The Washington Capitals’ city-wide Stanley Cup celebration got weird long before the parade actually started.
The following are the kinds of things you only see when a city is getting ready to celebrate a professional sports championship, aka the first time Washington, D.C., has experienced anything like this since 1992.
Shenanigans started at 11:30 p.m. the night before the parade, with the first person lining up to get the best view along the parade route. She apparently spent all night there, and as one Twitter user put it, Alexander Ovechkin should definitely let her do a keg stand out of the Stanley Cup for her dedication and perseverance.
The first fan arrived in front of the stage last night at 11:30 pm. She is a life-long fan from North Carolina who spent the night on the fenceline to get a prize spot for the #ALLCAPS Parade and to get a glimpse of the #StanleyCup #superfan #dedication pic.twitter.com/9DYtrzG6jK
— USPPNEWS (@usparkpolicepio) June 12, 2018
At 8:30 a.m., the D.C. Metro Twitter account posted a video of a live deer going to town on the Crystal City platform, who was clearly only there to head to the parade early. The best part of this is that Metro seems really proud that A LIVE DEER got into one of its stations.
Seems like *everyone* wants to get aboard the @Capitals train this morning! (Crystal City Station, 8:30 a.m. today -- this little guy somehow wandered into the tunnel & ended up at the station. Safely exited through the tunnel back toward DCA.) #OHDEER #ALLCAPS #WMATA #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/3ibeGuYwUe
— Metro Forward (@wmata) June 12, 2018
And then there was the one thing that could only happen during an NHL victory parade: a zamboni was spotted driving across a major bridge with police protection. Now that’s the sort of thing you hope to see during a hockey-related celebration.
So.
— (((Jacob Bogage))) (@jacobbogage) June 12, 2018
I’m pretty sure a zamboni just crossed the Arlington Memorial Bridge with a police escort. #ALLCAPS#StanleyCup
Related Story: Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky approves of Ovechkin’s form in public fountain
Of course, there were a few wholesome images in the pre-parade hours to go along with all the weirdness that inevitably seeps into a city on parade day. Just look at these fans, who all seem like they’ve had enough coffee to get them through the long wait until the parade actually starts.
It's #ALLCAPS at the Archives Metro station! Fans are heading to the @Capitals parade! #Fox5Caps #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/aOkNSQ9CIM
— Erin Como (@ErinFox5DC) June 12, 2018
And then you have these folks, who have managed to turn the National Mall red before 10 a.m. These are the heroes D.C. needs and deserves.
good morning pic.twitter.com/tUut9DGUpm
— Emma Baccellieri (@emmabaccellieri) June 12, 2018
Have fun out there today Capitals fans! Don’t do anything the Penguins and their fans wouldn’t do — which means everything’s on the table.