As the anniversary of the Capitals’ first-ever Stanley Cup approached, I wanted to do some kind of artwork or comic to reflect on what I consider one of the best summers of my life. I thought about all the biggest moments that came to mind when I looked back on June 7, 2018: sobbing face down on the living room carpet when the clock hit zero, staying up until 3 am with my mother watching all the festivities both in Vegas and in downtown DC, and all the congratulatory words from people I hadn’t heard from in years.

But one specific moment in my mind kept replaying over and over in my head: the banner raising on Opening Night and the conversation I had with a gentleman who sits to my right at Capital One Arena.

Comic

My family has been season-ticket holders with the Capitals for nearly 15 years, and we’ve been lucky enough to have, for the most part, the same group of folks sitting around us the whole time. And for YEARS, my seat neighbor and I would argue about the direction the team was going in, particularly about Ovi. He was convinced that as long as Ovi was on the team, the Caps would never find true success and that the Caps should just trade him.

Then what we all thought would possibly never happen, happened on June 7, 2018. And all the celebrations that followed.

When my seat neighbor arrived at his seat on Opening Night, literally the first thing he did before even sitting down, was look me in the eye and shake my hand. What he said has stuck with me since.

When you think back on the Capitals 2018 Stanley Cup Run, don’t just think about the goals and saves. Look back on the joy of the friends, family, and/or strangers around you, the happiness that echoed through the DC Area, and all those naysayers who on June 7, were very glad to be proven wrong.