The Washington Capitals are auctioning off a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a small and somewhat insignificant coaching decision during a meaningless exhibition game. During the Capitals final preseason tilt of the fall, one fan — hopefully a Caps fan — can “determine the starting lineup and announce the starters to the team” in the Verizon Center locker room.
The winning bidder will also receive four glass-side seats. That’s perfect so the fan and their closest friends can see how the decision plays out.
I would ice an unstoppable starting lineup of Braden Holtby at center (in his full goalie gear), Evgeny Kuznetsov on the wing, and Alex Ovechkin on the other. On defense I would send out John Carlson and Dmitry Orlov. Since my goalie is playing center, I’ll have Stan Galiev be an extra forward because MOAR RUSSIANS MOAR FUN.
More from the Capitals:
Washington Capitals Announce So Kids Can Starting Lineup Auction
Winners to announce the starting lineup in the Caps locker room on Oct. 9
ARLINGTON, Va. – Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation and the Elliot in the Morning Show announced today the So Kids Can Starting Lineup auction, featuring the opportunity for winners to announce the Capitals’ starting lineup in the Capitals locker room prior to the team’s game against the New York Islanders on Sunday, Oct. 9.
In addition to getting four glass seats, the auction winner will meet Capitals head coach Barry Trotz and will head to the Caps locker room to announce the starting lineup for the game. The experience will be captured by Monumental Sports Network.
Bidding starts at $250 and can be entered by visiting https://hand.bid/sokidscan or downloading the Handbid app to Apple and Android devices. To download the free app, search for “Handbid” in the Apple App Store or Google Play and follow the app’s instructional prompts. The auction will close at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6.
During the 2016-17 season Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner, forward Nicklas Backstrom and goalkeeper Braden Holtby, along with Elliot Segal from the Elliot in the Morning show, will raise money for Martha’s Table’s Joyful Food Markets through So Kids Can.
So Kids Can was created in 2008 by former Capitals defenseman Mike Green and Segal to benefit youth-focused, nonprofit organizations. Backstrom and former Caps forward Brooks Laich joined the cause in 2011 and Alzner and Holtby joined in 2015. To date, So Kids Can has donated more than $325,000 to charity.
Martha’s Table has worked to support stronger children, families and communities by increasing access to quality education programs, healthy food and family supports for more than 35 years. Joyful Food Markets increase access to and encourage consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables east of the Anacostia River and are run exclusively in elementary schools in Wards 7 and 8. Each player and Segal will donate $50 per Capitals win during the regular season and $100 per Capitals win during the playoffs.
For the record, I confirmed with a Caps spokesman that the auction winner is picking the starting lineup. The only caveat is that Trotz and GM Brian MacLellan “will let the winner know who is available.”