Mathieu Perreault, David Steckel and Assistant Coach Dean Evason Host Capitals Hockey School at Jefferson-Houston School

ARLINGTON, Va. – Washington Capitals center Mathieu Perreault, left wing David Steckel, assistant coach Dean Evason and mascot Slapshot visited Jefferson-Houston School in Alexandria, Va., to host the Capitals Hockey School presented by Capital One Bank.

Perreault, Steckel and Evason began the session by fielding questions from students in the school’s gymnasium before leading a floor hockey clinic with the 115 fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh-grade students. Led by Evason, Perreault and Steckel demonstrated puck-handling, passing and shooting skills, teaching students proper techniques and giving them hands-on instruction. One of the students was called up to put on goalie equipment and had Perreault and Steckel shoot pucks on him.

The clinic concluded with several scrimmages in which the students played alongside Perreault and Steckel with Perreault on the girls’ teams and Steckel on the boys’ team. At the end of the hour-long program, the Capitals donated the set of floor hockey equipment to the school.

“The kids seemed to really be enjoying themselves,” said Perreault. “It was fun to play with the kids and introduce them to hockey,” said Steckel.

This was the ninth Capitals Hockey School presented by Capital One Bank visit this season. The Capitals will host two Hockey School visits a month between September and May, donating street hockey equipment to each participating school.

This is the fourth-consecutive year the Capitals have conducted their Hockey School program. The Caps hosted more than 30 clinics and reached nearly 5,000 students the past three years. During the 2009-10 season alone, thousands of elementary and middle school students graduated from the program.