NHL's Capitals and NBA's Wizards are staying in Washington after Virginia arena deal collapses
The NBA's Washington Wizards and NHL's Washington Capitals are staying in the District of Columbia
By STEPHEN WHYNO, SARAH RANKIN and MATTHEW BARAKAT
Published - Mar 27, 2024, 10:11 PM ET
Last Updated - Mar 27, 2024, 10:11 PM EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — When Ted Leonsis told District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser late last year that the NBA's Washington Wizards and NHL's Washington Capitals he owns would probably be leaving Washington for Virginia, she told him no, they would not.
Ultimately, she proved to be right.
The teams are staying in the District for the long term after Gov. Glenn Youngkin's plan to lure them to Virginia imploded and the city and ownership reached an agreement on a $515 million, publicly funded arena project.
Bowser and Leonsis signed a letter of intent Wednesday for the deal, which keeps the teams in the District through 2050. They announced the development at a joint news conference at Capital One Arena, the teams' current home, minutes later.
