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Capitals join forces with Penguins to support families affected by Lokomotiv tragedy

lokomotiv

James

Normally, a Washington Capitals-Pittsburgh Penguins game urges the use of negative words - it isn’t rare to see the word “hate” thrown around. The two teams probably won’t engage in a group hug on Oct. 13, but there should be an atmosphere of somber positivity during that regular season game.

The two squads announced that the game will usher in a joint effort to benefit the Lokomotiv plane crash victims’ families. The Capitals and Penguins will wear commemorative patches on their jerseys (see: this post’s main image) to honor those lost in that terrible tragedy. Players will autograph those sweaters for NHL.com auctions that run from Oct. 13 through Oct. 27. TSN reports that remembrance bracelets will also be sold to benefit the families.

It’s a fantastic idea that certainly must stem in some way from the fact that both rosters include prominent Russian players. The Capitals feature stars such as Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin while the Penguins boast Evgeni Malkin - just to name the clubs’ biggest stars from the hockey hotbed.

Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero captured the mood appropriately.

“We compete against each other hard on the ice, but off the ice we all are part of one big hockey family,” Penguins General Manager Ray Shero said. “Many of our players had friends on the Lokomotiv team. All of us in hockey were touched by this tragic loss. We just thought the Oct. 13 game was a unique opportunity for our two teams to work together to raise money for the children and families of the players, coaches and staff who lost their lives.”

Hopefully other NHL teams follow the Capitals and Penguins’ leads by finding creative ways to raise money for the many people whose lives were impacted by that awful accident.

(Patch image via Pittsburgh Penguins.)