The History of the Washington Capitals(Est. 1973)
CAPITALS HISTORY PART 1
CAPITALS HISTORY PART 2
CAPITALS HISTORY PART 3
WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Conference championships: 1 (1997–98)
Presidents' Trophy: 3 (2009–10, 2015–16, 2016–17)
Division championships: 10 (1988–89, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2007–08, 2008-09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2015–16, 2016–17)
Hall of Famers: 7 (Dino Ciccarelli, Sergei Federov, Mike Gartner, Rod Langway, Larry Murphy, Adam Oates and Scott Stevens)
(Regular season scoring champion): 1 (Alex Ovechkin 2007-08)
(Rookie of the year): 1 (Alex Ovechkin 2005-06)
(NHL Most Valuable Player): 3 (Alex Ovechkin 2007-08, 2008-09, 2012-13)
(Coach of the Year): 3 (Bryan Murray 1983-84, Bruce Boudreau 2007-08, Barry Trotz 2015-16)
(Top Defenseman): 2 (Rod Langway 1982-83, 1983-84)
Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy
(Most goals regular season): 7 (Alex Ovechkin 2007-08, 2008-09, 2012-13, 2013-14, 204-15, 2015-16, 2017-18)
(Top goaltender): 3 (Jim Carey 1995-96, Olaf Kolzig 1999-00, Braden Holtby 2015-16)
The Washington Capitals (often shortened to Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). Since their founding in 1974, the Capitals have won one conference championship (in 1998), and ten division titles. In 1997, the team moved their home ice hockey rink from the suburban Capital Centre (located in Landover, Maryland) to the new MCI Center (now the Capital One Center and formerly the Verizon Center), in Washington, D.C.
Businessman Ted Leonsis has owned the team since 1999, and has revitalized the franchise by drafting star players such as Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Bäckström, Mike Green and Braden Holtby. The 2009–10 Capitals won the franchise's first-ever Presidents' Trophy for being the team with the most points at the end of the regular season. They won it a second time in 2015–16, and did so for a third time the following season in 2016–17.
WHY I LOVE THE CAPS
I attended my first hockey game at the Capital Centre in 1976. It was against the Philadelphia Flyers, who earlier in the year had defeated the Russian team known as The Red Army team; widely regarded as the greatest hockey team in the world. The Washington Capitals were, well, the Capitals. The team that set NHL records for futility in their first season as an expansion team two years earlier. You couldn’t create a more magnanimous discrepancy in talent level.
Throughout my life, I have attended more sports events than I can count. Some in particular stand out and not always because a championship was on the line. In this case, I was excited to see my first pro hockey game at a relatively new venue.
The Capital Centre was a new arena and at the time state-of-the-art. It was the first arena with a video board. It had new comfortable seats. The concourse was roomy and clean. The ice cold Tuborg Gold from the beer taps at the concession stands tastes like it was freshly brewed from the brewery in nearby Halethorpe. When I arrived there, I marveled at the unusual shape of the roof. The place was packed and loud; largely due to many Flyers fans making the trip who likely couldn’t get tickets to games at their perennially sold-out arena. Though outmanned talent wise, Washington looked sharp in their home white jerseys with red and blue stars across the chest.
I moved to Maryland around the time the Capitals started to become a quality franchise. Stars like Rod Langway, Mike Gartner, Dennis Maruk, Dale Hunter and Peter Bondra helped make the Caps a consistent playoff caliber team. I didn’t miss many games on Home Team Sports—the channel you cheer for. Mike Fornes and Smokin Al Koken were the voices and then Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin. I loved the way Laughlin referred to Olaf Kolzig, in his distinguished Canadian accent, as “Olie the Goalie.”
I was thrilled that Washington, after years of early exits from the playoffs, made it to the Stanley Cup finals in 1998. Unfortunately, they got swept and some bad years ensued until Alexander Ovechkin came onto the scene. Alexander the Great is one of those once-in-a-lifetime talents; as iconic as Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. The only thing missing is what I’m standing next to---The Stanley Cup. Someday, it WILL happen. I know it’s easy to be a naysayer. Forty two years without a championship is a long time. May 2018 be the year that Ovi hoists the Cup.
