History of Washington Capitals in Timeline

The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C., competing in the NHL's Eastern Conference, Metropolitan Division. Owned by Ted Leonsis through Monumental Sports & Entertainment, they initially played at the Capital Centre before relocating to Capital One Arena in 1997. The Capitals represent the U.S. capital in professional hockey.

June 8, 1972: Expansion Franchise Awarded

On June 8, 1972, the NHL awarded an expansion franchise to the city of Washington.

1974: Franchise Founded

In 1974, the Washington Capitals franchise was founded as an expansion team, alongside the Kansas City Scouts.

1974: Joined NHL as Expansion Team

In 1974, the Washington Capitals joined the NHL as an expansion team along with the Kansas City Scouts.

1974: Inaugural Season

In the 1974-75 inaugural season, the Washington Capitals had the worst record in the NHL, finishing with 8 wins, 67 losses and 5 ties.

1974: Original color scheme used

The 2007 uniforms marked a return to the red, white and blue color scheme originally used from 1974 to 1995.

1975: Travelled to Japan for Exhibition Games

In 1975, the Washington Capitals traveled to Tokyo and Sapporo, Japan, along with the Kansas City Scouts, for four exhibition games.

1978: Trade to acquire Dennis Maruk

In 1978, the Washington Capitals made a trade to acquire Dennis Maruk.

1980: Playoff Contention

In 1980, the Washington Capitals were in playoff contention until the last day of the season.

November 1981: McNab and Green Fired

In November 1981, Max McNab and coach Gary Green were fired by the Washington Capitals.

August 1982: David Poile Hired as General Manager

In August 1982, David Poile was hired as the general manager of the Washington Capitals.

August 1982: Crozier Fired

In August 1982, Roger Crozier was fired as GM of the Washington Capitals.

September 9, 1982: Trade with Montreal Canadiens

On September 9, 1982, David Poile executed a major trade, sending Ryan Walter and Rick Green to the Montreal Canadiens for Rod Langway, Brian Engblom, Doug Jarvis, and Craig Laughlin.

November 4, 1982: "Save the Caps" Campaign Succeeds

On November 4, 1982, the tax measure that threatened the Washington Capitals' location was defeated, following the "Save the Caps" campaign.

1982: Became Playoff Contender

In 1982, the Washington Capitals, with a core of players including Mike Gartner, Rod Langway, Larry Murphy, and Scott Stevens, started becoming a regular playoff contender.

1983: Trade for Dave Christian

In the 1983-84 offseason, the Washington Capitals traded a first-round draft pick for Dave Christian and traded Dennis Maruk to the Minnesota North Stars for a second-round draft pick. They also traded Engblom and Ken Houston for Larry Murphy.

1984: Home Team Sports (HTS) founded

Monumental Sports Network (MSN) has carried Capitals games locally since its founding as Home Team Sports (HTS) in 1984.

1985: Lost Series Lead Against Islanders

In 1985, The Washington Capitals had a two-game series lead in the first round disappear against the Islanders as Washington lost the next three games to lose the series.

1986: Trade for Crawford, Miller, and Ridley

In the 1986–87 season, the Washington Capitals traded Bobby Carpenter and a second-round draft pick for Bob Crawford, Kelly Miller, and Mike Ridley.

1987: Trade for Dale Hunter and Clint Malarchuk

At the 1987 NHL entry draft, the Washington Capitals traded Gaetan Duchesne, Alan Haworth, and a first-round pick (who would become Joe Sakic) for Dale Hunter and Clint Malarchuk.

1987: Loss to Islanders in Easter Epic

In 1987, the Washington Capitals lost to the Islanders in the division semifinals in a game known as the Easter Epic.

1988: Lost Division Finals

In 1988, the Washington Capitals lost the division finals against the New Jersey Devils.

1989: Traded Gartner and Murphy

For the 1989 playoffs push, Gartner and Murphy were traded to the Minnesota North Stars in exchange for Dino Ciccarelli and defenseman Bob Rouse.

1989: Terry Murray Replaces Bryan Murray

In the 1989–90 season, Bryan Murray was fired and replaced by his brother, the assistant coach, Terry Murray.

1990: Made Conference Finals

In 1990, the Washington Capitals finally made the conference finals, but lost in a four-game sweep to the Boston Bruins.

1992: Lost Series Lead Against Penguins

In 1992, the Washington Capitals lost a series against the Pittsburgh Penguins after leading 3–1.

1993: Acquired Craig Berube

At the 1993 draft, Craig Berube was acquired from the Calgary Flames in return for a fifth round draft pick.

1994: Acquired Joe Juneau

In 1993–94, approaching the trade deadline, the Washington Capitals acquired Joe Juneau.

1995: New color scheme and logo introduced

In 1995, the team shifted from a red, white, and blue color scheme to a blue, black, and copper palette, featuring an American bald eagle logo.

1995: Defeated by Penguins

In 1995, their rival, the Penguins, would defeat them in the first round of playoffs, after the Capitals led the series 3-1.

1995: Blue Screaming Eagle uniform in use

In 2021, as part of Adidas' "Reverse Retro" uniform series, the Capital unveiled a recolored version of their blue "screaming eagle" uniform used from 1995 to 2000.

1995: Slapshot mascot introduced

Since 1995, the Capitals' mascot has been Slapshot, a bald eagle wearing the number 00.

1995: Mike Vogel covers the Capitals online

Since the 1995–96 season, Mike Vogel has been covering the team online for the Washington Capitals on its website, writing daily game stories and analysis.

1995: Original color scheme abandoned

The 2007 uniforms marked a return to the red, white and blue color scheme originally used from 1974 to 1995.

1995: Franchise wore uniforms

The jersey resembled the one the franchise wore from 1974 to 1995.

1996: Defeated by Penguins after Fourth Overtime Goal

In 1996, the Washington Capitals were defeated by the Penguins in the first round of playoffs after a game six fourth overtime goal by Pittsburgh forward Petr Nedved.

1997: Black alternate jersey unveiled

For the 1997–98 season, the team unveiled a black alternate jersey, devoid of blue with copper stripes on the ends of sleeves and at the waist.

1997: Move to Capital One Arena

In 1997, the Washington Capitals relocated from the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, to their current home, the Capital One Arena, located in Washington, D.C.

1997: Hired McPhee and Wilson

In 1997–98, the Washington Capitals hired George McPhee as general manager and Ron Wilson as head coach.

1997: Poile and Schoenfeld fired

In the 1996–97 season, the Washington Capitals were unable to make the 1997 playoffs, and as a result, David Poile was fired along with Schoenfeld.

1998: Sold to Ted Leonsis

After their 1998 Stanley Cup run, the Washington Capitals finished the 1998–99 season with a record of 31–45–6 and failed to qualify for the playoffs. During the season, the team was sold to a group headed by America Online (AOL) executive Ted Leonsis.

1998: Reached Stanley Cup Final

In 1998, the Washington Capitals made it to the Stanley Cup Final but were defeated by the Detroit Red Wings.

1999: Leonsis Purchased the Team

In 1999, Ted Leonsis purchased the Washington Capitals team and revitalized the franchise by drafting star players.

2000: Wayne Gretzky's number retired by NHL

At the 2000 NHL All-Star Game, the NHL retired Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 for all its member teams.

2000: Won Southeast Division Title

In 2000, the Washington Capitals won a Southeast Division title, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Penguins.

2000: Blue Screaming Eagle uniform in use

In 2021, as part of Adidas' "Reverse Retro" uniform series, the Capital unveiled a recolored version of their blue "screaming eagle" uniform used from 1995 to 2000.

2000: Blue road jersey retired

Prior to the 2000–01 season, the team retired its blue road jersey in favor of the black alternate jersey, but still kept the white jersey for home games.

2001: Won Southeast Division Title and Acquired Linden and Zubrus

In 2001, the Washington Capitals won another Southeast Division title and acquired Trevor Linden and Dainius Zubrus from the Montreal Canadiens, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Penguins. Adam Oates demanded a trade and was stripped of his team captaincy.

2001: Acquired Jaromir Jagr

In the summer of 2001, the Washington Capitals acquired Jaromir Jagr from the Penguins and signed him to a seven-year contract for $77 million.

2001: Home Team Sports (HTS) Rebranded

The channel Home Team Sports (HTS) was later rebranded into Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic (CSN) from 2001 through 2017

2002: Signed Lang and Hired Cassidy

Before the 2002–03 season, the Washington Capitals signed Robert Lang and hired Bruce Cassidy as head coach.

2002: Traded Linden and Oates

During the 2001–02 season, Trevor Linden was traded to the Vancouver Canucks, and Adam Oates was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Capitals failed to defend their division title and missed the playoffs.

2003: Lost to Lightning in Playoffs

In 2003, the Washington Capitals returned to the playoffs but lost in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning after starting with a two-game lead.

2006: Halpern Leaves, Clark Becomes Captain

In 2006, Halpern left the Capitals to join the Dallas Stars, and Chris Clark became the Capitals' new captain. Richard Zednik also returned to the Capitals in 2006–07.

2006: Practice facility in Arlington, Virginia

Since 2006, the Capitals have practiced in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington County, Virginia, at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex.

June 22, 2007: New uniforms unveiled

On June 22, 2007, the Capitals unveiled new uniforms, coinciding with the 2007 NHL entry draft and the new league-wide adaptation of the Reebok-designed uniform system for 2007–08. The change marked a return to the red, white and blue color scheme.

2007: Dave Fay receives Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award

In 2007, Dave Fay, a sports journalist for The Washington Times, was a recipient of the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame.

2007: Capitals Sign Nicklas Backstrom and Semyon Varlamov

In 2007, the Capitals signed Nicklas Backstrom, the fourth overall pick in the 2006 NHL entry draft, to a three-year entry-level contract. They also signed 19-year-old goaltender Semyon Varlamov to a three-year entry-level contract.

January 10, 2008: Ovechkin Signs NHL-Record Contract Extension

On January 10, 2008, Alexander Ovechkin signed a 13-year contract extension with the Capitals for $124 million, which was an NHL record. This was the second-longest term of any contract in the NHL at the time.

2008: Mike Green and Ovechkin shine

During the 2008-09 NHL season, Mike Green led all NHL defensemen in goals and points, setting a record for the longest consecutive goal-scoring streak by a defenseman with eight games.

2009: Capitals win Southeast Division Title

In 2009, the Capitals finished the regular season with a record of 50–24–8 and a team-record 108 points, winning their second consecutive Southeast Division title. Ovechkin won his second Hart Trophy, his second Lester B. Pearson Award, and his second Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy.

2009: Won First Presidents' Trophy

In the 2009–10 season, the Washington Capitals won the franchise's first Presidents' Trophy.

2010: Ron Weber receives Foster Hewitt Memorial Award

In 2010, play-by-play radio broadcaster Ron Weber was awarded the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame for his contributions to hockey broadcasting.

2010: Capitals Repeat as Southeast Division Champions

In 2010-11, the Capitals repeated as the Southeast Division champions and as the top team in the Eastern Conference with 107 points.

February 1, 2011: Capitals honor Dino Ciccarelli

On February 1, 2011, the Capitals wore the same jersey, minus the NHL Winter Classic patch, to honor Hockey Hall of Fame winger Dino Ciccarelli.

September 16, 2011: Third jersey modeled after Winter Classic jersey announced

On September 16, 2011, the Capitals announced that they would wear a third jersey modeled after the Winter Classic jersey for 16 road games during the 2011–12 season.

2011: Capitals Fire Boudreau and Hire Hunter

In 2011, after a rocky start to the 2011-12 season, the Capitals fired head coach Bruce Boudreau and hired Dale Hunter as his replacement.

2011: Capitals Participate in 2011 Winter Classic

The 2010-11 season was highlighted by the Capitals' participation in the 2011 Winter Classic, where they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3–1 at Heinz Field.

2012: Capitals Have Rocky Start To Season

During the lockout-shortened 2012-13 NHL season, the Capitals had a rocky start, with just two wins in their first ten games.

2012: Capitals Defeat Bruins in Playoffs

In the 2012 playoffs, the Capitals defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins in seven games, with every game decided by a one-goal margin.

2013: Capitals Win Southeast Division

In 2013, the Capitals rebounded to win the Southeast Division and earn the third seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2013 playoffs.

2013: Capitals Struggle to Make Playoffs

In the 2013-14 season, the Capitals struggled to stay in a playoff spot and ultimately missed the playoffs by just three points in the standings.

April 26, 2014: Capitals Fire McPhee and Oates

On April 26, 2014, the Capitals announced they would not renew general manager George McPhee's contract and that they had fired head coach Adam Oates.

May 26, 2014: Capitals Announce MacLellan and Trotz

On May 26, 2014, the Capitals announced the promotion of Brian MacLellan from director of player personnel to general manager and the hiring of Barry Trotz as the new head coach.

November 4, 2014: Ovechkin Becomes All-Time Points Leader

On November 4, 2014, in Ovechkin's 691st NHL game, he became the Capitals' all-time points leader during a game against the Calgary Flames, surpassing Peter Bondra.

2014: Capitals make playoffs

Washington made the playoffs in 2014.

January 1, 2015: Capitals Win 2015 Winter Classic

On January 1, 2015, the Washington Capitals defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3–2 in the 2015 Winter Classic at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

2015: Capitals Acquire T.J. Oshie

During the offseason of the 2015-16 season, the Capitals traded Pheonix Copley and Troy Brouwer for T. J. Oshie with the St. Louis Blues.

2015: Won Second Presidents' Trophy

In the 2015–16 season, the Washington Capitals won their second Presidents' Trophy.

2015: Throwback red third jerseys introduced

Starting with the 2015–16 season, the Capitals wore their throwback red third jerseys, replacing the white Winter Classic thirds.

2015: Winter Classic Jersey

The Capitals wore a newly designed jersey intended to pay homage to hockey's outdoor roots at the 2015 Winter Classic

2015: W logo used from 2015 Winter Classic

The navy uniforms for the 2018 Stadium Series featured a slightly altered W logo from the 2015 Winter Classic on the pants.

2016: Won Third Presidents' Trophy

In the 2016–17 season, the Washington Capitals won their third Presidents' Trophy.

2016: Capitals win President's Trophy

The Capitals won their second consecutive Presidents' Trophy for the 2016-17 season.

January 11, 2017: Ovechkin Reaches 1,000-Point Milestone

On January 11, 2017, Ovechkin reached the 1,000-point milestone with a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins, becoming the 84th NHL player to reach the milestone.

2017: Capitals Lose Players in Offseason

After the 2017 playoffs, the Capitals lost several players, including Kevin Shattenkirk and Justin Williams to free agency, and Nate Schmidt to the 2017 NHL expansion draft. Marcus Johansson was traded to the New Jersey Devils.

2017: Capitals Have Slow Start to Season

Despite a slow 5-6-1 start to the 2017-18 season, the Capitals went on a 10-2-2 run in December.

2017: New NHL partnership with Adidas

Prior to the 2017–18 season, the NHL announced a new partnership with Adidas, and the Capitals unveiled new uniforms with minor changes.

2017: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic (CSN) Rebranded

The channel Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic (CSN) was rebranded into NBC Sports Washington from 2017 to 2023.

2018: New navy uniforms for Stadium Series

For the 2018 Stadium Series, the Capitals used newly designed navy uniforms, honoring the game being held at the U.S. Naval Academy.

2018: Capitals Win Stanley Cup

In 2018, the Capitals won their first Stanley Cup, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in five games. Shortly after, Barry Trotz resigned as head coach, and Todd Reirden was named as his replacement on June 29.

2018: Return of red throwback uniforms

In the 2018–19 season, the return of the program in the 2018–19 season saw the return of the Capitals' red throwback uniforms as their alternates.

2019: Capitals acquire veterans

In 2019, following a first-round playoff loss, the Capitals lost Braden Holtby to free agency but gained veterans Henrik Lundqvist and Zdeno Chara. Lundqvist would not play due to a heart condition.

2019: Capitals eliminated in first round of playoffs

In 2019, the Capitals' attempt to repeat as champions ended with a first-round elimination by the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.

February 22, 2020: Ovechkin scores 700th goal

On February 22, 2020, during the 2019-20 season, Ovechkin scored his 700th career goal. Ovechkin led the league in goals with 48 at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic pause.

2020: Capitals Lose in Playoffs and Fire Coach

In 2020, the Capitals clinched the division title but lost to the New York Islanders in the first round of the playoffs. Following the loss, Reirden was fired and replaced by Peter Laviolette.

2021: Recolored Screaming Eagle uniform unveiled

In 2021, as part of Adidas' "Reverse Retro" uniform series, the Capital unveiled a recolored version of their blue "screaming eagle" uniform used from 1995 to 2000. The base color is red with dark blue accents.

2021: Capitals acquire Anthony Mantha

In 2021, during the regular season, the Capitals traded Richard Panik, Jakub Vrana, and two draft picks to the Detroit Red Wings for Anthony Mantha. They lost to the Boston Bruins in five games in the first round of the 2021 playoffs.

2022: Second Reverse Retro uniform released

In 2022, a second "Reverse Retro" uniform was released, this time featuring a black version of the "screaming eagle" uniform with blue and copper accents.

2022: Capitals reacquire Marcus Johansson

In 2022, the Capitals reacquired Marcus Johansson, trading Daniel Sprong and two draft picks. In the playoffs, they lost to the Florida Panthers in six games.

May 30, 2023: Capitals hire Spencer Carbery as head coach

On May 30, 2023, the Capitals hired 41-year-old Spencer Carbery as their new head coach after mutually parting ways with Laviolette.

December 2023: Potential move to Virginia discussed

In December 2023, Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin explored moving the Capitals and Wizards to a planned arena in Potomac Yard by 2028.

2023: New uniform for Stadium Series

For the 2023 Stadium Series, the Capitals unveiled a white uniform centered around the alternate "Weagle" logo, with its navy wings extending towards the sleeves with white numbers.

2023: NBC Sports Washington rebranded

NBC Sports Washington rebranded from 2017 to 2023

March 2024: Deal to keep Capitals in DC until 2050

In March 2024, after Alexandria officials scrapped plans for a sports complex, Washington mayor Muriel Bowser announced a deal to keep the Capitals and Wizards in the District until at least 2050.

July 8, 2024: Chris Patrick promoted to General Manager

On July 8, 2024, the Capitals announced that Chris Patrick would be promoted to general manager, with MacLellan retaining his position as president of hockey operations.

2024: Capitals Clinch Metropolitan Division Title

During the 2024-25 season, the Capitals clinched their sixth Metropolitan Division title and the first seed in the Eastern Conference.

2024: Reverse retro as alternate

The black version of the screaming eagle uniform with blue and copper accents, released in 2022 was restored as the team's alternate ahead of the 2024-25 season, updated to the Fanatics template.

April 6, 2025: Ovechkin breaks Gretzky's goal record

On April 6, 2025, during the 2024-25 season, Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal in a loss to the New York Islanders, breaking Wayne Gretzky's regular season goal record of 894.