By DCist contributor Hemal Jhaveri

Almost 5,000 die-hard Caps fans flocked to the Gaylord Convention Center at National Harbor this past Saturday for the first ever Capitals Fan Convention. This is a pretty big deal for the Caps organization and the Caps faithful, who only a few years ago couldn’t even generate enough enthusiasm to sell out a home game, much less attract a packed convention center full of rabid fans draped in red.

Despite the long lines for nearly everything, there were few, if any, grumblings from fans throughout the day. The autograph lines moved slowly, but it seemed like no one left empty-handed. Players not only made themselves available during scheduled times, but before and after their panel sessions, despite protests from the well-meaning folks dressed in blue staff t-shirts. Fans were able to catch players at almost any time during the day, and most were unbelievably gracious with the requests.