Chicks and Sticks

So this announcement from the Caps came out today:

The Washington Capitals have teamed up with Comcast SportsNet and MIX 107.3 to host a special evening for female fans at Verizon Center. Hockey ’n Heels, slated to take place on Monday, Feb. 26 from 6-10 p.m., will give women the opportunity to head downtown for a girls night out.

Designed to target the Capitals female audience, Hockey ’n Heels is a special evening that will feature games, prizes and most importantly, hockey! The night kicks off with instructional sessions that will help introduce fans to hockey fundamentals, rules, equipment and get them familiar with the basic skills of the game. A locker room tour, on-ice demonstration and a question and answer session with Capitals’ wives will make for a fast-paced and fun evening.

Members of the Caps coaching staff and broadcast team will also be in attendance at the event, alongside Comcast SportsNet’s Jill Sorenson and Carol Maloney as well as MIX 107.3’s Chilli Amar. The night’s festivities will wrap-up with a cocktail party at Verizon Center’s Acela Club, featuring specialty drinks, hors d’oeuvres and Caps players.

Fans attending Hockey ’n Heels will receive special gifts as well as have the opportunity to win prizes including shopping sprees, spa gift certificates and autographed Caps items. Each person in attendance will also receive one ticket to the Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning game on Thursday, March 1.

Fans interested in attending Hockey ’n Heels may sign-up by clicking HERE.

Several reactions on the Sports Bog. Nancy had the following questions for the Caps wives:

1. Does your husband like to keep the bedroom at an abnormally low temperature?

2. Do you let him bring the stick into the house?

3. Does he ever blame you for him having to sit in the penalty box?

Personally, I'd want to ask certain wives about the rumors that they're the next Joumana Kidd or Jackie Christie, but that wouldn't be very nice.

CapsChick had the exact same thought I did about the weird wording, but she mentioned it first:

"The night's festivities will wrap-up with a cocktail party at Verizon Center 's Acela Club, featuring specialty drinks, hors d'oeuvres and Caps players."

Hmmm...does that wording seem a bit odd to anyone else? Um, yes, I'll take a vodka tonic, a spring roll, and Brooks Laich.

I'd want Brian Sutherby. And Georges Laraque if he was here. A girl can't have everything, I suppose. (Yes, Chanuck is aware of this.)

Now this one, from "Susan B. Anthony," was interesting:

Decades and decades of fighting for women's rights, and we continue to get crap like quote hockey in heels unquote. Ladies night, fine, but why the heck do they have to throw in the sexism by using heels in the name of the promotion? This woman will NOT be attending that Caps game. And to think when I saw the headline I thought I would...

What is wrong with "heels?" I get her point, but that's being a little TOO uptight. I'm not a feminist per se, but I get really torqued about blatant sexism. That's hardly the case in this example. "Hockey in Heels" is a cute, catchy name, which is all they were going for here. "Hockey in Uggs" just doesn't have the same cache.

Let's be realistic: it's about attracting a new group of people to the game of hockey. If I wasn't already into hockey and a friend told me about it, I'd be willing to check it out. It's just another night out with girlfriends; instead of dinner or happy hour at a bar, it's a night at the Phone Booth with hockey players. At a minimum, it's something different from the normal options.

Grooven has an idea:

And just think, much like a happy hour at a neighborhood bar, or a bachelorette party at a nightclub, the Caps can get more guys to show up that night by saying that there'll be women there. After all lots of men would try to find the group of women and try to impress with hockey knowledge (only to sound like a moron after the class explained things like icing and offsides the right way).

Yeah, this is likely what the Caps are aiming for, in addition to attracting successful, professional women. It's a win-win situation.

Hope to see the ladies on the 26th!