Because of the Winter Classic.

Stripes on the legs!

Expect an official announcement later this month.

The National Mall would have been a cooler venue, but whatever.

Washington Capitals majority owner Ted Leonsis is expected to make an announcement Saturday morning the the Caps will host the NHL Winter Classic next year.

Yesterday, the Capitals traded for a pure fighter in D.J. King.

Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau, pictured here at a 2009 training session with Alex Ovechkin. Photo by photopete It became official today: the Washington Capitals will get to play the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2011 Winter Classic at Heinz Field. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman also promised a Winter Classic will come to Washington, D.C. within the next two to three years. Washington Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau says every time he watches a Winter…

Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrt77/ / CC BY-SA 2.0Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports today that, contrary to earlier rumors that Washington is leading the pack to host the 2011 NHL Winter Classic, Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field, home to the Pittsburgh Steelers, is “likely” to host the game between the Penguins and the Capitals next January. Though neither the league nor the Penguins will confirm anything at this point, Molinari reports that things are “falling into…

2010 NHL Winter Classic, held at Boston’s Fenway Park. Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/ekilby/ / CC BY-SA 2.0 Scuttlebutt began to swirl over Twitter yesterday that Washington will host next season’s NHL Winter Classic, the league’s marquee regular-season, New Year’s Day outdoor showcase and historical celebration of all things hockey. The excitement was based on a report by the New England Hockey Journal which learned from sources that the Capitals are “a favorite” to host the…