new venue would be.
The report also says that MSE founder and CEO Ted Leonsis, along with Monica Dixon, met with D.C. Council chair Phil Mendelson to discuss concerns about Capital One Arena and potential improvements, upgrades and maintenance. The arena opened in 1997, and in 2007, the city invested $50 million of public funding into the venue.
Mendelson told the Post that the city is willing to be a partner when it comes to helping improve the venue. There wasn't a discussion about the clubs relocating.
He also said that there wasn't too much talk about public safety but did note that crime in downtown D.C. was a concern. He added that Capital One Arena brings 3 million people down to the city and that there needs to be an emphasis on making upgrades and prioritizing the safety of spectators.
Capital One Arena is located in Chinatown and is right off the Metro's red line and green and yellow lines in D.C. There is also a WMATA stop at Crystal City that is off the blue and yellow line lines.
In the past, Leonsis has openly expressed disappointment with Capital One Arena, calling it "the worst building deal in professional sports," per a 2016 Post report that also said that the mortgage on the venue costs Leonsis $36 million a year.
The Capitals' practice facility, MedStar Capitals Iceplex, is located in Ballston in Arlington. It is on the top floor of the Ballston Quarter shopping mall, which recently underwent renovations.
Washington holds all practices and morning skates in Ballston, while road teams almost always skate at Capital One Arena.