Washington Capitals has 7 Canadian players in the 2022-2023 NHL season. Some of the Canadian born players are Connor Brown, Matt Irwin, Darcy Kuemper, Anthony Mantha, Dylan Strome, and Tom Wilson.
The NHL franchise was established in 1974 and is based in Washington, D.C. The team plays as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference.
The Club joined the league as an expansion team in the 1974-1975 season, along with Kansas City Scouts. At its inception, Abe Pollin owned the team. The initial eight seasons were tough for the team as they had few athletes with professional experience.
The Capitals won their first Stanley Cups in the 2017-2018 season. Besides, they have achieved three President's Trophy with two Conference Championships and 13 Division Championships.
Washington Capitals roster comprises 27 players in the current season. Out of them, seven are from Canada.
Swedish player Carl Hagelin and right winger Connor Brown are on the injured reserve list. The Capitals management team can replace them from the checklist if needed.
Washington Capitals goalies are Reid Cooper, Mitchell Gibson, Darcy Kuemper, and Charlie Lindgren. They make game appearances as 97, 78, 35,79 respectively.
Undrafted goaltender Lindgren played his debut match with the Canadiens in April 2016. The subsequent year, he made his first career shutout while making 38 saves.
Likewise, Kuemper is the 2009 Entry Draft pick of the Minnesota Wild. The previous year, he won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche. On July 13, 2022, the netminder signed a five-year contract with the capitals.
Emergency Goalie
Trevor Hanger is an emergency goalie for the Capitals. On a professional front, Hanger is a district strategic advice.
The 42-year-old used to play collegiate hockey in the late 1990s. However, he didn't continue playing and became an adviser. Still, he set ready to wear the uniform and enter the rink if the Capitals need him.
Washington Capitals Defenseman
Washington Capitals defensemen include Matt Irwin, Ramus Sandin, Nick Jensen, and six others for the 2022-2023 season.
Russian player Axeyev was picked by the team in the 2018 entry draft. However, he returned to play in KHL and AHL until the 2021-2022 season. He has scored zero goals in two seasons with five assists.
Similarly, the Slovak athlete joined the Capitals after the 2018 entry draft. In three seasons, he has scored 14 goals with 20 assists
Left Defenseman
Left defenseman of the Washington Capitals checklist is as follows:
Alexander Alexeyev
Martin Fehervary
Matt Irwin
Ramus Sandin
Right Defenseman
Right defenseman of the Washington Capitals is listed below:
John Carlson
Vincent Iorio
Nick Jensen
Dylan Mcllrath
Trevor van Riemsdyk
Washington Capitals Wing
Washington Capitals wing consists of Sonny Milano, Craig Smith, Tom Wilson, and others. Left winger Alexander Ovechkin is the leader of the team.
He joined the NHL after the Capitals picked him in the 2004 Entry Draft. The Russian player previously played for Dynamo Moscow in the Russian Superleague.
Ontario native Connor Brown was drafted by the Leafs in 2012. He played for the team for two seasons and was traded to the Senators in 2019. Brown joined the Capitals for the 2022–2023 season.
American ice hockey athlete Milano was originally drafted by the Blue Jackets in 2014. Six seasons with the team, and he shortly played with Anaheim and the Flames.
2022-2023 is the debut season for him with the Capitals. Milano tallied 11 goals and 22 assists for the team to date.
Left Wing
Left-wing athletes of the Washington Capitals are as follows:
Sonny Milano
Alex Ovechkin
Conor Sheary
Right Wing
Right-wing players of the Washington Capitals are listed below:
Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Connor Brown
Nic Dowd
Anthony Mantha
T.J Oshie
Tom Wilson
Washington Capitals Center
Washington Capitals center comprises 5 players, including Craig Smith, Dylan Strome, and three others.
Smith originally debuted in the NHL with the Predators in 2009. In 2011, he scored his first NHL goal against the Blue Jackets. After three years with the Bruins, he was traded to the Capitals on February 23, 2023.
Similarly, 2015-drafted athlete Strome first played with the Blackhawks and the Coyotes for six years before joining the current team.
Other center players of the Capitals are listed below:
Nicklas Backstrom
Evgeny Kuznetsov
Michael Sgarbossa
Washington Capitals Captain and Alternates
Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin has been leading the team since 2010. The alternate captains are Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson.
Center player Backstrom was given the role the following year, the Capitals got their current leader. On the other hand, Carlson became the assistant in the 2019-2020 season.
Alexander Ovechkin
Ovechkin was booked by the NHL in the 2004 Entry Draft. He has been with the Capitals ever since.
The Moscow native scored 52 goals and 54 assists in the debut season with the franchise. In 2006, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy and NHL All-Rookie Team.
Ovechkin led the Capitals athlete and won the Stanley Cup in 2018. As the most valuable player on the team, he received the Con Smythe Trophy the same year.
"Ovi" is one of the greatest goal scorers in the history of the NHL. He is the third player to score 800 goals in a regular season. The previous two players are Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky.
Alternates
Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson serve as the assistant leader for the Capitals since 2011 and 2020, respectively.
Swedish player Nicklas joined the NHL via the 2006 Entry Draft. The Capital picked him fourth overall. He has been named one of the most skilled passers on the team.
The athlete started playing at the age of 15. At the time, he joined Brynas IF to participate in the junior ice hockey league. In 2020, Backstrom signed a five-year contract with the team.
The same year, he became the third active assist on the team with 700 assists. He previously helped the leader with the Art Ross Trophy and Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy.
The Capitals booked an American defenseman in the 2008 Entry Draft. He was formerly linked with London Knights and Hershey Bears.
In 2018, along with the Silver Cup, Carlson was named the highest-scoring defenseman for the season. To date, he has played 16 seasons with the club, scoring 271 goals and 761 assists.
Washington Capitals Coach and General Manager
Washington Capitals coach Peter Laviolette mutually parted ways with the team in 2023. The general manager of the club is Brian MacLellan.
Laviolette was hired as the 19th head mentor of the team in 2020. After the Capitals failed to qualify for the playoffs this season, he left the position. That was the first time team missing the playoffs since 2014.
At the time, the position of the head mentor in the team is vacant.
Peter Laviolette
Laviolette is a former ice hockey left defenseman. He played as an undrafted athlete for the Rangers from 1986 to 1997.
Unfortunately, he never scored a goal in his NHL career. However, Peter has played Olympic games, AHL, IHL, and international matches.
Following his retirement in 1997, the Franklin native began his coaching career with the ECHL Wheeling Nailers. In 2001, he was appointed as the head mentor of the Islanders.
His second NHL franchise with the same position was Carolina Hurricanes, which began in the 2003-2004 season. Followed by the Flyers in 2009, he was hired by the Predators in 2014.
On September 15, 2020, the Capitals brought him to the team as a replacement for former coach Todd Reirden. The same year, he was honored as the head mentor United States men's national team.
Brian MacLellan
Brian MacLellan is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward. Starting from 1983 to 1992, MacLellan played with five clubs in the NHL.
The former player won the Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames in 1989. Besides, he served as a left winger in the Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, Minnesota North Stars, and Detroit Red Wings.
Ten years in NHL teams, and he announced his retirement from playing with the last game with the Wings in 1992.
In 2000, he joined the Washing Capitals front office. After thirteen seasons with the team, handling various roles, the Capitals named him the GM and senior vice president on May 26, 2014.
As the GM, MacLellan, and the team won the Silver Cup in 2018.
