The gameday experience itself at Capital One Arena
If you're absolutely dead-set on finding hockey history, the results are a lot better inside of the arena, as there's a wide variety of Capitals (and Wizards) history exhibits scattered throughout the ground-level concourse when you enter the building. There's displays on Capitals legends, hat tricks throughout the team's history, and of course, an entire niche dedicated to Alex Ovechkin's legendary pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's goal record.
As for fans? As someone who's also been to the Bell Centre, Caps fans are maybe not as intense as Canadiens fans are, but they're still very, very much into things. Don't get caught off guard by the loud "RED" during the national anthem nor the chaotic, siren-infused goal horn, and when the crowd screams "O" also during the anthem, just go with it - it's a tradition that dates back to when the Baltimore Orioles were the only baseball team in the region.
It's always slightly funny going as a road fan for Golden Knights games, given how many games I go to at Cap One as a Caps fan. Being an "enemy" in your own building is certainly strange, but for those concerned about reception, I've never received anything more than a bit of light teasing from Caps fans while in a Golden Knights jersey. Admittedly, Vegas has also been smashed to bits in the four times I've attended VGK @ WSH, to the tune of four multi-goal losses and a Charlie Lindgren shutout, so maybe the reaction would be different if they'd actually pull out a win this time.
In closing, a few other pointers:
- Definitely eat beforehand. Food and drink inside the arena is expensive, and there's tons of good, affordable options in the area around the arena. Plenty of good bars for postgame, too - I personally recommend Rocket Bar.
- Get there early for warmups, which usually begin around 6:30. I got a puck from Brayden McNabb last year simply by asking, and even if you're not as lucky, it's still fun to see the players up close. Doors open for the game at 6:00, and I advise getting there as close to then as possible to get a good spot on the glass.
- Be prepared for an expensive ticket. I have no idea why (though I have theories, mostly related to Ovi's potential retirement), but weekend Caps games have been absurdly priced this year, and unfortunately, this game is no exception.
Overall, though, enjoy your time in this wonderful city I've known all my life. I hope to see some of y'all there on Friday!