NHL postpones Capitals game as blizzard bears down in D.C. area

UPDATE:

The National Hockey League has postponed Friday’s 5 p.m. game between the Capitals and the Anaheim Ducks due to the impending snowstorm.

Officials have yet to make a determination on whether Sunday’s match against the Pittsburgh Penguins will also be cancelled.

The Capitals issued a statement Friday that says tickets for Friday’s game will be honored at a rescheduled match. A date has yet to be set.

ORIGINAL TEXT:

D.C. officials were frustrated by the NHL’s decision to go forward with Friday evening’s Washington Capitals game, even as an impending blizzard is forecast to begin dumping 2.5 feet of snow on the region this afternoon.

“Why? Why? Why?” said Chris Geldart, director of the District’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, of the NHL’s decision to go forward with the 5 p.m. game between the Capitals and the Anaheim Ducks. “If the NHL wants to put their players in danger by making them come in, because they have to come in too, and then go back out that’s on them. We’re telling our residents to be indoors.”

The comments came during a briefing on the city’s emergency preparations for the storm Friday morning. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the coming storm has “life and death implications” and warned residents to stay indoors during its duration.

The NHL moved up the game, being held at the Verizon Center in the District, from its original 7 p.m. start time but declined to cancel the event.

The storm is expected to bring the region to a standstill over the weekend, with National Weather Service predicting heavy, wet snowfall that could total up to 2.5 feet in the D.C. area, and wind gusts of up to 50 mph accompanying the storm.

Both the D.C. and federal governments have opted to close at noon Friday as the major winter storm bears down on the region. Meanwhile Metro is stopping all bus service at 5 p.m and train service at 11 p.m. Friday and will not resume any service until at least Monday morning.

The Metropolitan Police Department typically provides some security for games at the Verizon Center, but D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said she may have to pull officers from the event as she tries to balance public safety priorities.

“My resources are going to go towards emergencies first,” Chief Lanier said. “Whether they are at the Verizon Center at all tonight is dependent on what our demand is for emergency services. While we support all the events at the Verizon Center, emergency services is first, entertainment is second.”