Team Maryland and Team Virginia pose after the game (Download the high-res version)

Despite Washington, D.C. setting a record high temperature of 102 degrees Saturday, it was a perfect day for hockey as over 40 players and over a hundred visitors gathered at Kettler Capitals Iceplex for the 4th Annual Dave Fay Memorial Game benefitting Hockey Fights Cancer. Former Caps Yvon Labre, Gord Lane, Paul Mulvey, Gary Rissling, and Alan Hangsleben joined players from across Maryland and Virginia to honor the long-time Washington Times hockey writer who passed away in 2007 after 12-year battle with cancer.

The game — raising over $4,500 for cancer research –certainly didn’t have a shortage of great moments. Our favorites include Dave Fay’s widow, Pat, starting the festivities off with a ceremonial puck drop at center ice, Gary Rissling playing with a bloody mouth after a collision on the ice, and Capitals PA Announcer Wes Johnson calling Team Maryland coach Steve Kolbe during the game and telling him to instruct Alan Hangsleben to get in a fight so that he could register a Gordie Howe Hat Trick (the plan was successful)!

Both teams displayed rustiness and a general lack of speed, but what they all lacked in talent was made up for in sheer determination, dirty play, and creative coaching (Kolbe yelled “Shoot!” a lot). In the end, Maryland edged Virginia, 8-7, with the game ending the way all important matches should — a shootout.

Below are the pictures I captured from the day.

(All photographs by Chris Gordon — Click to enlarge)

Dave Fay’s relatives including his widow, Pat (right), come out for the ceremonial drop of the puck.

 Former Capitals Gord Lane and Yvon Labre take the draw.

The action gets underway. 

 Team Virginia, in white, takes a 1-0 lead on Tom Moore’s goal.

Gary Rissling, a former player for the Capitals, Penguins, and the AHL’s Baltimore Skipjacks skates up the ice.

Labre fires off a breakout pass.

Virginia takes a 2-1 lead on Derek Newton’s tally.

 Rissling talks to goalie, OFB contributor, and former Miss Virginia Tara Wheeler.

Virginia nets a goal.

Perfectly legal in a charity hockey game.

If you haven’t noticed yet, Rissling was the star of the show.

Maryland scores.

Rissling and Michael Thomas go at it.

The puck drops on the second period.

Rissling gets clipped up high. No worries though, he’s a hockey player.

Virginia’s goalies Evey Staff and Tara Wheeler share a laugh. 

Wheeler looks on.

Maryland goes ahead, 7-5.

Former Whalers, Capitals, and Kings player Alan Hangsleben laughs on the bench.

John Kosak takes a photo of me, I take a photo of him.

Cliff “The Cataylst” Wilks is pumped after his late third period goal for Virginia to sends the game to a shootout.

Maryland coach Steve Kolbe approves of his plan.

Maryland’s Rick Dade celebrates one of his team’s shootout goals.

Jon Weetmay stops Virginia’s Bill Hardy.

Rissling informs Virginia of their loss.

 Labre shakes hands with Hangsleben.

Kolbe presents the trophy.

D.J. Tim Phillips and P.A. man Wes Johnson pose for a picture.

Before Wes decides to scare the crap out of you and me.

Additional reporting by Ian Oland.

Above, are highlights from the Caps Pens Alumni Game where the two-period exhibition ended in a 5-5 tie. One of my favorite All-Time Capitals, Peter Bondra, tied the game in the final few minutes with a wicked slap shot from the middle of the circles. In Bonzai’s post-game scrum with the media, he revealed that the scrimmage actually got quite intense.

“Early in the game I know what to expect. When the game went on – the old guys actually brought [the intensity level] up. They started hooking, [playing] old-time hockey. There was chopping at the skates. One guy broke a stick on my leg.”

We’re still awaiting word for if that guy was Mario Lemieux. Paul Mulvey (2), Alan May, and Mark Lofthouse also scored for the Capitals, while Ron Francis, Jay Caufield, Rob Brown, Rod Buskas, and Craig Simpson tallied for the Pens.

For more coverage of the first real event on the Winter Classic ice (sorry, media guys), make sure to check out On Frozen Blog and Capitals Insider who’ll be there all weekend.

Photos

Alan May looks to score as Rick Tocchet smiles in the background.

Peter Bondra shows Paul Coffey that he still has some moves.

Lemieux looks to start the break-out.

Craig Simpson scores glove-side on Don Beaupre. Nothing new there!

Yvon Labre shares a laugh with the Pens bench.

Brooks Laich, err I mean Dennis Maruk, looks for a pass in the Neutral Zone.

Sylvain Cote defends Ron Francis. GET YER STICK UP, COTES!

Peter Bondra celebrates his GTG.

The players salute the 10,000 people in attendance at Heinz Field.

Of course. Mario has to be front and center.