Washington Capitals
Encyclopedia
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey
team based in Washington, D.C.
They are members of the Southeast Division
of the Eastern Conference
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals
, and captured seven division titles. In 1997, the team moved their home hockey rink from the suburban Capital Centre
to the new Verizon Center
in Washington's Chinatown neighborhood
. Former AOL
executive Ted Leonsis
has owned the team since 1999, and has revitalized the franchise by drafting star players such as Alexander Ovechkin
, Nicklas Backstrom
, Mike Green, and Alexander Semin
, and hiring head coach Bruce Boudreau
. The 2009–10 Capitals
won the franchise's first-ever Presidents' Trophy
for the team with the most points at the end of the regular season.
, the Capitals joined the National Hockey League as an expansion team
for the 1974–75 season. The team was owned by Abe Pollin
(also owner of the NBA
's Washington Bullets
until his death on November 24, 2009). Pollin had built the Capital Centre
in suburban Landover, Maryland
, to house both the Bullets (who formerly played in Baltimore
) and the Capitals. His first act as owner was to hire Hall of Famer
Milt Schmidt
as general manager.
With a combined 30 teams between the NHL and the World Hockey Association
(WHA), the available talent was stretched thin. The Capitals had few players with professional experience and were at a disadvantage against the long-standing teams that were stocked with veteran players. Like the other three teams who joined the league during the WHA era—the Scouts (now the New Jersey Devils
), Atlanta Flames
(now playing in Calgary
), and New York Islanders
—the Capitals did not factor the survival of the rival league into their plans.
The Capitals' inaugural season was dreadful, even by expansion standards. They finished 8–67–5, far and away the worst record in the league. Their 21 points were half that of their expansion brethren, the Scouts. The eight wins are the fewest for an NHL team playing at least 70 games, and the .131 winning percentage is still the worst in NHL history. They also set records for most road losses (39 out of 40), most consecutive road losses (37),and most consecutive losses (17). Coach Jim Anderson
said, "I'd rather find out my wife was cheating on me than keep losing like this. At least I could tell my wife to cut it out." Schmidt himself had to take over the coaching reins late in the season. (Only once in NHL history has another team even come close to matching this futility: the 1980-81 Winnipeg Jets finished with 9 wins and 57 losses, but a relatively impressive 14 ties.)
In 1975–76, Washington went 25 straight games without a win and allowed 394 goals en route to another horrendous record: 11–59–10 (32 points). During the middle of the season, Max McNab
was hired as GM, and Tom McVie
was hired as head coach to replace Schmidt. For the rest of the 1970s and early 1980s, the Capitals alternated between dreadful seasons and finishing only a few points out of the playoffs. In 1980 and 1981, for instance, they were in playoff contention until the last day of the season. The one bright spot during these years of futility was that many of McNab's draft picks (e.g. Rick Green
, Ryan Walter
, Mike Gartner
, Bengt Gustafsson
, Gaetan Duchesne
, Bobby Carpenter) would impact the team for years to come, whether as important members of the roster or crucial pieces to major trades. By the summer of 1982, there was serious talk of the team moving out of the U.S. capital, and a "Save the Caps" campaign was underway. Then two significant events took place to solve the problem.
as General Manager. Second, as his first move, Poile pulled off one of the biggest trades in franchise history on September 9, 1982, when he dealt longtime regulars Ryan Walter and Rick Green to the Montreal Canadiens
for Rod Langway
(named captain only a few weeks later), Brian Engblom
, Doug Jarvis
, and Craig Laughlin
. This move turned the franchise around, as Langway's solid defense helped the team to dramatically reduce its goals-against, and the explosive goal-scoring of Dennis Maruk
, Mike Gartner
, and Bobby Carpenter fueled the offensive attack. Another significant move was the drafting of defenseman Scott Stevens
during the 1982 NHL Entry Draft
(the pick was made by interim-GM Roger Crozier
, prior to Poile's hiring). The result was a 29-point jump, a third-place finish in the powerful Patrick Division
, and the team's first playoff appearance in 1983. Although they were eliminated by the three-time-defending (and eventual) Stanley Cup Champion New York Islanders
(three games to one), the Caps' dramatic turnaround ended any talk of the club leaving Washington.
The Capitals would make the playoffs for each of the next 14 years in a row. They became known for starting slow before catching fire in January and February. However, regular-season success did not carry into the playoffs. Despite a continuous march of stars like Gartner, Carpenter, Langway, Gustafsson, Mike Ridley
, Dave Christian
, Dino Ciccarelli
, Larry Murphy, and Kevin Hatcher
, Washington was knocked out in either the first or second round eight years in a row. In 1985–86, for instance, the Caps finished with 107 points and won 50 games for the first time in franchise history, good enough for the third-best record in the league. They defeated the Islanders in the first round but were eliminated in the second round by the New York Rangers
.
The next season brought even more heartbreak, with a loss to the Islanders in the Patrick Division Semifinal. This series was capped off by the classic Easter Epic
game, which ended at 1:56 am on Easter Sunday 1987. The Capitals had thoroughly dominated most of the game, outshooting the Islanders 75–52, but lost in overtime when goaltender Bob Mason
was beaten on a Pat LaFontaine
shot from the blue line. For the 1989 playoff push, Gartner and defenseman Larry Murphy were traded to the Minnesota North Stars
in exchange for Ciccarelli and defenseman Bob Rouse
, however the goaltending once again faltered and they were eliminated in the first round by the Philadelphia Flyers
. The Capitals finally made the Wales Conference Finals in 1990, but went down in a four-game sweep at the hands of the first-place Boston Bruins
.
52 goals led the team, veterans Dale Hunter
, Joe Juneau
and Adam Oates
returned to old form, and Olaf Kolzig
had a solid .920 save percentage as the Caps got past the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, and Buffalo Sabres (the latter on a dramatic overtime win in game six on a goal by Joe Juneau) en route to the team's first (and to date, only) Stanley Cup finals appearance. The Capitals won six overtime games, three in each of their series against the Bruins and Sabres. However, the team was outmatched by the defending champions, the Detroit Red Wings, who won in a four-game sweep.
That same season, Oates, Phil Housley
, and Hunter all scored their 1,000th career point, the only time in NHL history that one team had 3 different players reach that same milestone in a single season.
. The Capitals went on to win back-to-back Southeast Division titles in 2000 and 2001, yet both years lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Pittsburgh Penguins
. After the 2000–01 season, Adam Oates
demanded a trade but management refused and stripped him of his team captaincy.
In the summer of 2001, the Capitals landed five-time Art Ross Trophy
winner Jaromir Jagr
, by trading three young prospects to the Pittsburgh Penguins
. Jagr was signed to the largest contract ever in NHL history - $77 million over 7 years at an average salary of $11 million per year (over $134,000 per game), with an option for an eighth year. However, after Adam Oates was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers
, the Capitals failed to defend their division title and missed the playoffs in 2002
despite a winning record. Still, the 2001–2002 season marked the highest attendance in franchise history, drawing in 710,990 fans and 17,341 per game.
Before the 2002-03 season, the Caps made more roster changes, including the signing of highly regarded Robert Lang as a free agent, a linemate of Jagr's from Pittsburgh. Washington returned to the playoffs in 2003, but disappointed fans again by losing in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning after starting off with a two-game lead in the best-of-seven first-round series. The series is well-remembered for the three-overtime Game 6 at the then-MCI Center
, the longest game in the building's history, which was eventually decided by a power play goal by Tampa.
In the 2003–2004 season, the Caps unloaded some of their high-priced talent — not just a cost-cutting spree, but also an acknowledgment that their attempt to build a contender with high-priced veteran talent had failed. Jagr had never lived up to expectations during his time with the Capitals, failing to finish among the league's top scorers or make the postseason All-Star Team. The Caps tried to trade Jagr, but as only one year was left on the existing Collective Bargaining Agreement
before it expired, few teams were willing to risk $11 million on an underperforming player. In 2004, Jagr was finally sent to the New York Rangers
for Anson Carter
and an agreement that Washington would pay approximately four million dollars per year of Jagr's salary, with Jagr himself agreeing to defer (with interest) $1 million per year for the remainder of his contract to allow the trade to go ahead. This was quickly followed by Peter Bondra going to the Ottawa Senators
. Not long after, Robert Lang was sent to Detroit
and Gonchar to the Bruins
. The Robert Lang trade marked the first time in the history of the National Hockey League
that the league's leading scorer was traded in the middle of the season. The Capitals ended the year 23–46–10–6, tied for the second worst record, along with the Chicago Blackhawks
.
, the Capitals won the Draft Lottery, moving ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins who had the NHL's worst record, and selected Alexander Ovechkin
first overall. During the NHL labor dispute of 2004–05, which cost the NHL its entire season, Ovechkin stayed in Russia, playing for Moscow Dynamo
. Several other Capitals played part or all of the lost season in Europe
, including Olaf Kolzig
, Brendan Witt
, and Jeff Halpern
. The Capitals' 2005 off-season consisted of making D.C.-area native Halpern the team's captain, signing Andrew Cassels
, Ben Clymer
, Mathieu Biron
and Jamie Heward
, and acquiring Chris Clark and Jeff Friesen
via trade. In the current era of the Capitals, they have been a regular season powerhouse, but with consistent playoff disappointments they have failed to live up to the lofty standards expected of them.
The Capitals finished the 2005–06 NHL season in the cellar of the Southeastern Division again, with a 29–41–12 campaign, having 12 more points than the 2003–04 Season, good for 27th out of the 30 NHL teams. Yet the team played close in every game, playing in 42 one-goal games, although losing 2/3 of those games. Ovechkin's rookie season exceeded the hype, as he led all 2005–06 NHL rookies in goals, points, power-play goals and shots. He finished third overall in the NHL in scoring and tied for third in goals; and his 425 shots not only led the league, but also set an NHL rookie record and was the fourth-highest total in NHL history. Ovechkin's rookie point total was the second-best in Washington Capitals history, and his goal total was tied for third in franchise history. Ovechkin won the Calder Memorial Trophy
, beating out Pittsburgh center Sidney Crosby
and Calgary Flames
defenseman Dion Phaneuf
.
Many longtime Capitals had career years, with Dainius Zubrus
netting 57 points, Halpern having a career-best 33 assists, Matt Pettinger
putting in a career-best 20-goal, 38-point effort and seven others on the relatively young team topping 20 points for the first time. Two notable landmarks were also hit by Capitals, as the team's longest tenured Capital, Olaf Kolzig, won his 250th game in goal and Andrew Cassels
became the 204th player to play 1,000 games, although he did not finish out his season with the team. A notable first was that Washington
area native Jeff Halpern
was named captain of his hometown Capitals. At the 2006 trade deadline, March 8, Brendan Witt was traded to Nashville
.
In the 2006 offseason, Halpern left the Capitals to join the Dallas Stars
; Chris Clark became the Capitals' new captain. Richard Zednik
returned to the Capitals in 2006–07 after a disappointing 16-goal, 14-assist season in 2005–06 with Montreal, but was later dealt at the trade deadline to the New York Islanders after a disappointing and injury plagued season; the Caps also signed former Philadelphia Flyers
enforcer Donald Brashear
.
Yet the Capitals finished with the same point total (70) in 2006–2007 as they did the year before, although they won one less game. Alexander Ovechkin
was the Capitals' lone representative in the All-Star game. The year was also notable for the breakout of Alexander Semin
, who notched 38 goals in only his second NHL season.
The Capitals signed Swedish phenom Nicklas Backstrom
, the fourth overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft
, to three-year entry-level contract. They also signed 19-year-old Semyon Varlamov to a three-year entry-level contract. They then went on to fill needs at defense, by signing puck moving defenseman Tom Poti
, right wing, by signing Viktor Kozlov
, and center, by signing playmaker Michael Nylander
. Because of these signings there was much more hope for the 07–08 season and players were looking towards the playoffs.
After starting the season 6–14–1, the Capitals fired coach Glen Hanlon
and replaced him with Hershey Bears
coach Bruce Boudreau
on Thanksgiving Day, 2007. On January 10, 2008, the Capitals signed Ovechkin to a league-record $124 million contract extension; at 13 years, it also had the second-longest term of any contract in the NHL, after New York Islanders
goaltender Rick DiPietro
's 15-year contract.
Despite the Capitals' young defense and injuries to key players such as Michael Nylander and Brian Pothier
, Boudreau engineered a remarkable turnaround. Aided by key moves at the trade deadline (Matt Cooke
, Sergei Fedorov
and Cristobal Huet
), Ovechkin's league-leading 65 goals, and Mike Green's NHL defenseman leading 18 goals, the Capitals won the Southeast Division
title for the first time since the 2000–01 NHL season, edging out the Carolina Hurricanes for the division title on the final game of the season. Their remarkable end of season run included winning 11 of the final 12 regular season games. The Capitals became the first team in NHL history to make the playoffs after being ranked 14th or lower in their conference standings at the season's midpoint. The Capitals drew the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round, and managed to force a Game 7 after being down 3-1 in the series. They ultimately lost to the Flyers 3–2 in OT. After the season concluded, Boudreau's efforts were rewarded with a long term contract.
The accolades for the team continued to grow after the end of the season. Alex Ovechkin won the Art Ross Trophy
, the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, the Hart Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson Award
. Ovechkin became the first player in NHL history to win all four awards in the same season. He also was the first player to win an MVP award in any major sport in the Washington, DC area since Joe Theismann
won the NFL MVP in 1983. Moreover, he was named an NHL First Team All-Star and became the first player since 1953 to be named as such in each of his first three years in the NHL. Nicklas Backstrom was a finalist for the Calder Trophy, but ended up second to the Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane; however, Backstrom was still selected to the All-Star Rookie Team. Bruce Boudreau won the Jack Adams Award
for NHL best coach. Ovechkin and Mike Green were named to the Sporting News All-Star Team, with Ovechkin being the Sporting News Player of the Year.
The 2008-09 NHL season was highlighted by the play of Green (who was the third of the Capitals' 3 first-round selections in Ovechkin's draft year) and Ovechkin. Green led all NHL defensemen in goals and points. He set the record for the longest consecutive goal scoring streak by a defenseman with eight games. Ovechkin won his second Hart Trophy, his second Lester B. Pearson Award
and his second Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy. The Capitals finished the regular season with a record of 50-24-8 and a team record 108 points, and they won their second consecutive Southeast Division
championship. They defeated the New York Rangers
in the first round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs
4 games to 3, overcoming a 3-1 deficit. The Capitals were then defeated by the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins
in the Eastern Conference semi-finals in seven games.
The Capitals finished the 2009-10 NHL season regular season first in the league with 121 points and won the Presidents' Trophy
. Ovechkin lead the team in points with 109, and finished as the third highest goal scorer, despite playing 9 games fewer than the league leaders Sidney Crosby
and Henrik Sedin
. Backstrom finished with 101 points, fourth most in the NHL. Once again, Mike Green led all defensemen in points, finishing with 76. The Capitals also dominated the plus/minus category, finishing with 5 players in the top six. Despite having a top-ranked regular season, they were defeated by the 8th seeded Montreal Canadiens
in the first round of the playoffs.
The Capitals made a splash in the 2011 Free Agent Frenzy, signing Troy Brouwer
(a restricted free agent in a trade from Chicago
) and Roman Hamrlik
to two year deals, Joel Ward
to a four year deal and brought former captain Jeff Halpern
back with a one year deal on July 1. Tomas Vokoun
, the top free goaltender, signed with the club on July 2 to a one year contract. Christian Hanson
, son of Hanson brother David, joined the club on July 10.
The Capitals started the 2011–12 NHL season
with a record of 7-0, but they only won five of their next 15 games. As a result, General Manager George McPhee fired head coach Bruce Boudreau and hired Capitals legend Dale Hunter to replace him.
with crossed hockey sticks behind. The new logos were viewed as being unpopular with fans . Prior to the 2000-01 season, the team retired its blue road jersey in favor of the alternate black Capitol uniform, but still kept the white eagle jersey for home games.
The Capitals unveiled new uniforms on June 22, 2007 which coincided with the NHL Entry Draft
and the new league-wide adaptation of the Reebok-designed uniform system for 2007–08. The change marks a return to the red, white, and blue color scheme originally used from 1974 to 1995. The new primary logo is reminiscent of the original Capitals' logo, complete with a hockey stick formed by the letter "t"; it also includes a new feature the original logo didn't have: 3 stars representing Maryland
, Virginia
, and DC
. More simply, the stars are a reference to the flag of DC
, which is in turn based on the shield of George Washington's family coat of arms
. The new alternative logo uses a blue "W" and the silhouette of the United States Capitol building in the negative space below.
For the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic
, the Capitals wore a white jersey honoring its past with the original logo. The jersey resembled the one the franchise wore from 1974-1975 to 1994-1995. Instead of wearing the combination of blue pants and white helmets that the team used when it played at the Capital Centre
, the Caps chose red pants and helmets for the New Year's Day game. The Caps wore the same jersey, minus the NHL Winter Classic patch, on February 1, 2011 to honor Hockey Hall of Fame winger Dino Ciccarelli
.
Starting with the 2011-12 season, the Capitals have begun displaying players' numbers on the front of their helmets.
The Capitals announced on September 16, 2011 that it would wear a third jersey modeled after the Winter Classic jersey for 16 road games during the 2011-2012 season. The Caps will wear white helmets to go along with its red pants.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team based in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
They are members of the Southeast Division
Southeast Division (NHL)
The NHL's Southeast Division was formed in 1998 as part of the Eastern Conference due to expansion.The Southeast Division is the only one of the six divisions that does not have a precursor from the Wales/Campbell conference era ....
of the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals
1998 Stanley Cup Finals
- Detroit Red Wings - 1998 Stanley Cup Champions :- Stanley Cup engravings :* Wally Crossman was oldest person engraved on the Stanley Cup at age 87....
, and captured seven division titles. In 1997, the team moved their home hockey rink from the suburban Capital Centre
Capital Centre
The Capital Centre was an indoor arena located in Landover, Maryland, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland; a suburb of Washington, D.C. Completed in 1973, the arena sat 18,756 for basketball and 18,130 for hockey....
to the new Verizon Center
Verizon Center
Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...
in Washington's Chinatown neighborhood
Chinatown, Washington, D.C.
Chinatown in Washington, D.C., is a small, historic neighborhood east of downtown consisting of about 20 ethnic Chinese and other Asian restaurants and small businesses along H and I Streets between 5th and 8th Streets, Northwest. It is known for its annual Chinese New Year festival and parade and...
. Former AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
executive Ted Leonsis
Ted Leonsis
Theodore John Leonsis is an Internet pioneer, sports team owner, venture capital investor, filmmaker, author and philanthropist. His early new media company, Redgate Communications was acquired by America Online in 1994, and Leonsis became a senior AOL executive for the next 13 years...
has owned the team since 1999, and has revitalized the franchise by drafting star players such as Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
, Nicklas Backstrom
Nicklas Bäckström
Lars Nicklas Bäckström is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and an alternate captain for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League .-Early life:...
, Mike Green, and Alexander Semin
Alexander Semin
Alexander Valerievich Semin , also known by fans as The Great 28, The Other Alex, or most commonly known as Sasha, is a Russian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League ....
, and hiring head coach Bruce Boudreau
Bruce Boudreau
Bruce Allan Boudreau is a Canadian professional ice hockey head coach and current head coach of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . As a player, Boudreau played professionally for 20 seasons, logging 141 games in the NHL and 30 games in the World Hockey Association...
. The 2009–10 Capitals
2009–10 Washington Capitals season
The 2009–10 Washington Capitals season was the 36th season for the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League . The season started with the 2009 NHL Entry Draft on June 26–27, with the Capitals holding the 24th selection in the draft....
won the franchise's first-ever Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
for the team with the most points at the end of the regular season.
History
Along with the Kansas City ScoutsKansas City Scouts
The Kansas City Scouts was a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League from 1974–76. In 1976, the franchise relocated to Denver, Colorado and became the Colorado Rockies...
, the Capitals joined the National Hockey League as an expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
for the 1974–75 season. The team was owned by Abe Pollin
Abe Pollin
Abe Pollin was the owner of a number of professional sports teams including the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League , the Washington Mystics in the Women's National Basketball Association , and the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association...
(also owner of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Washington Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
until his death on November 24, 2009). Pollin had built the Capital Centre
Capital Centre
The Capital Centre was an indoor arena located in Landover, Maryland, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland; a suburb of Washington, D.C. Completed in 1973, the arena sat 18,756 for basketball and 18,130 for hockey....
in suburban Landover, Maryland
Landover, Maryland
Landover is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, within the census-designated place of Greater Landover. The Prince Georges County Sports and Learning Complex is in Landover...
, to house both the Bullets (who formerly played in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
) and the Capitals. His first act as owner was to hire Hall of Famer
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
Milt Schmidt
Milt Schmidt
Milton Conrad Schmidt is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre, coach and general manager, mostly for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.-Early years:...
as general manager.
With a combined 30 teams between the NHL and the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
(WHA), the available talent was stretched thin. The Capitals had few players with professional experience and were at a disadvantage against the long-standing teams that were stocked with veteran players. Like the other three teams who joined the league during the WHA era—the Scouts (now the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
), Atlanta Flames
Atlanta Flames
The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from 1972 to 1980. The team, a member of the National Hockey League , was relocated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the start of the 1980–81 NHL season and were re-named the Calgary Flames. The NHL returned to the...
(now playing in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
), and New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
—the Capitals did not factor the survival of the rival league into their plans.
The Capitals' inaugural season was dreadful, even by expansion standards. They finished 8–67–5, far and away the worst record in the league. Their 21 points were half that of their expansion brethren, the Scouts. The eight wins are the fewest for an NHL team playing at least 70 games, and the .131 winning percentage is still the worst in NHL history. They also set records for most road losses (39 out of 40), most consecutive road losses (37),and most consecutive losses (17). Coach Jim Anderson
Jim Anderson (ice hockey)
James William Anderson was a Canadian professional ice hockey and head coach. He is perhaps most notable for being the first head coach of the Washington Capitals...
said, "I'd rather find out my wife was cheating on me than keep losing like this. At least I could tell my wife to cut it out." Schmidt himself had to take over the coaching reins late in the season. (Only once in NHL history has another team even come close to matching this futility: the 1980-81 Winnipeg Jets finished with 9 wins and 57 losses, but a relatively impressive 14 ties.)
In 1975–76, Washington went 25 straight games without a win and allowed 394 goals en route to another horrendous record: 11–59–10 (32 points). During the middle of the season, Max McNab
Max McNab
Maxwell Douglas McNab was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and NHL general manager. He was born in Watson, Saskatchewan...
was hired as GM, and Tom McVie
Tom McVie
Tom McVie was a coach in the National Hockey League. He coached the Washington Capitals from the 1975–76 season to the middle of the 1978–79 season. He moved to the Winnipeg Jets, then in the World Hockey Association, and coached the team with Bill Sutherland in its first two NHL seasons, 1979–80...
was hired as head coach to replace Schmidt. For the rest of the 1970s and early 1980s, the Capitals alternated between dreadful seasons and finishing only a few points out of the playoffs. In 1980 and 1981, for instance, they were in playoff contention until the last day of the season. The one bright spot during these years of futility was that many of McNab's draft picks (e.g. Rick Green
Rick Green (ice hockey)
Richard Douglas Green is a former ice hockey defenceman.Green was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft, First Overall. He was also drafted by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1976 WHA Amateur Draft, First Round, Tenth Overall...
, Ryan Walter
Ryan Walter
Ryan William Walter is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League...
, Mike Gartner
Mike Gartner
Michael Alfred Gartner is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Phoenix Coyotes...
, Bengt Gustafsson
Bengt-Åke Gustafsson
Bengt-Åke Gustafsson is a retired Swedish ice hockey player. Gustafsson is a former head coach of the Sweden men's national ice hockey team, a post he held from February 2005 to May 2010. During his American career he was often called Bengt Gustafsson or Gus.Gustafsson spent nine seasons in the...
, Gaetan Duchesne
Gaetan Duchesne
Gaétan Duchesne was a professional Canadian ice hockey player. Born in Quebec City, Quebec, Duchesne was drafted in 1981 by the Washington Capitals. He played six seasons with the Capitals before he was dealt to the Quebec Nordiques in the trade that sent Dale Hunter to the Capitals...
, Bobby Carpenter) would impact the team for years to come, whether as important members of the roster or crucial pieces to major trades. By the summer of 1982, there was serious talk of the team moving out of the U.S. capital, and a "Save the Caps" campaign was underway. Then two significant events took place to solve the problem.
Playoffs
First, the team hired David PoileDavid Poile
David Poile is the Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations and General Manager of the NHL's Nashville Predators....
as General Manager. Second, as his first move, Poile pulled off one of the biggest trades in franchise history on September 9, 1982, when he dealt longtime regulars Ryan Walter and Rick Green to the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
for Rod Langway
Rod Langway
Rod Cory Langway is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League and Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association...
(named captain only a few weeks later), Brian Engblom
Brian Engblom
Brian Paul Engblom is an ice hockey broadcaster and retired Canadian professional hockey defenseman.-Biography:...
, Doug Jarvis
Doug Jarvis
Douglas M. Jarvis is a former Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals and Hartford Whalers in the National Hockey League. He currently serves as an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:Doug...
, and Craig Laughlin
Craig Laughlin
Craig Alan Laughlin is a retired Canadian ice hockey right wing and color analyst for the Washington Capitals on CSN Washington.Laughlin was drafted in 1977 by the Montreal Canadiens...
. This move turned the franchise around, as Langway's solid defense helped the team to dramatically reduce its goals-against, and the explosive goal-scoring of Dennis Maruk
Dennis Maruk
Dennis John Maruk is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1975 to 1989, scoring a career high 60 goals for the Washington Capitals in 1981–82.-Career:...
, Mike Gartner
Mike Gartner
Michael Alfred Gartner is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Phoenix Coyotes...
, and Bobby Carpenter fueled the offensive attack. Another significant move was the drafting of defenseman Scott Stevens
Scott Stevens
Ronald Scott Stevens is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. Stevens played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, and the New Jersey Devils...
during the 1982 NHL Entry Draft
1982 NHL Entry Draft
The 1982 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1981–82 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players...
(the pick was made by interim-GM Roger Crozier
Roger Crozier
Roger Allan Crozier was a Canadian professional hockey goaltender who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals....
, prior to Poile's hiring). The result was a 29-point jump, a third-place finish in the powerful Patrick Division
Patrick Division
The Patrick Division of the National Hockey League was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division moved to the Prince of Wales Conference in 1981. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Lester Patrick...
, and the team's first playoff appearance in 1983. Although they were eliminated by the three-time-defending (and eventual) Stanley Cup Champion New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
(three games to one), the Caps' dramatic turnaround ended any talk of the club leaving Washington.
The Capitals would make the playoffs for each of the next 14 years in a row. They became known for starting slow before catching fire in January and February. However, regular-season success did not carry into the playoffs. Despite a continuous march of stars like Gartner, Carpenter, Langway, Gustafsson, Mike Ridley
Mike Ridley
Michael Owen Guy Ridley is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played in the NHL for 12 seasons from 1985 until 1997....
, Dave Christian
Dave Christian
David William Christian is a retired American professional ice hockey forward, who comes from a family of hockey players. His father Bill and uncle Roger were members of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team that won the gold medal. Another uncle, Gordon, was a member of the 1956 U.S. Olympic Hockey...
, Dino Ciccarelli
Dino Ciccarelli
.Dino Ciccarelli is a Canadian former professional hockey player who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, primarily with the Minnesota North Stars. He scored 1,200 points in his NHL career. His 608 career NHL goals are also the most goals scored by a draft-eligible player who was not...
, Larry Murphy, and Kevin Hatcher
Kevin Hatcher
Kevin John Hatcher is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the NHL for 17 seasons between 1984 and 2001 for the Washington Capitals, Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes...
, Washington was knocked out in either the first or second round eight years in a row. In 1985–86, for instance, the Caps finished with 107 points and won 50 games for the first time in franchise history, good enough for the third-best record in the league. They defeated the Islanders in the first round but were eliminated in the second round by the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
.
The next season brought even more heartbreak, with a loss to the Islanders in the Patrick Division Semifinal. This series was capped off by the classic Easter Epic
Easter Epic
The Easter Epic is the nickname given to a National Hockey League Stanley Cup Playoff game between the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals, played April 18–19, 1987, at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. It is so named because the game started on Saturday evening but did not finish...
game, which ended at 1:56 am on Easter Sunday 1987. The Capitals had thoroughly dominated most of the game, outshooting the Islanders 75–52, but lost in overtime when goaltender Bob Mason
Bob Mason
Robert Thomas Mason is a retired American ice hockey goaltender.A member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team, Mason's professional career began when he was signed as a free agent by the Washington Capitals. He had two stints with the Capitals...
was beaten on a Pat LaFontaine
Pat LaFontaine
Patrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York...
shot from the blue line. For the 1989 playoff push, Gartner and defenseman Larry Murphy were traded to the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
in exchange for Ciccarelli and defenseman Bob Rouse
Bob Rouse
-Playing career:A prototypical stay-at-home defenceman, Rouse was drafted in 1982 by the Minnesota North Stars. After playing parts of six season with the North Stars, Rouse was traded to the Washington Capitals at the trade deadline of the 1988–89 NHL season in the deal that also sent Dino...
, however the goaltending once again faltered and they were eliminated in the first round by the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. The Capitals finally made the Wales Conference Finals in 1990, but went down in a four-game sweep at the hands of the first-place Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
.
Eastern Conference champions
Then in 1998, Peter Bondra'sPeter Bondra
Peter Bondra is a former Slovak professional ice hockey player. He was the general manager of the Slovak national team from 2007 to 2011...
52 goals led the team, veterans Dale Hunter
Dale Hunter
Dale Robert Hunter is a former professional ice hockey player and current head coach of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League.-NHL career:...
, Joe Juneau
Joé Juneau
Joé Juneau is a retired Canadian professional hockey player and engineer, born in Pont-Rouge, Quebec. He played in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators, Phoenix Coyotes and the Montreal Canadiens.-Playing career:Originally drafted...
and Adam Oates
Adam Oates
Adam Oates is a retired professional ice hockey and lacrosse player and is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils.-Playing career:Oates' break came when Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offered him a scholarship...
returned to old form, and Olaf Kolzig
Olaf Kölzig
Olaf Kölzig is a retired German professional ice hockey goaltender and associate goalie coach for the Washington Capitals. With the exception of 8 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he played his entire 14 year career with the Capitals...
had a solid .920 save percentage as the Caps got past the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, and Buffalo Sabres (the latter on a dramatic overtime win in game six on a goal by Joe Juneau) en route to the team's first (and to date, only) Stanley Cup finals appearance. The Capitals won six overtime games, three in each of their series against the Bruins and Sabres. However, the team was outmatched by the defending champions, the Detroit Red Wings, who won in a four-game sweep.
That same season, Oates, Phil Housley
Phil Housley
Phillip Francis Housley is a former American ice hockey player who played for the Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, and Toronto Maple Leafs...
, and Hunter all scored their 1,000th career point, the only time in NHL history that one team had 3 different players reach that same milestone in a single season.
Disappointments and rebuilding
In 1999, The team was sold to a group headed by AOL executive Ted LeonsisTed Leonsis
Theodore John Leonsis is an Internet pioneer, sports team owner, venture capital investor, filmmaker, author and philanthropist. His early new media company, Redgate Communications was acquired by America Online in 1994, and Leonsis became a senior AOL executive for the next 13 years...
. The Capitals went on to win back-to-back Southeast Division titles in 2000 and 2001, yet both years lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. After the 2000–01 season, Adam Oates
Adam Oates
Adam Oates is a retired professional ice hockey and lacrosse player and is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils.-Playing career:Oates' break came when Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offered him a scholarship...
demanded a trade but management refused and stripped him of his team captaincy.
Art Ross Trophy
The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...
winner Jaromir Jagr
Jaromir Jagr
Jaromír Jágr is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Jágr formerly played with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers, serving as captain of the Penguins and the Rangers...
, by trading three young prospects to the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. Jagr was signed to the largest contract ever in NHL history - $77 million over 7 years at an average salary of $11 million per year (over $134,000 per game), with an option for an eighth year. However, after Adam Oates was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, the Capitals failed to defend their division title and missed the playoffs in 2002
2002 in sports
2002 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Stephan Eberharter, Austria** Women's overall season champion: Michaela Dorfmeister, Austria-American football:...
despite a winning record. Still, the 2001–2002 season marked the highest attendance in franchise history, drawing in 710,990 fans and 17,341 per game.
Before the 2002-03 season, the Caps made more roster changes, including the signing of highly regarded Robert Lang as a free agent, a linemate of Jagr's from Pittsburgh. Washington returned to the playoffs in 2003, but disappointed fans again by losing in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning after starting off with a two-game lead in the best-of-seven first-round series. The series is well-remembered for the three-overtime Game 6 at the then-MCI Center
Verizon Center
Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...
, the longest game in the building's history, which was eventually decided by a power play goal by Tampa.
In the 2003–2004 season, the Caps unloaded some of their high-priced talent — not just a cost-cutting spree, but also an acknowledgment that their attempt to build a contender with high-priced veteran talent had failed. Jagr had never lived up to expectations during his time with the Capitals, failing to finish among the league's top scorers or make the postseason All-Star Team. The Caps tried to trade Jagr, but as only one year was left on the existing Collective Bargaining Agreement
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
before it expired, few teams were willing to risk $11 million on an underperforming player. In 2004, Jagr was finally sent to the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
for Anson Carter
Anson Carter
Anson Carter is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger of Barbadian descent who last played for HC Lugano in the Swiss Nationalliga A. In the past, he has played for eight different National Hockey League teams, most notably with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver...
and an agreement that Washington would pay approximately four million dollars per year of Jagr's salary, with Jagr himself agreeing to defer (with interest) $1 million per year for the remainder of his contract to allow the trade to go ahead. This was quickly followed by Peter Bondra going to the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Not long after, Robert Lang was sent to Detroit
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
and Gonchar to the Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
. The Robert Lang trade marked the first time in the history of the National Hockey League
History of the National Hockey League
The history of the National Hockey League begins with the end of its predecessor league, the National Hockey Association , in 1917. After unsuccessfully resolving disputes with Eddie Livingstone, owner of the Toronto Blueshirts, executives of the three other NHA franchises suspended the NHA, and...
that the league's leading scorer was traded in the middle of the season. The Capitals ended the year 23–46–10–6, tied for the second worst record, along with the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
.
Alexander Ovechkin era (2004 - present)
In the 2004 NHL Entry Draft2004 NHL Entry Draft
The 2004 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is especially notable because it was the last NHL event to take place before the beginning of the lockout which canceled all the games scheduled for the 2004–05 NHL season.- Selections by round :Listed...
, the Capitals won the Draft Lottery, moving ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins who had the NHL's worst record, and selected Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
first overall. During the NHL labor dispute of 2004–05, which cost the NHL its entire season, Ovechkin stayed in Russia, playing for Moscow Dynamo
HC Dynamo Moscow
HC Dynamo Moscow was a Russian professional ice hockey club based in Moscow. They were members of the Bobrov Division in the Kontinental Hockey League...
. Several other Capitals played part or all of the lost season in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, including Olaf Kolzig
Olaf Kölzig
Olaf Kölzig is a retired German professional ice hockey goaltender and associate goalie coach for the Washington Capitals. With the exception of 8 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he played his entire 14 year career with the Capitals...
, Brendan Witt
Brendan Witt
Brendan Witt is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He most recently played for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League, affiliate of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League ....
, and Jeff Halpern
Jeff Halpern
Jeffrey C. Halpern is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Washington Capitals.-Playing career:...
. The Capitals' 2005 off-season consisted of making D.C.-area native Halpern the team's captain, signing Andrew Cassels
Andrew Cassels
Andrew Cassels is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played sixteen seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Hartford Whalers, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals...
, Ben Clymer
Ben Clymer
Benjamin Andrew Clymer is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the National Hockey League with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals.-Playing career:...
, Mathieu Biron
Mathieu Biron
Mathieu Biron is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He currently plays Defence for the Hamburg Freezers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.-Playing career:...
and Jamie Heward
Jamie Heward
James Heward is a professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, and acquiring Chris Clark and Jeff Friesen
Jeff Friesen
Jeff Daryl Friesen is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently a Free Agent. He most recently played with Eisbären Berlin of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.-Playing career:...
via trade. In the current era of the Capitals, they have been a regular season powerhouse, but with consistent playoff disappointments they have failed to live up to the lofty standards expected of them.
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
, beating out Pittsburgh center Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby
Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . Crosby was drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League...
and Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
defenseman Dion Phaneuf
Dion Phaneuf
Dion Phaneuf is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League...
.
Many longtime Capitals had career years, with Dainius Zubrus
Dainius Zubrus
Dainius Gintas Zubrus is a Lithuanian professional ice hockey right winger and center currently playing for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League...
netting 57 points, Halpern having a career-best 33 assists, Matt Pettinger
Matt Pettinger
Matthew Pettinger is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who is currently playing for Kölner Haie of the German Deutsche Eishockey Liga . He has previously played in the National Hockey League with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks and the Washington Capitals...
putting in a career-best 20-goal, 38-point effort and seven others on the relatively young team topping 20 points for the first time. Two notable landmarks were also hit by Capitals, as the team's longest tenured Capital, Olaf Kolzig, won his 250th game in goal and Andrew Cassels
Andrew Cassels
Andrew Cassels is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played sixteen seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Hartford Whalers, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals...
became the 204th player to play 1,000 games, although he did not finish out his season with the team. A notable first was that Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area native Jeff Halpern
Jeff Halpern
Jeffrey C. Halpern is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Washington Capitals.-Playing career:...
was named captain of his hometown Capitals. At the 2006 trade deadline, March 8, Brendan Witt was traded to Nashville
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
In the 2006 offseason, Halpern left the Capitals to join the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
; Chris Clark became the Capitals' new captain. Richard Zednik
Richard Zednik
Richard Zedník is a Slovak professional hockey winger, currently without a contract. He has played in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, and Florida Panthers....
returned to the Capitals in 2006–07 after a disappointing 16-goal, 14-assist season in 2005–06 with Montreal, but was later dealt at the trade deadline to the New York Islanders after a disappointing and injury plagued season; the Caps also signed former Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
enforcer Donald Brashear
Donald Brashear
Donald Brashear is an American-Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who is currently a member of the Rivière-du-Loup CIMT in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey . He previously played for five organizations in the National Hockey League . His main role is that of an enforcer. He was...
.
Yet the Capitals finished with the same point total (70) in 2006–2007 as they did the year before, although they won one less game. Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
was the Capitals' lone representative in the All-Star game. The year was also notable for the breakout of Alexander Semin
Alexander Semin
Alexander Valerievich Semin , also known by fans as The Great 28, The Other Alex, or most commonly known as Sasha, is a Russian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League ....
, who notched 38 goals in only his second NHL season.
The Capitals signed Swedish phenom Nicklas Backstrom
Nicklas Bäckström
Lars Nicklas Bäckström is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and an alternate captain for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League .-Early life:...
, the fourth overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft
2006 NHL Entry Draft
The 2006 NHL Entry Draft was the 44th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on June 24, 2006.The draft order for the first 14 picks was decided during a lottery held on April 20, 2006....
, to three-year entry-level contract. They also signed 19-year-old Semyon Varlamov to a three-year entry-level contract. They then went on to fill needs at defense, by signing puck moving defenseman Tom Poti
Tom Poti
Thomas Emilio Poti is an ice hockey defenseman and an alternate captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League. He attended Saint Peter-Marian High School for two years. A graduate of the Cushing Academy, Poti moved on to play for Boston University of Hockey East...
, right wing, by signing Viktor Kozlov
Viktor Kozlov
Viktor Nikolayevich Kozlov is a Russian professional ice hockey player currently playing for Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, and center, by signing playmaker Michael Nylander
Michael Nylander
Michael Nylander is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre who is currently a free agent.- Playing career :Nylander was drafted by the Hartford Whalers in the third round in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft...
. Because of these signings there was much more hope for the 07–08 season and players were looking towards the playoffs.
After starting the season 6–14–1, the Capitals fired coach Glen Hanlon
Glen Hanlon
Glen A. Hanlon is a retired Canadian National Hockey League goaltender and a former head coach of the Washington Capitals of the NHL, Dynamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League , and the Belarusian national ice hockey team. He was a goaltender scout for the Vancouver Canucks...
and replaced him with Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...
coach Bruce Boudreau
Bruce Boudreau
Bruce Allan Boudreau is a Canadian professional ice hockey head coach and current head coach of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . As a player, Boudreau played professionally for 20 seasons, logging 141 games in the NHL and 30 games in the World Hockey Association...
on Thanksgiving Day, 2007. On January 10, 2008, the Capitals signed Ovechkin to a league-record $124 million contract extension; at 13 years, it also had the second-longest term of any contract in the NHL, after New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
goaltender Rick DiPietro
Rick DiPietro
Rick DiPietro, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League . He was the first overall selection by the Islanders in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft....
's 15-year contract.
Despite the Capitals' young defense and injuries to key players such as Michael Nylander and Brian Pothier
Brian Pothier
Brian Pothier is an American professional ice hockey player. Pothier played in the National Hockey League from 2000 until 2010. He is currently playing in the Swiss National League for Geneve Servette.-Playing career:...
, Boudreau engineered a remarkable turnaround. Aided by key moves at the trade deadline (Matt Cooke
Matt Cooke
Matthew David Cooke is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. His playing style has earned him a reputation of being a "pest" and he is known for his ability to aggravate opponents...
, Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Viktorovich Fedorov is a Russian professional ice hockey forward and occasional defenceman...
and Cristobal Huet
Cristobal Huet
Cristobal Huet is a French professional ice hockey goaltender playing for Fribourg-Gottéron of the Swiss National League A, on loan from the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League. He developed his goaltending skills in Grenoble with Les Brûleurs de Loups. He has also played with the...
), Ovechkin's league-leading 65 goals, and Mike Green's NHL defenseman leading 18 goals, the Capitals won the Southeast Division
Southeast Division (NHL)
The NHL's Southeast Division was formed in 1998 as part of the Eastern Conference due to expansion.The Southeast Division is the only one of the six divisions that does not have a precursor from the Wales/Campbell conference era ....
title for the first time since the 2000–01 NHL season, edging out the Carolina Hurricanes for the division title on the final game of the season. Their remarkable end of season run included winning 11 of the final 12 regular season games. The Capitals became the first team in NHL history to make the playoffs after being ranked 14th or lower in their conference standings at the season's midpoint. The Capitals drew the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round, and managed to force a Game 7 after being down 3-1 in the series. They ultimately lost to the Flyers 3–2 in OT. After the season concluded, Boudreau's efforts were rewarded with a long term contract.
The accolades for the team continued to grow after the end of the season. Alex Ovechkin won the Art Ross Trophy
Art Ross Trophy
The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...
, the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, the Hart Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson Award
Lester B. Pearson Award
The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association. It has been awarded 40 times to 23 different players since its beginnings...
. Ovechkin became the first player in NHL history to win all four awards in the same season. He also was the first player to win an MVP award in any major sport in the Washington, DC area since Joe Theismann
Joe Theismann
Joseph Robert "Joe" Theismann is a former quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League . He achieved his most enduring fame in his 12 seasons playing for the Washington Redskins, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and quarterback of the winning team in Super Bowl XVII...
won the NFL MVP in 1983. Moreover, he was named an NHL First Team All-Star and became the first player since 1953 to be named as such in each of his first three years in the NHL. Nicklas Backstrom was a finalist for the Calder Trophy, but ended up second to the Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane; however, Backstrom was still selected to the All-Star Rookie Team. Bruce Boudreau won the Jack Adams Award
Jack Adams Award
The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...
for NHL best coach. Ovechkin and Mike Green were named to the Sporting News All-Star Team, with Ovechkin being the Sporting News Player of the Year.
The 2008-09 NHL season was highlighted by the play of Green (who was the third of the Capitals' 3 first-round selections in Ovechkin's draft year) and Ovechkin. Green led all NHL defensemen in goals and points. He set the record for the longest consecutive goal scoring streak by a defenseman with eight games. Ovechkin won his second Hart Trophy, his second Lester B. Pearson Award
Lester B. Pearson Award
The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association. It has been awarded 40 times to 23 different players since its beginnings...
and his second Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy. The Capitals finished the regular season with a record of 50-24-8 and a team record 108 points, and they won their second consecutive Southeast Division
Southeast Division (NHL)
The NHL's Southeast Division was formed in 1998 as part of the Eastern Conference due to expansion.The Southeast Division is the only one of the six divisions that does not have a precursor from the Wales/Campbell conference era ....
championship. They defeated the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
in the first round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs
2009 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 15, 2009, after the 2008–09 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference , play a best-of-seven series for the conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and...
4 games to 3, overcoming a 3-1 deficit. The Capitals were then defeated by the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
in the Eastern Conference semi-finals in seven games.
The Capitals finished the 2009-10 NHL season regular season first in the league with 121 points and won the Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
. Ovechkin lead the team in points with 109, and finished as the third highest goal scorer, despite playing 9 games fewer than the league leaders Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby
Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . Crosby was drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League...
and Henrik Sedin
Henrik Sedin
Henrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . His identical twin brother Daniel also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one...
. Backstrom finished with 101 points, fourth most in the NHL. Once again, Mike Green led all defensemen in points, finishing with 76. The Capitals also dominated the plus/minus category, finishing with 5 players in the top six. Despite having a top-ranked regular season, they were defeated by the 8th seeded Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
in the first round of the playoffs.
The Capitals made a splash in the 2011 Free Agent Frenzy, signing Troy Brouwer
Troy Brouwer
Troy Brouwer is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
(a restricted free agent in a trade from Chicago
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
) and Roman Hamrlik
Roman Hamrlík
Roman Hamrlík is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
to two year deals, Joel Ward
Joel Ward (ice hockey)
Joel Ward is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League .-Early life:...
to a four year deal and brought former captain Jeff Halpern
Jeff Halpern
Jeffrey C. Halpern is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Washington Capitals.-Playing career:...
back with a one year deal on July 1. Tomas Vokoun
Tomas Vokoun
Tomáš Vokoun is a Czech professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, the top free goaltender, signed with the club on July 2 to a one year contract. Christian Hanson
Christian Hanson (ice hockey)
Christian David Hanson is an American professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Washington Capitals. Prior to playing for the Capitals, Hanson played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and in the American Hockey League for the Toronto Marlies. He played amateur hockey for the University...
, son of Hanson brother David, joined the club on July 10.
The Capitals started the 2011–12 NHL season
2011–12 NHL season
The 2011–12 NHL season is the 95th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It is the fifth consecutive season that opens in Europe with NHL Premiere games. As with the previous season, three events are scheduled: two games will be held in Stockholm, Sweden; one game in Helsinki,...
with a record of 7-0, but they only won five of their next 15 games. As a result, General Manager George McPhee fired head coach Bruce Boudreau and hired Capitals legend Dale Hunter to replace him.
Recent seasons
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses/SOL = Shootout Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2006–07 | 82 | 28 | 40 | 14 | 70 | 235 | 286 | 5th, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 2007–08 | 82 | 43 | 31 | 8 | 94 | 242 | 231 | 1st, Southeast | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Flyers) |
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
82 | 50 | 24 | 8 | 108 | 272 | 245 | 1st, Southeast | Lost in Conference Semifinals, 3-4 (Penguins) |
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
82 | 54 | 15 | 13 | 121 | 318 | 233 | 1st, Southeast | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Canadiens) |
| 2010-11 | 82 | 48 | 23 | 11 | 107 | 224 | 197 | 1st, Southeast | Lost in Conference Semifinals, 0-4 (Lightning Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the... ) |
Team colors
Prior to the start of the 1995–96 season, in an attempt to modernize the look and improve merchandise sales, the team abandoned its original logo and color scheme in favor of a blue, black and bronze palette with an American bald eagle with five stars as its logo. The alternate logo depicted the CapitolUnited States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
with crossed hockey sticks behind. The new logos were viewed as being unpopular with fans . Prior to the 2000-01 season, the team retired its blue road jersey in favor of the alternate black Capitol uniform, but still kept the white eagle jersey for home games.
The Capitals unveiled new uniforms on June 22, 2007 which coincided with the NHL Entry Draft
2007 NHL Entry Draft
The 2007 NHL Entry Draft was the 45th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted at Nationwide Arena in the city of Columbus, Ohio, United States on June 22, 2007. The draft consisted of seven rounds with rounds two through seven taking place on June 23, 2007...
and the new league-wide adaptation of the Reebok-designed uniform system for 2007–08. The change marks a return to the red, white, and blue color scheme originally used from 1974 to 1995. The new primary logo is reminiscent of the original Capitals' logo, complete with a hockey stick formed by the letter "t"; it also includes a new feature the original logo didn't have: 3 stars representing Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and DC
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. More simply, the stars are a reference to the flag of DC
Flag of Washington, D.C.
The flag of the District of Columbia, USA, consists of three red stars above two red bars on a white background. It is based on the design of the coat of arms of George Washington, first used to identify the family in the twelfth century, when one of George Washington's ancestors took possession of...
, which is in turn based on the shield of George Washington's family coat of arms
Coat of arms of George Washington
The coat of arms of George Washington, President of the United States of America from 1789 to 1797, were first used to identify the family in the twelfth century, when one of George Washington's ancestors took possession of Washington Old Hall, then in County Durham, in North East England.The...
. The new alternative logo uses a blue "W" and the silhouette of the United States Capitol building in the negative space below.
For the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic
NHL Winter Classic
The NHL Winter Classic is an annual event held by the National Hockey League on New Year's Day where regular-season games are played outdoors, in areas hosted by NHL teams. Though largely derived from the Heritage Classic outdoor game held in Edmonton in 2003, the Winter Classic has so far only...
, the Capitals wore a white jersey honoring its past with the original logo. The jersey resembled the one the franchise wore from 1974-1975 to 1994-1995. Instead of wearing the combination of blue pants and white helmets that the team used when it played at the Capital Centre
Capital Centre
The Capital Centre was an indoor arena located in Landover, Maryland, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland; a suburb of Washington, D.C. Completed in 1973, the arena sat 18,756 for basketball and 18,130 for hockey....
, the Caps chose red pants and helmets for the New Year's Day game. The Caps wore the same jersey, minus the NHL Winter Classic patch, on February 1, 2011 to honor Hockey Hall of Fame winger Dino Ciccarelli
Dino Ciccarelli
.Dino Ciccarelli is a Canadian former professional hockey player who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, primarily with the Minnesota North Stars. He scored 1,200 points in his NHL career. His 608 career NHL goals are also the most goals scored by a draft-eligible player who was not...
.
Starting with the 2011-12 season, the Capitals have begun displaying players' numbers on the front of their helmets.
The Capitals announced on September 16, 2011 that it would wear a third jersey modeled after the Winter Classic jersey for 16 road games during the 2011-2012 season. The Caps will wear white helmets to go along with its red pants.
Team captains
2001–02 (co-captains)- Steve Konowalchuk, 2002–Oct 2003
- No captain, Oct 2003–05 (including 2004–05 lockout)
- Jeff HalpernJeff HalpernJeffrey C. Halpern is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Washington Capitals.-Playing career:...
, 2005–06 - Chris Clark, 2006–09
- Alexander OvechkinAlexander OvechkinAlexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
, 2010–present
Retired numbers
- 5 - Rod LangwayRod LangwayRod Cory Langway is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League and Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association...
: D, 1982–1993, Retired November 26, 1997. - 7 - Yvon LabreYvon LabreYvon Jules Labre is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player.Labre was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins, but only played there a very short time before being selected by the Washington Capitals in the 1974 NHL Expansion Draft...
: D, 1974–1980, Retired November 22, 1980. - 11 - Mike GartnerMike GartnerMichael Alfred Gartner is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Phoenix Coyotes...
: RW, 1979–1989, Retired December 28, 2008. - 32 - Dale HunterDale HunterDale Robert Hunter is a former professional ice hockey player and current head coach of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League.-NHL career:...
: C, 1987–1999, Retired March 11, 2000.
The Capitals also honor the NHL's league-wide retirement of Wayne Gretzky's
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
#99
Hall of Famers
- Mike GartnerMike GartnerMichael Alfred Gartner is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Phoenix Coyotes...
: RW, 1979–1989, Inducted Class of 2001. - Rod LangwayRod LangwayRod Cory Langway is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League and Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association...
: D, 1982–1993, Inducted Class of 2002. - Larry Murphy: D, 1983–1989, Inducted Class of 2004.
- Scott StevensScott StevensRonald Scott Stevens is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. Stevens played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, and the New Jersey Devils...
: D, 1982–1990, Inducted Class of 2007. - Dino CiccarelliDino Ciccarelli.Dino Ciccarelli is a Canadian former professional hockey player who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, primarily with the Minnesota North Stars. He scored 1,200 points in his NHL career. His 608 career NHL goals are also the most goals scored by a draft-eligible player who was not...
: RW, 1989–1992, Inducted Class of 2010.
First-round draft picks
Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten regular season point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Capitals player
| Points | Goals | Assists | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
NHL awards and trophies
