Capitals celebrate Stanley Cup win at Las Vegas Strip nightclub

The Washington Capitals picked a nightclub in the neighborhood of T-Mobile Arena for their Stanley Cub victory celebration.

The team rolled into Hakkasan Nightclub at MGM Grand late Thursday night and early this morning. Series MVP Alex Ovechkin, carrying the Stanley Cup, led the entourage to a pair of VIP tables in an event that club officials contend was hastily organized. The Caps had earlier defeated the Golden Knights 4-3 to win the first Cup in the franchise’s 44-year history.

“We did not plan for them coming in, as we were planning on winning Game 7 and having a Vegas Golden Knights celebration,” Hakkasan Director of Marketing Sal Wise said this morning. “We are honored that they choose Hakkasan Nightclub to celebrate their Stanley Cup victory. It was great time all around.”

The Caps arrived at 1 a.m., with Ovechkin carrying the Cup through the main lobby and casino floor, according to the Washington Post, and into the colossal, 80,000-square-foot nightspot.

The team spent about an hour in the club, following a party of friends and family at Mandarin Oriental, the team’s hotel (the team had 10 cases of Moet champagne delivered to that event).

Ovechkin waded to the DJ booth to join EDM star and Hakkasan resident headliner Tiesto, and led the crowd in a chant of “Let’s Go Caps!” Braden Holtby, T.J. Oshie, Jakub Vrana, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson, Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik were among the Caps players in the VIP party. Grey Goose vodka, Don Julio 1942 and several cases of beer were consumed by the newly crowned champions. The team reportedly left the club a little after 4 a.m.

As for the Golden Knights, a team rep said today only that a few of the players got together after the loss, but “it wasn’t a formal thing.” The team cleaned out their lockers this morning. No other details furnished, and there is no plan for the Knights to mark their season with a public event. The team was vanquished in five games of the Stanley Cup Final, but only after recording the greatest season ever for an expansion team in major professional sports.

I can watch videos like this all day. And I will. #ALLCAPS RT @dckerNBC4: CUP TOUR!
Ovechkin and team walking through the MGM@nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/iU85uXvFx3

— Phillip Smith (@pfsmith32) June 8, 2018

#StanleyCupChampions #WashingtonCapitals don’t wait to get home to party pic.twitter.com/NSf5vRfEBC #Ovechkin #Champagne #hockey

— Andrew McCreath (@forgefirst) June 8, 2018

Celebrating a Stanley Cup win in Vegas! This is how it's done! Congrats Ovie and the Caps! #Vegas #Ovechkin #Ovie #StanleyCup #StanleyCupFinals #ovi8 https://t.co/VvvnpEfg5x

— therealStar73 (@therealStar73) June 8, 2018

#ALLCaps #Ovechkin #SAVAGE https://t.co/4Oc5dHjwpC

— Jared Lundberg (@JLundberg84) June 8, 2018

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.