WAS Capitals

The NHL awarded an expansion franchise to the city of Washington on June 8, 1972, and the Capitals joined the NHL as an expansion team for the 1974–75 season along with the Kansas City Scouts. The Capitals were owned by Abe Pollin (also owner of the National Basketball Association's Washington Bullets/Wizards). 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. The team name was decided via a contest in which 12,000 entries were given to Pollin. Other names included the Comets, Cyclones, Streaks, and Domes. Jim Anderson was hired as head coach prior to the inaugural season.

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.

The Capitals' inaugural season in 1974–75 set records for the NHL. They finished with the worst record in the league at 8–67–5; 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). Head 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." Anderson was fired 54 games into the season and replaced by head scout Red Sullivan. Sullivan, after a 14-game losing streak, resigned citing stomach issues. Schmidt had to take over the coaching reins for the remainder of the season.

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). In the middle of the season, Schmidt resigned and was replaced as general manager by Max McNab and as head coach by Tom McVie. After the season, along with the Scouts, both teams would travel to Tokyo and Sapporo, Japan for four exhibition games for the NHL's first games in an Asian country. For the rest of the 1970s and early 1980s, the Capitals alternated between dreadful seasons and finishing only a few points out of the Stanley Cup playoffs; in 1980, for instance, they were in playoff contention until the last day of the season. In 1978, the Capitals made a trade to acquire Dennis Maruk who would score 50 goals during the 1980–81 season and 60 goals in the 1981–82 season. Thanks to the subpar seasons, the Capitals were able to draft players Mike Gartner and Bobby Carpenter. However, McNab and coach Gary Green were fired in November 1981. Roger Crozier took over as GM for the remainder of the season, but he too was fired in August 1982. One of Crozier's decisions included the hiring of Bryan Murray.

By the summer of 1982, there was serious talk of the team moving out of the U.S. capital due to an amusement tax that affected their rink. The fans started the "Save the Caps" campaign and on November 4, 1982, the tax measure was defeated.

In August 1982, the team hired David Poile as general manager. As his first move, Poile pulled off one of the largest trades in franchise history on September 9, 1982, when he dealt captain Ryan Walter and Rick Green to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Rod Langway (named captain only a few weeks later), Brian Engblom, Doug Jarvis and Craig Laughlin. Another significant move was the drafting of defenseman Scott Stevens during the 1982 NHL entry draft (the pick was made by Crozier, prior to Poile's hiring). The result of both acquisitions helped the team get a third-place finish in the Patrick Division, which resulted in their first playoff appearance. Although they were eliminated by the three-time defending (and eventual) Stanley Cup champion Islanders three games to one, the Caps' dramatic turnaround ended any talk of the club leaving Washington.

In the 1983–84 offseason, the Capitals traded a first round draft pick for Dave Christian. They also traded Dennis Maruk to the Minnesota North Stars for a second round draft pick. The regular season had the Capitals gain over 100 points for the first time in their history. The Capitals also made a trade with the Los Angeles Kings sending Engblom and Ken Houston for Larry Murphy. They also made it to the second round of the playoffs, after defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in a three-game sweep. However, they were defeated by the Islanders in the second round. The Capitals matched their point total the following season, but 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. In 1985–86, the team had their best record yet, winning 50 games and earning 107 points. After defeating the Islanders in a three-game sweep, the Capitals were defeated by the New York Rangers in six games.

The 1986–87 season saw the team trade Bobby Carpenter and a second round draft pick for Bob Crawford, Kelly Miller, and Mike Ridley. However, the season ended with a loss to the Islanders in the division semifinals. The Capitals had a 3–1 series lead, but the Islanders came back to force game seven which would be known as the Easter Epic. In the fourth overtime, at 1:56 am on Easter Sunday 1987, Pat LaFontaine scored, giving the Islanders a 2–1 victory, ending the Capitals season.

At the 1987 NHL entry draft, the Capitals traded Gaetan Duchesne, Alan Haworth, and first round pick (who would become Joe Sakic) for Dale Hunter and Clint Malarchuk. The Capitals were unable to move past the second round for another season in 1988, losing the division finals against the New Jersey Devils. For the 1989 playoffs push, Gartner and Murphy were traded to the Minnesota North Stars in exchange for Dino Ciccarelli and defenseman Bob Rouse. However, they were eliminated in the first round by the Philadelphia Flyers.

In the 1989–90 season, Bryan Murray was fired and replaced by his brother, the assistant coach, Terry Murray. As they approached the deadline, the Capitals acquired goaltender Mike Liut who assisted in their playoff push. The Capitals finally made the conference finals in 1990, but went down in a four-game sweep at the hands of the first-place Boston Bruins. The next two seasons were undone by the Pittsburgh Penguins who defeated Washington both seasons in the playoffs. It included a series where the Capitals had a 3–1 series lead in 1992 only to lose the next three games and the series. Their final season with Langway did not end well for himself nor the Capitals. He was limited to 21 games in the 1992–93 season due to a torn cartilage injury. In the playoffs, they lost in six games to the Islanders in the division semifinals. In game six of the series, Dale Hunter hit Pierre Turgeon after Turgeon scored the 6–1 goal for the Islanders. Hunter was given a 21-game suspension as a result.

At the 1993 draft, Craig Berube was acquired from the Calgary Flames in return for a fifth round draft pick. In 1993–94, the Capitals struggled throughout the first half of the season which culminated in Terry Murray's dismissal as head coach and Jim Schoenfeld announced as his replacement. Approaching the trade deadline, the Capitals acquired Joe Juneau. Although the Capitals defeated the Penguins in the conference quarterfinals, they were defeated in five games by the Rangers in the conference semifinals. At the 1994 NHL entry draft, Mike Ridley was traded along with a first round pick for Rob Pearson and the tenth overall pick, which was used to select Nolan Baumgartner. However, their rival, the Penguins, would defeat them in the first round of both the 1995 and 1996 playoffs. Both series had the Capitals leading the series, including a 3–1 series lead in 1995—the 1996 series ended with a game six fourth overtime goal by Pittsburgh forward Petr Nedved. In the 1996–97 season, David Poile completed a blockbuster trade with the Bruins to acquire forwards Adam Oates and Rick Tocchet along with goaltender Bill Ranford for Jason Allison, Jim Carey, Anson Carter, and two draft picks. However, the team was unable to make the 1997 playoffs, and as a result, Poile was fired along with Schoenfeld.

In 1997–98, the Capitals hired general manager George McPhee as well as Ron Wilson as the next head coach. Midway through the season, they moved to MCI Center, now Capital One Arena, their current home arena. Peter Bondra led the team with 52 goals in the regular season. In the 1998, the Caps got past the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, and Buffalo Sabres en route to the team's first Stanley Cup Final appearance. However, the team was outmatched by the defending champions, the Detroit Red Wings, who won in a four-game sweep. This series is also famous for Esa Tikkanen when he forced Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood out of position but slid the puck past the open net. 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 three players reach that same milestone in a single season.

After their 1998 Stanley Cup run, the Capitals finished the 1998–99 season with a record of 31–45–6 and failed to qualify for the playoffs. They also traded out Ranford, Berube, Juneau, and captain Dale Hunter. During the season, the team was sold to a group headed by America Online (AOL) executive Ted Leonsis.

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 Penguins. The 2000–01 season also saw the Capitals acquire Trevor Linden and Dainius Zubrus from the Montreal Canadiens. However, after the playoffs, Adam Oates demanded a trade, feeling he was no longer an important part of the team with Linden playing. Management refused to trade Oates and stripped him of his team captaincy.

In the summer of 2001, the Capitals landed five-time Art Ross Trophy winner Jaromir Jagr through a trade with the Penguins. Jagr was then signed to the largest contract ever in NHL history — $77 million over seven years at an average salary of $11 million per year (over $134,000 per game) with an option for an eighth year. During the 2001–02 season, Linden was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks. Oates finally received his trade request, going to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a prospect and three draft picks. The Capitals failed to defend their division title and missed the playoffs in 2002 despite a winning record. Jagr's point total also dropped from 121 the season prior to 79. Ron Wilson was fired as head coach.

Before the 2002–03 season, the Caps made more roster changes, including the signing of Robert Lang as a free agent, a linemate of Jagr's from Pittsburgh. The Capitals also hired Grand Rapids Griffins coach Bruce Cassidy as head coach. Washington returned to the playoffs in 2003, but lost in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning after starting off with a two-game lead.

In the 2003–04 season, the Caps unloaded much of their high-priced talent. It started with Jagr moving to the New York Rangers for Anson Carter. As a stipulation of the trade, agreement Washington agreed to pay $20nbsp;million of Jagr's contract. This was quickly followed by Peter Bondra departing for the Ottawa Senators. Not long after, Robert Lang was sent to the Detroit Red Wings, as well as Sergei Gonchar to the Boston Bruins. The Capitals fired Cassidy and replaced him with Glen Hanlon; Washington ended the year 23–46–10–3.

In the 2004 NHL entry draft, the Capitals won the draft lottery, moving ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who held 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 Dynamo Moscow. The Capitals' 2005 off-season consisted of making D.C.-area native Halpern the team's captain.

The Capitals finished the 2005–06 season with a 29–41–12 campaign. Ovechkin led all 2005–06 NHL rookies in goals, points, power-play goals, and shots and won the Calder Memorial Trophy.

In the 2006 off-season, Halpern left the Capitals to join the Dallas Stars; Chris Clark subsequently became the Capitals' new captain. Richard Zednik returned to the Capitals in 2006–07, but was later dealt at the trade deadline to the New York Islanders after an injury-plagued season. Despite the transactions, the Capitals finished with the same point total (70) in 2006–07 as they did the year before, although they won one fewer game. Ovechkin was the Capitals' lone representative in the season's All-Star Game. Washington's campaign also saw the breakout of Alexander Semin, who notched 38 goals in only his second NHL season.

In the 2007–08 offseason, the Capitals signed Swedish forward 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. After starting the season 6–14–1, the Capitals fired head coach Glen Hanlon and replaced him with Hershey Bears head coach Bruce Boudreau. On January 10, 2008, the Capitals signed Ovechkin to an NHL-record $124 million contract extension at 13 years, the second-longest term of any contract in the NHL after New York Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro's 15-year contract. Aided by key acquisitions at the trade deadline (Matt Cooke, Sergei Fedorov, and Cristobal Huet), Ovechkin's NHL-leading 65 goals, and Mike Green's league defensemen-leading 18 goals, the Capitals won the Southeast Division title for the first time since the 2000–01 season, edging out the Carolina Hurricanes for the division title on the final game of the season. Washington's 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. For the postseason, the Capitals played against the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round and managed to force a game seven after being down three games to one in the series. However, they ultimately lost to the Flyers 3–2 in overtime. The accolades for the team continued to grow after the end of the season. Ovechkin won the Art Ross Trophy, the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, the Hart Memorial Trophy, and the Lester B. Pearson Award, becoming the first player in NHL history to win all four awards in the same season. Nicklas Backstrom was a finalist for the Calder Trophy, but ended up second to the Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane. In addition to player awards, head coach Bruce Boudreau won the Jack Adams Award for the NHL's coach of the year. However, at free agency, Olaf Kolzig left the team to join the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The 2008–09 season was highlighted by the play of Mike Green and Ovechkin. Green led all NHL defensemen in goals and points, also setting 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 title. They then overcame a 3–1 series deficit against the New York Rangers in the first round of the 2009 playoffs. The Capitals were then defeated by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins, in the conference semifinals in seven games.

The Capitals finished the 2009–10 season first in the NHL with 121 points, thereby winning the Presidents' Trophy. Ovechkin led the team in points with 109. Backstrom finished with 101 points, fourth-most in the NHL. Once again, Mike Green led all defensemen in points, finishing with 76. Defenseman John Carlson made his NHL debut this season as well. Despite having a top-ranked regular season, the Capitals were defeated by the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs, giving up a 3–1 series lead in the process. Backstrom was given a ten-year contract extension after the season.

The 2010–11 season saw the Capitals repeat as the Southeast Division champions and as the top team in the Eastern Conference with 107 points. The season was highlighted by their participation in the 2011 Winter Classic, where they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3–1 at Heinz Field. However, in the playoffs, after defeating the New York Rangers in five games in the conference quarterfinals, they were swept by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the conference semifinals.

The Capitals started the 2011–12 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 Boudreau, hiring Capitals legend Dale Hunter as his replacement. By the end of the 2011–12 season, the team's top two goaltenders, Michal Neuvirth and Tomas Vokoun, were injured and the Capitals were required to lean on their goaltending prospect Braden Holtby to help the team into the 2012 playoffs. The Capitals finished with the seventh overall seed in East, drawing the defending champion Boston Bruins in the first round. The Capitals defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion and second-seeded Boston Bruins in seven games on an overtime goal by Joel Ward. Every game in the series was decided by a one-goal margin; previously, no single series in the Stanley Cup playoffs had ever gone as far as six or seven games while neither team ever held more than a one-goal lead. The Capitals then advanced to the second round to face the top-seeded New York Rangers. The series went seven games, ending with a 2–1 Rangers victory at Madison Square Garden. Following the season's end, head coach Dale Hunter announced he would step down. Adam Oates was later named head coach of the team.

The lockout-shortened 2012–13 season saw the Capitals off to a rocky start, as they managed just two wins in their first ten games. The team rebounded to win the Southeast Division, earning the third seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2013 playoffs. Unfortunately for Washington, the Capitals' playoff woes continued as they again fell to the Rangers in seven games.

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, resulting in them missing the playoffs for the first time since 2006–07. Both Evgeny Kuznetsov made his NHL debut during the season. On April 26, 2014, 15 days after the regular season ended, the Capitals announced they would not renew general manager George McPhee's contract and that they had fired head coach Adam Oates.

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. In Ovechkin's 691st NHL game on November 4, 2014, he became the Capitals' all-time points leader during a game against the Calgary Flames, surpassing Peter Bondra. 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. In the 2015 playoffs, the Capitals defeated the Islanders in seven games in the first round. In the second round, the Capitals held a 3–1 series lead over the New York Rangers. However, for the fifth time in their history, they gave up the series lead, as the Rangers defeated the Capitals in game seven.

During the offseason of the 2015–16 season, Mike Green left in free agency and Justin Williams was acquired in free agency. The Capitals also traded Pheonix Copley and Troy Brouwer for T. J. Oshie with the St. Louis Blues. the Capitals finished in first place in the league with a record of 56–18–8 and 120 points. After defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round, they faced their rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins, for the first time since 2009. The Penguins would win the series in six games.

Ovechkin reached the 1,000-point milestone on January 11, 2017, with a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ovechkin was the 84th NHL player to reach the 1,000-point milestone, the fourth Russian-born player and the 37th player to reach the milestone while playing for one team throughout their NHL career. The Capitals won their second consecutive Presidents' Trophy, becoming just the seventh team in NHL history and the first time since the Vancouver Canucks in 2010–11 and 2011–12 to win back-to-back Presidents' Trophies. Ovechkin finished the 2016–17 season with 33 goals, leading the Capitals in goals for the twelfth straight season. Nearing the trade deadline, the Capitals traded with the Blues to acquire former Washington goaltender Pheonix Copley and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. In the 2017 playoffs, the Capitals defeated the eighth-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs in six games in the first round to set up a second consecutive showdown with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round. After falling behind 3–1 in the series, they battled back to force a game seven at home, where they were eliminated 2–0, and lost their series 4–3.

After the 2017 playoffs, the Capitals were unable to retain a number of players, losing Kevin Shattenkirk and Justin Williams to free agency, and defenseman Nate Schmidt to the 2017 NHL expansion draft. In addition, after signing Kuznetsov to long-term contract, the Capitals shipped Marcus Johansson to the New Jersey Devils to assist with the salary cap restrictions.

Despite a slow 5–6–1 start to the 2017–18 season, which extended out to 10–9–1, the Capitals went on a 10–2–2 run in December, and were able to clinch the Metropolitan Division for a third consecutive season on April 1. In the 2018 playoffs, the Capitals battled back from a 2–0 series deficit against the seventh-seeded Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the playoffs, winning four straight and beating the Blue Jackets in six games. They faced the Penguins again in the second round, and this time, they defeated the Penguins with an overtime goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov in game six. It marked the first time in 20 seasons that the Capitals made the conference finals and the first time in 24 seasons that they had defeated the Penguins in playoff series. The Capitals advanced to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final on May 23, after beating the top-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games. They then faced the expansion Vegas Golden Knights and overcame them in five games, including a 4–3 win in the decisive game five. Not only was it the Capitals' first Stanley Cup victory, but it was also the first championship for a Washington, D.C. team in one of the four major North American sports leagues since the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills 26 years beforehand in Super Bowl XXVI. Shortly after the Stanley Cup Final, Barry Trotz resigned as the head coach of the Capitals, after negotiations for a contract extension fell through. Assistant coach Todd Reirden was named as Trotz's replacement on June 29.

During the 2018–19 season, the Capitals clinched their fourth straight Metropolitan Division title. In the 2019 playoffs, the Capitals efforts to repeat as champions ultimately fell short, as they were eliminated in the first round by the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.

In the 2019–20 season, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic pausing the season, Ovechkin led the league in goals with 48 and scored his 700th goal on February 22, 2020. The Capitals clinched the division title at the time of the pause, but lost to the New York Islanders in the first round of the 2020 playoffs. Following the loss, Reirden was fired and replaced by Peter Laviolette. The Capitals also lost Braden Holtby to free agency, but gained veterans Henrik Lundqvist and Zdeno Chara. Lundqvist would not play a game with the Capitals due to a heart condition.

During the regular season of the 2020–21 season, the team made a trade with the Detroit Red Wings to acquire Anthony Mantha, trading out Richard Panik, Jakub Vrana, and two draft picks. However, in the 2021 playoffs, they lost to the Boston Bruins in five games of the first round. In the 2021–22 season, the Capitals reacquired Marcus Johansson, trading Daniel Sprong and two draft picks. In the playoffs, they matched against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Florida Panthers in the first round, but fell to them in six games. The 2022–23 season saw the Capitals play against the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2023 NHL Stadium Series at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes defated the Capitals 4–1. Washington would also miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Following the season, the team and Laviolette agreed to mutually part ways. The Capitals hired 41-year-old Spencer Carbery to be their new head coach on May 30, 2023.

In December 2023, Monumental Sports & Entertainment founder and team owner Ted Leonsis engaged in a non-binding partnership with Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin to move the Capitals and Washington Wizards to a planned arena in Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Virginia, by 2028. The structure would be part of an arts and entertainment district at the site, which would include a practice facility, restaurants, an esports venue, concert hall, and a new headquarters for Monumental. In March 2024, after officials in Alexandria announced that the $2 billion entertainment and sports complex plans were scrapped, Washington mayor Muriel Bowser announced she had signed a deal with Leonsis, to keep the Capitals and Wizards in the District "at least until 2050." The Capitals clinched the 2024 playoffs by beating the Philadelphia Flyers on April 16, finishing with a 40–31–11 record and the second wild card spot. They were swept by the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers in the first round. 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.

During the 2024–25 season, Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky's regular season goal record of 894, with his 895th career goal in a 4–1 loss to the New York Islanders on April 6, 2025. The Capitals also clinched their sixth Metropolitan Division title and the first seed in the Eastern Conference. In the playoffs, they were triumphant over the Montreal Canadiens before being defeated by the Hurricanes in the second round. Following the season, Nicklas Backstrom left the team to rejoin Brynas IF of the Swedish Hockey League.