Washington Capitals kick off 50th anniversary celebrations

Flashback: The NHL team launched in 1974 and played in Landover, Maryland — now home to the Commanders — before moving to D.C. in the late '90s.

• They clinched the Stanley Cup in 2018 —the city's first professional sports title in 14 years.

The intrigue: The team could celebrate another big milestone this season. Alex Ovechkin is 42 goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky's 894-goal title for the most in NHL history.

The latest: There's a bunch planned for opening week as the Caps face off against the New Jersey Devils at Capital One Arena at 7pm on Saturday.

🎉 50 Fest (Thurs): The Caps 50th kickoff celebration at the arena features Capitals alumni and current stars, talks with hockey legends like "Keeper of the [Stanley] Cup" Phil Pritchard and a Third Eye Blind concert. It starts at 5pm.

• Tickets are $19.74 as a nod to their first year.

🏒 Alumni Game (Fri): Catch 70 alumni and current players — plus five local USA Warriors — in a free match at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex at 2pm.

🌟Rock the Red Carpet Home Opener (Sat): Fans can pre-game starting at 2:30pm outside the arena where there'll be a free block party with street hockey, face painting and tattoo and airbrush artists. Sportsbook and bar District E hosts happy hour. The team jumps on the red carpet starting at 3:45pm.

What's next: Special 50th programming and offers throughout the season, including themed "Era Nights," an anniversary-themed Capit-Ale Golden IPA from Devil's Backbone and more.