Students at Brooke Grove Elementary School in Olney wrote and starred in a music video to celebrate the Washington Capitals as the NHL team concludes its 50th season with a Stanley Cup playoff run beginning Monday.
“It was an amazingly unique opportunity for our students and school community,” Brooke Grove Principal Travis Payne said in a statement. “To have the experience of creating a song, performing a song, recording a video and watching the video highlighted the importance of and joy of music education and performance.”
A group of the school’s students in third, fourth and fifth grade wrote a theme song and filmed the music video with the help of Paulie Zablidowsky, known as Paulie Z, a musician from the band Z02. Zablidowsky is also the founder of the David Z Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to instill a passion for music in kids. The foundation teamed up with the Caps in School program, which gives students an opportunity to engage with the Capitals alongside classroom programming, according to its website.
The video debuted on the team’s social media Thursday and may be played at intermission during a Capitals game at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., according to Capitals spokesperson Megan Eichenberg.
The first round of playoff games for the Capitals is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at Capital One Arena. The Capitals are set to play the Montreal Canadiens in the best-of-seven series. There are two rounds and a conference final before the Stanley Cup final.
After researching the 50-year history of the team, students worked with Zablidowsky to brainstorm and create the Capitals-themed song. The lyrics reference iconic Capitals history and players, including Alex Ovechkin, who recently broke the record for the most career goals in NHL history, beating Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 career goals. After Thursday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ovechkin’s record stands at 897.
After the lyrics were created, the students visited MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia, where they filmed the music video with former Capitals player Peter Bondra, a prolific goal-scorer in the 1990s.
The video opens with the students taking a tour of the Iceplex, and when one student asks about the history of the team, Bondra appears and offers to teach them. Bondra shows the students around and laces some students up with skates and hockey gear. Students also sing and dance to their song throughout the video.
“The kids enjoyed visiting the Capitals practice facility and recording the videos. They were able to let loose, be themselves, and enjoy the experience without too many strict restrictions,” Payne said in the statement. “The opportunity to free style dance and ice skate in the video was a highlight. Most importantly, they felt like their voices and opinions were valued, utilized and showcased.”
