New competitive roster, dedicated streamer and annual tournaments return for the 2022-23 season
Washington, DC – Caps Gaming, the esports sub-brand of the Washington Capitals owned by Monumental Sports and Entertainment, announced plans for the upcoming season including a new team roster and robust programming that will generate content year-round to engage with both North American and European audiences. Since its launch in 2019, Caps Gaming has created a space for hockey’s esports gamers to engage through competitions and grassroots events.
“We are incredibly excited for the upcoming season to compete and continue connecting with young hockey fans through gaming,” said Zach Leonsis, President of Media and New Enterprises at Monumental Sports & Entertainment. “The platform we’ve created with Caps Gaming will help foster the growth of the esports community and we view it as an important component to the future of gaming for the next generation.”
This year, a competitive esports team for all NHL tournaments has been handpicked to represent Caps Gaming. The amateur team formerly known as Team Prodigy will be the new faces of Caps Gaming, connecting the professional esports organization to the grassroots competitors that are the life of the NHL esports community. The new Caps Gaming players have recognizable gamertags across the competitive NHL esports scene and are as follows: Polgz, Bouch, Cad, Geimer, Desy, and Vaynx. In addition, Polgz will also be the official Caps Gaming streamer, producing content on a regular basis on the Caps Gaming twitch channel at twitch.tv/capitals.
The team’s signature competition, the Caps Gaming Showcase, is a 6v6 EA Sports NHL tournament where the top teams in the industry will compete on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X for a $20,000 prize pool. The Showcase features an 8-week Swiss-format competition, followed by a single-elimination tournament featuring the top 64 teams. Both the North American and European divisions will return this year which allows for even more international competition. Signups for the European division will open on November 5 while those competing in the North American division will be eligible to sign up on December 10.
Caps Gaming will host the Caps Gaming 3s Challenge in November, coinciding with the start of the season. The NHL esports skills tournament will feature one cross-platform bracket via PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Gamers will compete for a chance to win a share of the $5,000 prize pool.
In early 2023, District E Powered by Ticketmaster is set to open and will host regular NHL 23 competitions and events at the esports & entertainment facility.
Gameplay from both the Caps Gaming Showcase and 3s Challenge will be broadcast live at twitch.tv/capitals. Visit nhl.com/capitals/fans/chel and follow Caps Gaming on Twitter and Instagram at @CapsGaming for additional information and announcements.
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About Caps Gaming
Caps Gaming is the sub-brand and the official esports representative for the Washington Capitals, owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The brand is committed to the expansion of the DC’s youth hockey programs and the international esports community. Initiatives support emerging technologies, the DC sports communities, and the growth of NHL esports. For more information about Caps Gaming, visit: nhl.com/capitals/fans/chel
