Photo by Graham Cullen One of the youth hockey teams dons Capitals jerseys at Skate Frederick during a recent practice. Purchase this photo

This year they can't keep them on the shelves.

"I've been here 15 years and we've never sold them this fast," said pro shop manager Brian Auge.

At the Shenk and Tittle sporting goods store in Frederick, there were only two blank Capitals jerseys left in the store last week. The Alex Ovechkin jerseys were long gone.

"They are selling like crazy. We can't keep them in the store," said Kyle Sartory, the store's assistant manager.

The Capitals are suddenly the hottest pro sports team in the area. They won the Southeast Conference title last year with a 43-31 record and lead their division with a 40-19 record this season.

They are not only winning, but in Alex Ovechkin -- last year's league MVP -- they have the most exciting player in the NHL.

People around Frederick are caught up in the excitement. It's not uncommon to see folks wearing Capitals jerseys, something that was not true a few years ago when the team was losing.

Auge said they stopped ordering hockey jerseys for several years because they didn't sell, but ordered six this year because the team was winning. They sold out in a week. He ordered 12 more and they went quickly, too.

"I would have sold another dozen if I had them," he said. "People were calling me from all over, even Pennsylvania, asking about jerseys."

He has ordered 15 more adult jerseys and plans to order 15 youth jerseys.

Shenk and Tittle is also selling a lot of Capitals shirts, which cost only $19.99 compared with $114 for a blank jersey.

"We are looking at getting in more stuff," said Sartory, who seemed to think they wouldn't stay on the shelves long.

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SYLVAIN CARDIN is the hockey director at Skate Frederick. He is a longtime Montreal Canadiens fan who has become a Capitals fan. He also coaches several teams in Frederick and notices and an increase in the number of Caps fans.

"The players always had their favorite teams, but usually they were the Red Wings or Penguins," he said. "This year, their favorite team is the Capitals because they are better."

Ovechkin is the favorite player and there are posters of him all over Skate Frederick.

"We have a shootout, everyone wants to be like Ovechkin," Cardin said. "It's what they needed -- not only to win, but to have a spectacular player. It makes everything more interesting."

He said the popularity of the Capitals has also helped business at Skate Frederick. Despite the economy, the local facility is doing well.

"I think the Caps are a big part of that," he said.

Local hockey people also have noticed a difference when they go to Capitals games. For one thing, the crowds are bigger. The team has sold out its last 11 games, a club record.

"I used to go to games and it was kind of nice because it wasn't crowded," Auge said. "Many times you would see more opposing fans. If they played the Penguins, the crowd would be about 50 percent Pittsburgh. Now it is 95 percent Capitals. It's good to see."

Cardin said there are some cities where hockey is an institution and the fans come no matter what. Washington is not such a city.

"Before, when I went to the Verizon Center, it was empty," he said. "Last week I went and it was packed. If you build it, they will come."

He feels the young players are especially drawn to Ovechkin.

"He does things with the puck that many people can't do," he said. "That's what people like, the spectacular part of the game."

Like the adults, the young hockey players at Skate Frederick have also been turned on by the Capitals.

"Hockey is becoming more popular," said 16-year-old Adam Taylor, one of several members of a Frederick Fury team that was getting ready to practice that night. "There are more fans at the games."

He has been two Caps games this year.

"This team has been winning a lot and people are starting to talk about them more," said 16-year-old Phillip Meese. "A lot of people are walking around with Ovechkin jerseys on. I've been to two games this year and everyone wears red and goes crazy."

Chris Turner, 16, has been to five games this season, the most ever for him. He didn't go to any last year.

"It used to be when I asked someone if they saw the Capitals game last night they said, 'Who are the Capitals?'" he said.

He also sees more youngsters wearing Caps jerseys to school.

"There is just way more interest. They are much more popular than before," said 15-year-old Sam Reiswig.

The Capitals also held clinics at four Frederick County schools as part of their Capitals Hockey School program. At a clinic at Monocacy Middle School, about 150 youngsters were there to hear from players Tomas Fleischmann and Milan Jurcina and assistant coach Dean Evason.

"The kids were excited, they had a good time," said Jim McNitt, a physical education teacher at the school who helped put the clinic together. "My biggest problem was that I had so many teachers who are big-time fans that wanted to go."

He said he has noticed more kids in school wearing hockey jerseys this year than before.

Turner said he expects more area fans to watch the Capitals as long as they continue to do well.

"It's a once-in-a lifetime chance to see great players," he said.