Capitals Alumni Paul Mulvey, Assistant Coach Bob Woods and Slapshot Host Capitals Hockey School at Ashburn Elementary School

Washington Capitals alumni Paul Mulvey, assistant coach Bob Woods and Slapshot visited Ashburn Elementary School in Ashburn, Va., Thursday, April 8, to host Capitals Hockey School presented by Chevy Chase Bank. Mulvey and Woods kicked off the session with introductions and by fielding questions from many of the 132 fifth-grade students in attendance.

Next, Mulvey and Woods instructed the students about how to hold a hockey stick properly, puck-handling, passing and shooting. They asked one student with a strong hockey background to help demonstrate each of the skills before his classmates were called upon to come down from the bleachers and test out what they had learned.

Later in the session, two additional students volunteered to be part of a shooting competition where it was girls versus boys. Slapshot was between the pipes showcasing his goaltending abilities. Following the competition, the students scrimmaged against themselves and then played against their teachers. The hour-long program concluded with the Capitals donating a set of floor hockey equipment to the school.
 
This was the 13th Capitals Hockey School clinic this season. The Capitals plan two Capitals Hockey School visits a month reaching more than 250 students through the clinics as well as donating the hockey equipment to the school so that the students can practice what they learn.
 
This is the third consecutive year the Capitals have conducted the program. The Caps hosted 20 clinics and reached 2,500 local students the past two years. During the 2009-10 season, thousands of elementary and middle school students will graduate from Hockey School presented by Chevy Chase Bank. Students will benefit from question-and-answer sessions with Caps representatives, including Caps players, coaches and alumni, where they will share information about their hockey backgrounds and fun facts about hockey and the team. The Caps will teach skills through verbal instruction and demonstrations and allow students to sharpen their technique during the interactive portions of the clinics. At the end of each visit, students will receive Hockey 101 booklets, squishy pucks and autographed player cards to signify that they graduated from Hockey School presented by Chevy Chase Bank.