Who would have known that giving a nickname to a teammate would have such a big ripple effect? What began as Tom Wilson connecting Jakob Chyhrun‘s headband to a song last year has become a viral tradition among the Capitals this year. This has made this music star who made the song now the Washington Capitals’ newest fan. Who’s the fan you ask? None other than rapper and Academy Award winner Juicy J. And he just had his moment with the Capitals.

The Washington Capitals have clinched the top spot in the NHL’s Eastern Conference, setting them up to host playoff games at Capital One Arena, where the energy is already electric. But it’s not just their on-ice dominance—led by the legendary Alex Ovechkin—that’s turning heads. Their pregame ceremony of grooving to Juicy J’s Bandz A Make Her Dance has long made it out of the team tunnel, thanks to the increased media coverage brought in by Ovechkin’s ‘Gr8 Chase’ of Wayne Gretzky‘s goalscoring record. In fact, a clip of Ovechkin and Chychrun dancing to the song in a Massachusetts tavern on their night out with rookie forward Ryan Leonard as well went viral.

The Capitals didn’t just stop at singing and dancing. They invited Juicy J to their final home game of the regular season, turning a viral moment into a real-life celebration. Those clips, shared across social media, caught Juicy J’s attention and sparked a connection that’s now brought him into the Capitals’ fold.”And it’s amazing,” Juicy J shared while talking to a Washington Capitals reporter, recalling how he first saw the videos. “Like I was watching my timeline maybe like a month ago and it was, I was seeing this hockey team, the Capitals, I saw the Capitals just singing bands and everything.” At first, he couldn’t believe it.

“I thought somebody, I thought it was like an AI, you know, people take AI all the time and they put pitches with music, so I was like, ah, it’s somebody’s AI,” he further added. But the videos kept coming. “It kept going and kept going, I was like, hold up a second, what’s going on, like somebody likes my song, you know, like I feel like they brought the song back, you know, like they making it extra, even more, popular than it was five or six years ago.”

Both Project Pat and Juicy J sported the team-provided custom Capitals black Screaming Eagle jerseys they were given prior to Project Pat’s performance at Karma DC Live Music Venue in Northeast this weekend. “I’m so surprised, TikTok went crazy, like then people start calling me, hey man, it’s the hockey team Capitals, they love your music, hey man, the guy, they call the guy, the main player, the star of the team, I forget his name, yeah, they say he’s a Michael Jordan of hockey,” Juicy J said referring to Ovechkin. It was Ovechkin who initially started calling Chychrun by the nickname ‘Bandz’ after he went helmetless for warmup last year in October against the Dallas Stars.

And guess what? Juicy J and his brother Project Pat are not the only titans of the music industry who are fans of Alex Ovechkin and team. After the Russian broke Gretzky’s record, Lil Wayne took to X to congratulate him on making history. “Congrats to my mf brudda Alexander the Eight!Let’s go get the cup back now! Ovechtzky!!!!!” wrote the rapper, who also featured in Bandz A Make Her Dance.

Who knows? Juicy J and Lil Wayne might get to hear their song blasted a few times during the postseason as well…if Jakob Chychrun scores.

Jakob Chychrun debuts his new Washington Capitals goal song

In March 2025, Jakob Chychrun etched his name into Washington Capitals history by scoring his 20th goal of the season, a career-first milestone for the dynamic defenseman. The electrifying moment came at Capital One Arena, where the crowd erupted as Bandz A Make Her Dance blasted through the speakers, not once but twice, celebrating Chychrun’s remarkable achievement. The song, a playful nod to his flair on the ice, perfectly captured the jubilant atmosphere as fans roared in approval.

Capital One Arena erupted as Chychrun’s pair of goals debuted Juicy J’s Bandz A Make Her Dance as his new goal after scoring his 20th goal this season against the Buffalo Sabres during their 4-1 loss. The new track is a bold switch from “You Say” by Lauren Daigle, which has been electrifying fans and perfectly capturing Chychrun’s flair on the ice. Acquired to fortify Washington’s blue line, Chychrun has blended shutdown defense with a knack for clutch scoring. With his 20 goals this season, he has surpassed his previous career high of 18 goals in 2020-21 while being a part of the Arizona Coyotes. Following the first-period tally, Chychrun and Ovechkin both busted out the shimmy that traditionally precedes the pregame ritual as they headed to the bench for fist bumps.

Chychrun’s 20th goal marked him as just the ninth Capitals defenseman to reach this coveted milestone in a single season, and the first since Mike Green’s impressive 31-goal campaign in 2008-09. What’s more? Well, across NHL history, only 76 defensemen have ever achieved this feat. His performance, highlighted by a laser-sharp shot that beat the opposing goaltender, showcased the offensive prowess that has made him a standout in the league.

At 26, Chychrun’s 20-goal campaign signals his rise among the NHL’s elite defensemen. Though the loss stung, his performance shone brightly. As Washington gears up for the postseason, Chychrun’s dual-threat presence will be crucial. For now, the infectious beat of Bandz A Make Her Dance at Capital One Arena remains a vibrant memory of his historic night.