The Washington Capitals have fired head coach Bruce Boudreau and replaced him with London Knights coach Dale Hunter.
Boudreau spent four years as the Capitals coach, accumulating a 201-88-40 regular season record over that period. However, Boudreau and his ultra-talented Capitals teams have consistently faltered in the playoffs, going 17-20 in playoff games over the past four years.
In 2009-10, the Capitals claimed the President’s Trophy with the most points of any team in the NHL and walked into the playoffs as a heavy favorite to win the Stanley Cup. However, their success that season translated into a disappointing Quarter Finals loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
The firing comes after weeks of speculation about a diminishing relationship between Boudreau and Capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin, who has been benched during key moments this season as Boudreau preached accountability to his players and used benching as a punishment for subpar performances. Fellow superstar Alexander Semin sat out of the lineup as a healthy scratch as well.
The Capitals started this season with a seven-game with streak, the best start in franchise history. In the 15 games since then, however, the team has only managed a meager five wins and 10 losses, putting them 8th in the Eastern Conference.
The 51-year-old Hunter will lead the team’s practice this afternoon and make his debut behind the bench tomorrow night when the team takes on the St. Louis Blues. Hunter coached the London Knights of the OHL for the past 11 seasons and accumulated a 451-189-23-24 record during that time. He was the fastest coach in OHL history to attain 300 and 400 career wins. Hunter won the Memorial Cup with London in 2004-05.
In addition to his coaching accolades, Hunter is also a former Washington Capitals player and captain, playing with the team from 1987 to 1999. He is one of four players to have his jersey retired by the franchise. His career total of 3,563 penalty minutes ranks him second all-time in the NHL.
Boudreau’s assistant coaches will remain with the club as Hunter’s assistants.
