Caps debut postgame ceremony inspired by ‘Cobra Kai’

Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette watches from the bench during the second period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Capitals debut postgame ceremony inspired by ‘Cobra Kai’

Originally posted on Sportress of Blogitude
By Jason Rowan | Last updated 1/15/21

The Washington Capitals opened up their season Thursday night with a 6-4 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, and the team debuted a new postgame ceremony that fans of a certain hit Netflix series are bound to appreciate.

Back in the locker room after the win, first-year Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette introduced a ceremony inspired by “Cobra Kai,” a continuation of the original “Karate Kid” films.

The routine involves presenting headbands/bandanas to two players in recognition of the best offensive and defensive performances of the night.

T.J. Oshie got the nod and the “Cobra Kai” dojo bandana Thursday night for a one-goal, two-assist performance. Brenden Dillon received the “Miyagi Do” bandana for his standout work on defense.

The postgame ritual was shared by the Capitals on the team’s social media channels.

Pain does not exist in this dojo.#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/xONJnNyZVh
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 15, 2021

“I was off for a whole year, so I watched every show out there. Every series out there,” Laviolette said, explaining the inspiration behind the postgame ceremony. “The best series by far was ‘Cobra Kai.’ So I thought about it and got this bandana right here for the most offensive player of the game.”

Laviolette then tied the bandana around Oshie’s head. Next came Dillon’s moment in the spotlight.

“Then there’s Miyagi’s camp. That’s strike, first hard,” Laviolette said, pointing to Oshie’s headband. “Miyagi’s all about defense.”

Originally a web series on YouTube, “Cobra Kai” beat the odds and became a runaway hit. The show has since transitioned to Netflix and had its third season premiere on New Year’s Day.

The official Twitter account of “Cobra Kai” even caught wind of the Capitals’ new bit and reacted on Twitter.

!!!
— Cobra Kai (@CobraKaiSeries) January 15, 2021

The same can be said for “Cobra Kai” showrunner and co-creator Jon Hurwitz.

Some of us at @CobraKaiSeries have a new favorite hockey team. Much love to the @Capitals for awarding Cobra Kai and Miyagi Do headbands to their offensive and defensive players of the game. #GoodCoaching #CobraKai #Netflix https://t.co/io5UJiwkUl
— Jon Hurwitz (@jonhurwitz) January 15, 2021

The Capitals will look to make it two wins in a row — and another “Cobra Kai” ceremony — with the back end of consecutive games against the Sabres on Friday night.

This article first appeared on Sportress of Blogitude and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: