Rookie Camp begins at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 7, at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. The five-day camp features a scrimmage at 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10. Rookie camp will culminate with a game against the Philadelphia Flyers rookies at 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, at Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, N.J. The game in Philadelphia is also free and open to the public. This is the third straight year that Washington rookies will play Philadelphia rookies prior to training camp.

Rookies will be off the ice by 1 p.m. everyday, but the on-ice action will continue at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, as veterans who have returned to the area early will skate informally from 1:15-3 p.m. from Sept. 7-10.

Formal on-ice sessions of training camp begin Sunday, Sept. 13, at 10 a.m., and include scrimmages at 12:15 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as three teams compete for the Gaetan Duchesne Cup, named for the former Capitals forward.

Washington will play its first preseason game at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17 at Buffalo. The Caps open their home preseason schedule at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 21, against Buffalo.

This marks the Capitals’ third training camp at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, the Metro-accessible, inside-the-Beltway practice facility that features two NHL-sized rinks. All on-ice sessions at rookie camp and training camp – like every Capitals practice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex – will be open to the public and free of charge.

2009 Washington Capitals Rookie Camp and Training Camp Schedule

Date            Time            Event

Sun., Sept. 6                        Rookies report

Mon., Sept. 7            10:30 a.m.            Rookie Camp practice

Tues., Sept. 8            10:30 a.m.            Rookie Camp practice

Wed., Sept. 9            10:30 a.m.            Rookie Camp practice

Thurs., Sept. 10            11:45 a.m.            Scrimmage

Fri., Sept. 11            3 p.m.            Rookie game at Philadelphia

Sat., Sept. 12             10 a.m.            Veterans report and media availability

Sun., Sept 13            10 a.m.            Group A practice

            11:45 a.m.            Group B practice

            2:15 p.m.            Group C practice

Mon., Sept. 14            10 a.m.            Group A practice

            12:15 p.m.            Group B vs. Group C scrimmage

Tues., Sept. 15            10 a.m.            Group B practice

            12:15 p.m.            Group A vs. Group C scrimmage

Wed., Sept. 16            10 a.m.            Group C practice

            12:15 p.m.            Group A vs. Group B scrimmage

Thurs., Sept. 17            10 a.m.            Morning skate

            11:15 a.m.            Practice

            1 p.m.            Practice

            7 p.m.            at Buffalo, HSBC Arena, Buffalo, N.Y.

Fri., Sept 18            10 a.m.            Group A practice

            11:30 a.m.            Group B practice

Sat., Sept. 19            10 a.m.            Morning skate

            11:15 a.m.            Practice

            8:30 p.m.            at Chicago, United Center, Chicago, Ill. 

Sun., Sept. 20            10:30 a.m.            Practice

Mon., Sept. 21            10 a.m.            Morning skate

            11:15 a.m.            Practice

            7 p.m.             vs. Buffalo, Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.

Tues., Sept. 22            10:30 a.m.            Practice

Wed., Sept. 23            10 a.m.             Morning skate

            7 p.m.            vs. Chicago, Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.

Thurs., Sept. 24            10 a.m.            Morning skate           

            7 p.m.            at New York Rangers, Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y.

Fri., Sept. 25            11 a.m.            Practice

Sat., Sept. 26            10:30 a.m.            Practice

                        Capitals Convention

Sun., Sept. 27   

            12 p.m.            vs. New York Rangers, Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.