The Washington Capitals’ right winger on his favorite local spots.
The Washington Capitals’ T.J. Oshie signs autographs for fans. (Photo Courtesy Washington Capitals)
The Washington Capitals won their third consecutive metropolitan division title thanks to players like right winger T.J. Oshie, 31. He’s second on the team in power play goals, preceded only by champion 600 goal scorer Alexander Ovechkin, which is not a bad place to be. The family man from Mount Vernon, Washington (state) reveals what he likes to do in the District when he’s not lighting the lamp.
A LOT OF PLAYERS IN THE NHL HAVE PLAYED IN OUTDOOR GAMES BUT YOU FINALLY PLAYED IN YOUR FIRST ONE AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY IN MARCH. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? I was looking forward to it very much for several reasons. One, as an American, it being at the Naval Academy was special. Both my grandpas served in the Navy on the U.S.S. Saint Paul and the experience was amazing. From start to finish, it was even cooler than I had imagined. It was very special and I’d like to do it again. It was a huge honor not just because of my family connection, but also because of the sacrifices military members and their family are currently making.
YOU LED TEAM USA TO A THRILLING SHOOTOUT WIN OVER TEAM RUSSIA IN THE 2014 OLYMPICS. DID YOU SEE THE U.S. WOMEN’S TEAM WIN GOLD MEDAL WITH A SHOOTOUT? I did see it; I thought it was great for them. I went and watched as many of their games as I could in Sochi and it was really exciting. It kind of felt like when they won, for some reason I was part of the win – obviously I wasn’t, but it was really cool because I know some of the girls on the team and I’m really proud of them.
AFTER TWO YEARS IN WASHINGTON, YOU BECAME A FREE AGENT. HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT TO COME BACK TO WASHINGTON ON AN EIGHT-YEAR DEAL? WAS THERE ANYTHING SPECIAL ABOUT THE AREA FOR YOUR WIFE AND TWO DAUGHTERS THAT MADE YOU WANT TO COMMIT HERE LONG TERM? A lot of the people we met have become good friends. My oldest daughter, Lyla, really loved her school and it would have been hard for us to take her away from there. On the hockey side of things, I loved all the players I was playing with and felt the organization was run very professionally. I really enjoy playing here and knew it was a place I wanted to stay for a long time.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE WASHINGTON, D.C. METRO AREA TO HANG OUT WITH YOUR YOUNG FAMILY? It’s pretty simple for me. We don’t get many days off to go out and really experience the region, so really when we get days off, I’m at home, going to parks around Arlington or McLean with my family.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE REGION TO HANG OUT WITH YOUR TEAMMATES? At one of the amazing golf courses in town. We play quite a bit at Avenel with my neighbor and some teammates and it’s really fun.
YOU’VE DONE A LOT IN THE COMMUNITY SINCE SIGNING WITH WASHINGTON, FROM COURAGE CAPS TO RECENTLY SPENDING TIME WITH UNITED HEROES LEAGUE FAMILIES PRIOR TO THE STADIUM SERIES. ARE THERE ANY CAUSES THAT STAND OUT TO YOU? I have to give a lot of credit to Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation. They’ve given me a lot of avenues to connect with the community and give back. It’s important to me and my family to be part of as much as we can. Courage Caps in particular is important to me.Team-issued branded hats and T-shirts are sold each season with all proceeds benefitting Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, and the players also get to spend time with the military families at a skate each season.
MY TOP SPOTS:
I’m a big crab and steak guy, so Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab is the place to go for a good meal.
I was always a big movie guy before Lauren and I had kids. Now that Lyla’s old enough we catch every animated flick that comes through AMC Tyson’s Corner.
We love getting takeout from Founding Farmers Tysons and I usually get the spicy fried chicken with the Jefferson donut. It’s amazing. Try it.
My family loves Clemyjontri Park in McLean because it seems like you can let the kids run all over and have a blast. On the weekends it’s a fun place to spend time with the little ones.
I play with my neighbor quite a bit at TPC Potomac Avenue golf course. I haven’t scored well there yet but I feel like it’s always in great condition.
I am part Ojibwe and I went to the National Museum of the American Indian with my family. It was a pretty amazing experience and I learned a lot that I didn’t know about myself and the Ojibwe people.
This story first appeared in the May 2018 issue of Washington Life Magazine.
