ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals are teaming up with the National Hockey League this October to educate the hockey community about cancer. Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Month is a league-wide initiative founded by the NHL and NHL Players’ Association and is dedicated to raising awareness for national and local organizations involved in cancer care and research.

The Capitals will host Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night during the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, Oct. 19. During warmups, players will wear game-issued home jerseys with a Hockey Fights Cancer patch. The jerseys will feature players’ names and numbers in lavender twill instead of the traditional white. Helmets will feature a Hockey Fights Cancer decal, while players also will have the opportunity to use lavender tape on game sticks. In addition management, coaches and broadcasters will wear the lavender official Hockey Fights Cancer tie. Lavender is the official color of the NHL’s Hockey Fights Cancer month, as it represents all forms of cancer.

Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation will host a jersey auction during the game to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s National Capital Area Chapter. The jerseys will be autographed by players and auctioned off at the MSE Foundation table located on the main concourse at section 104 of Verizon Center. Bidding will start when doors open at 6 p.m. and will conclude when the second intermission ends. Fans who are not in attendance will be allowed to bid on items by submitting an absentee bid form. Absentee bid forms must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18 and are available at WashingtonCaps.com.

In addition 11-year-old Capitals fan and blood cancer survivor Luke, a Virginia native, will participate in a ceremonial puck drop on Oct 19.

Hockey Fights Cancer is an initiative founded in December 1998 by the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Player’s Association to raise money and awareness for hockey’s most important fight. To date, through the NHL’s U.S. and Canadian charitable foundations, more than $12.8 million has been raised under the Hockey Fights Cancer initiative to support national and local cancer research institutions, children’s hospitals, player charities and local cancer organizations. The Hockey Fights Cancer program is also a component of the NHL’s “Biggest Assist Happens Off the Ice” campaign - the League’s long-standing tradition of addressing important social issues in North America and around the world.