Spring is in the air in our nation’s capital.
As winter slowly gives way to warmer temperatures, attention in metropolitan Washington D.C. turns to the blossoming of the cherry blossoms that ring the Tidal Basin near the National Mall. Originally a gift to the citizens of the city from Japan, the blooming of the blossoms is an annual event in the city each spring.
As part of this year’s festival, and in part to commemorate the 50th anniversary season of the Washington Capitals, the team has released a special jersey. The inspiration behind the design, created by local artist Taylor Kampa Olson, pairs the blossoms with the return of Washington’s “screaming eagle” design. The Capitals are wearing screaming eagle throwbacks at select games this season.
Washington unveiled the jerseys on social media Tuesday:
The jerseys feature the screaming eagle on the front, landing on a cherry blossom branch. The commemorative “50th anniversary” shoulder patch also features the blossoms, which are also woven into the numbers on the backs of the jerseys.
At the moment the Capitals sit atop both the Metropolitan Division, and the Eastern Conference, with 86 points. Beyond their win/loss record, superstar Alex Ovechkin is closing in on Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record. Ovechkin currently has 884 career goals, ten shy of Gretzky’s mark of 894.
