Winter Classic’s 2015 Host Could Be ‘Major Announcement’ Coming From Capitals Owner Ted Leonsis

With the NHL season now only days away, many teams are focused on training camps and trimming rosters. The Washington Capitals and majority owner Ted Leonsis have different ideas, however.

After a relatively quiet offseason where they signed former Toronto center Mikhail Grabovski to a one-year contract, the Capitals have issued a press release saying Leonsis will make a “major announcement” on Saturday at the Washington Convention Center.

A major trade or organizational shakeup usually isn’t prefaced by a press release, and the club also said all Capitals players will be available at the announcement. That has led some people to speculate that the 2015 Winter Classic host could be revealed Saturday.

Behind Alex Ovechkin‘s star power, Washington has long been rumored as a potential host site for the outdoor game, and Leonsis even admitted he’s been “assured” by the NHL that  the Classic would eventually make its way to D.C.

The NHL has rewarded Winter Classic host sites to former visiting teams such as Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, so Washington would be a logical choice.