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Sat, July 12 2025 16 Tammuz 5785

Wednesday, February 1, 2023 • 10 Shevat 5783

6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

The B'nai Israel Men's Club's annual Sports Night takes place at 6:30 PM Wednesday, February 1, with "Smokin'" Al Koken, reporter for Washington Capitals games on NBC Sports Washington and serves as the host of Capitals Pregame Live and Capitals Postgame Live. He is also "the Rinkside Reporter” during the games. 

Koken, a graduate of American University, has been associated with the Capitals since the beginning, first covering them for United Press International and later as a team broadcaster, where he has been an analyst, on-ice reporter, play by play announcer and in-studio host. He's one of the few people who have been worked on Caps television broadcasts since they began.

Koken was there when Alex Ovechkin and the rest of the Capitals won their only Stanley Cup in 2018.

Before joining the Caps, he worked with such legendary broadcasters as Glenn Brenner and Warner Wolf. and hosted a talk show with John Thompson Jr., the famed Georgetown University basketball coach, on WTEM 980 AM. 

In fact, it was Brenner who gave him his nickname, when he was doing post-game interviews for WUSA Channel 9 after Washington football games. As Koken told the Washington Post, Brenner said, "Let's go back to RFK and throw it back to 'Smokin' Al Koken." The nickname stuck to this day.

Koken, who also announces college basketball games for NBC Sports Washington, previously worked as a play-by-play announcer for the Baltimore Orioles, and covered the Washington Bullets and Wizards.

Admission is free and we'll serve dinner along with a heaping portion of sports stories. Reservations are required. Please email Men's Club co-president Alan Isenberg by Monday, January 30, if you want to attend.

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