Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

White netting at Verizon Center causes issues for some fans (Update)

DSC_0732

Last night there was something a little different for fans checking out the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center.

Instead of the usual black netting above the glass at each end of the ice, the netting was white causing the fans to look at the game through different colored lenses... er, fabric. Instead of peering through a dark foreground, fans were made to look at the game through white netting that helped the game look a bit hazy for some fans.

The change for the Capitals was a new one and one that didn’t exactly go over all that well with the spectators on all levels of Verizon Center watching the game. Stephen Whyno of The Washington Times gets the grumpy lowdown from some of the fans at last night’s game.

“The white netting is worse than the old black one, which I wasn’t a fan of,” said Weber Grandish, 36, of Arlington, who has season tickets in Section 115. “The view of the players on the ice is seriously like looking through a snow storm, which is quaint for the Winter Classic, but not for 41 home games. You can’t read players’ names on their jerseys.”

A few fans complained of headaches during the game because they had to watch part of the game through the new white netting.

“When looking through the net on the Section 117 side across the ice the new white netting on the other side of the arena distracts,” saidStephanie Stockman, 51, of Lanham. “By the end of the second period both of my eyes hurt.”


With such negative reviews from these fans and others in attendance, the change that was supposed to be a permanent one at the arena has come under fire. Luckily for Caps fans, owner Ted Leonsis is a guy in tune with what the fans are saying and he let it be known that the fans’ wishes and complaints won’t be ignored.

We will take a closer look at it ASAP. The plan was to improve the fan and TV experience. If we aren’t able to accomplish that goal, then we will return to the netting we used previously. Stay tuned.

White netting versus black netting is a strange battle here as most, if not all, arenas use the darker netting so as to better blend in with the background and have the ice and players stand out when looking through it. Using white netting helps the lights in the arena reflect off of it causing it to be more of a distraction if you allow it to be.

Yes, people fear change and this is the sort of change that can be initially shocking, but by taking a look at the photo provided to us by Stephanie Sutton of CapsInPics.com, what do you think of it? Is it visually disturbing for you or are some fans just being a bit too sensitive to something new?

(Photo: Stephanie Sutton of CapsInPictures.com)

UPDATE (5:05 p.m.): Mike Vogel from the Washington Capitals website reports that the old, black netting will be back in place for their next preseason game against Buffalo on Friday. The fans voices have been heard.