A single puck helped make one family devoted Caps' fans originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Julie McKnight only recently became a Capitals fan, relatively speaking. Compared to some lifelong fans in the area, she's still quite new to the team. But don't mistake her for being any less passionate about her favorite team.
"I first connected and became really interested in the Caps when I went to a 2016 playoff game," McKnight told NBC Sports Washington. "It was my first game that I'd actually been to in the arena and I just loved it. I have always loved hockey, and I just started following the Caps. That's my team and I wouldn't have it any other way."
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McKnight is as die-hard a fan as you'll come across. She's spent time chatting (virtually) with T.J. Oshie, she's gotten seats right behind the Capitals bench, and never misses a game.
In fact, her friends even know that game nights mean her focus is solely on Washington.
"I try to not miss games," McKnight said. "My friends know that when there's a game on I have my phone in my lap and more than likely I'm texting back and forth with them about calls, and nice goal, and what was that guy doing...they know they can contact me during games and that it's encouraged."
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For McKnight, Capitals fandom has quickly become a family affair. When she sat behind the bench, a stadium security guard gave her son a practice puck, helping cement his burgeoning excitement for the team.
Sharing a passion with your children is one of the truest joys of parenthood, and the Capitals have been a special bond for so many families in the nation's capital over the years.
McKnight and her son have grown in their Caps fandom together, but from the very beginning, she's seen her son develop as much of a love for the team as she has.
"The first time I took my son to a Capitals game and he saw how cool this was, there was just a sea of red, and tons of other kids and everybody's happy and smiling and laughing and he was just so engaged," she said. "And he hasn't looked back."
Stay tuned all season long for more stories from featured Caps fans on NBC Sports Washington's Capitals Pregame Live.
