Congratulations on being selected to play a game at Verizon Center before a Washington Capitals game.  It is an exciting time for the players and for the families who are coming along.  You will get to see things that not everyone gets to see, and enjoy your game from the comfort of seats so close to the ice, you can feel the cold!

When coming to Verizon Center for a game before the Caps game (also known as a pre-game), you will want to make sure your teams, supporters and game officials arrive to the Media Entrance to Verizon Center about 45-60 minutes before your scheduled game time.  Your scheduled game time will depend on the start time of the Caps game that day/night and will be four hours prior to the start of the Caps game.  So if the Caps play at 7 p.m., your game is at 3 p.m. (unless otherwise arranged) and you should plan to arrive around 2 p.m.

The Media Entrance to Verizon Center is located between the garages for Gallery Place and the Verizon Center, next to the large loading dock door for Verizon Center and across the street from the Bantam King.  If taking Metro, exit the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro Station, turn left along F Street, then turn left at the Greene Turtle.  The Media Entrance will be on your left down the hill.

Upon arriving, Verizon Center staff may ask for you to place all bags in a single line.  Please do not enter the arena at this time as a member of the Caps staff (most likely the wonderful Tim Bronaugh) will come out about 30 minutes before your game to review the rules.

Players will be taken into the arena first and may or may not be permitted one adult to accompany them to the locker room, this is based on age.  Players who enter the arena with their bags will have them checked at the tables on the Mezzanine Level.  The players will then follow a Caps representative to the Event Level doors.  All players MUST remain with the Caps representative.  At this time, posed pictures are not permitted as the teams will be escorted to their locker rooms, which are located outside the Caps locker room.  Once the teams are settled, there may be an opportunity to take a picture of the Caps locker room door, this depends on other events going on in and around the arena and not guaranteed.

After the players enter the arena, the fans will then enter and proceed up the stairs to the first floor and main concourse.  Turn right through the doors and proceed to sections 110, 111 and 112, the sections behind and to either side of the penalty box.  Fans are not permitted in any other sections as staff is preparing the arena for that night’s game.

Teams are encouraged to provide penalty box attendants and an official scorer if an official scoresheet needs to be kept.  The Capitals will provide a scoreboard operator for all games.  Penalty box attendants are reminded not to stand in front of the doors to the ice so those in the scorer’s box can see the ice.

After the game, all fans will be able to meet the players when they exit Verizon Center through the F Street Entrance.  To get to the F Street Entrance, fans will exit back through the Media Entrance, turn right outside the doors up to The Greene Turtle at F Street.  Turn right at The Greene Turtle and the F Street Entrance will be on the right.  Teams will come up through one of the three elevators that exit into the lobby.