Caps' Neuvirth, Perreault Give Lesson in Ashburn

Washington Capitals goaltender Michal Neuvirth, forward Mathieu Perreault and mascot Slapshot paid a visit to Steuart W. Weller Elementary School in Ashburn earlier this week for Capitals Hockey School.

Hockey School, a free program, aims to expose students to floor hockey and teach them proper techniques.

Neuvirth and Perreault answered questions, led a skills demonstration and signed autographs.

The clinic concluded with several students participating in a brief scrimmage joined by Neuvirth and Perreault as their teammates.

Perreault’s boys team just edged out Neuvirth’s girls team 1-0.

“I had fun teaching the kids about being a goaltender and think they enjoyed the lessons,” said Neuvirth. “There were a lot of great players out there today.”

The student goalies did well just to walk in their equipment, but also blocked several shots.

The Capitals donated a set of street hockey equipment to the school, and gave each student a hockey 101 booklet, a squishy puck and an autograph from Neuvirth and Perreault. In addition, the Caps left a Hockey School banner for the school to display all year.

The Caps drafted Neuvirth, who has played in 116 games, in the second round in the 2006 NHL entry draft. The team drafted Perreault, who has played in 137 games, in the sixth round the same year.

The Capitals host two Hockey School visits each month between September and May.

The 2012-13 season marks the sixth consecutive year the Capitals have conducted the Hockey School program, which has hosted more than 70 clinics and reached more than 10,000 students.