Don’t be blue,
The rumors are true.
The time is near,
It’s finally here.
Won’t it be great,
When all Arlingtonians can skate.
Sign up now,
So you’ll know how.

Yesterday, the Capitals announced that their new practice facility in Ballston would be named Kettler Capitals Iceplex. The announcement was really just a reason to get the credentialed media and others out there do a write-up about the facility; both broadsheet newspapers (The Post) complied (The Wash. Times). DC Sports Bog (source of the poem) was all over the story. On Frozen Blog and Puckhead’s Thoughts were there too and both have excellent coverage of the occasion too. Puckhead even has video.

The Iceplex or KCI (we’ll see which nickname will stick) boasts two regulation size rinks, one of which has seating for 1,200. There are training facilities and offices for the Caps and WNBA Mystics as well as a snackbar and a pro shop. Ninety percent of the time the rinks will be open for uses of than Caps practice, providing so much needed ice team for area leagues. Both the Georgetown and George Washington college teams, as well as six high school squads will use it as their home rink. There will be public ice time as well.

The first Caps practice there is scheduled for Nov. 7 and like all practices, is open to the public for no charge. It looks like this is going to be the second best thing to happen to the Capitals this century.