2011 Caps Convention Panels

From the Caps Website:

For the past two seasons, the Washington Capitals have kicked off the NHL’s regular season with the Caps Convention, a day-long interactive and informational celebration of the Capitals. The event has been a tremendous success, attracting sold-out crowds of more than 6,500 fans eager to meet both current and former players.

Perhaps one of the biggest and most exciting reasons for this success comes from the numerous panel discussions that fill the agenda. Each discussion is designed to offer Caps fans an inside look into a specific area of hockey. The 2011 Capitals Convention presented by GEICO will feature some of the most anticipated panel discussions to date and include:

Giving Back – Caps players discuss the different community programs that they are a part of and how much they enjoy getting involved.

24/7 Behind the Scenes – A chance for fans to go behind the scenes and see how HBO produced, edited, and aired their ground-breaking show.

Coming to America – Players discuss the difficulties and challenges involved in coming to a new country to live and work.

Goalies and Their Odd Ways – Step into the minds of some NHL netminders and learn about how they prepare for battle on a daily basis.

20 Questions with Ted – Caps majority owner Ted Leonsis will answer questions from fans in this interactive panel.

Embracing Your New Teammates presented by Coors Light - Hear from some of the newest members of the team about what it’s like to walk into a locker room for the first time, meet new teammates and listen to their thoughts on coming to Washington.

Kids Press Conference presented by Dasani - Kids 14 and under have the opportunity to ask questions to players on the panel.

I Made it to the NHL - Players discuss what it's like to realize their lifelong dream of playing in the NHL.

From the Ice to the Booth presented by Outback Steakhouse – The panel will talk about how a career in the NHL prepared them for their current broadcasting careers.

The Pain From Last Night - Hear from Caps alumni about the Alumni Game from the night before and how they are feeling the morning after.

Coach’s Corner - Hear what the Caps' coaching staff has to say about getting the team ready to play on a daily basis.

Equipment – The Capitals equipment staff displays various articles of equipment and explains how each piece if kept in playing condition.

NBC Sports Contract and Scheduling - Learn about the ongoing dynamic between a league and a network and what goes into being good partners as well as how the league and the network work on scheduling and showing games.

Ask the GM - Listen to vice president and general manager George McPhee talk about the team's preparation for the draft and how the team integrates the opinions of its scouts in a process that spans the entire 12 months of the calendar.

Capology III: Three Capitals, Three Contracts - Capitals Assistant General Manager/Director of Legal Affairs Don Fishman walks the audience through contract negotiations with three current Capitals players.

The support it takes to make it to the NHL - Players and family members sit on this panel to discuss the sacrifices every family made for the ultimate payoff of watching them play in the NHL.

On The Road Again – Learn about what life is like on the road from the hotels to the pranks, players will share their experiences traveling with the team.

Rules, Officiating and Discipline - Listen to former NHL referee Bill McCreary and NHL Senior V.P. of Hockey Operations and Player Safety Brendan Shanahan discuss the ins and outs of officiating the game on the ice and adjudicating it off the ice.

The 2011 Capitals Convention presented by GEICO will take place on Saturday, September 24, 2011 at the Walter E Washington Convention Center. There are fewer than 1,000 convention tickets available so act fast.