Established
1974
City
Washington D.C.
League History
1974 – Present / National Hockey League
Team History
1974 – Present / Washington Capitals
Nickname
Capitals – The Washington Capitals are a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in the nation's capital. The franchise was founded in 1974, and since then, they have become one of the most successful teams in NHL history. But what is their nickname? Where did it come from?
The name "Capitals" originated when Washington first acquired an NHL franchise. When looking for a name, local sports writers suggested using something related to politics or government due to D.C.'s status as the nation's capital city. After much debate, “Capital” was chosen by majority vote because it fit perfectly with D.C.'s political identity and sounded like a great hockey team name!
Over time, fans began referring to them simply as “the Caps,” – which eventually became their official nickname today! The term itself is derived from two words: Capital + s = Caps, making it easy for everyone (especially those unfamiliar with hockey lingo)to remember this special NHL squad's moniker!
Not only does this nickname represent Washington on both political and sporting levels, but it also gives us insight into how creative people can be when choosing names that reflect their city or region – whether they're professional athletes or just everyday citizens alike! Ultimately though - whether you call them "Washington Capitals," "the Caps," or anything else - these guys will always remain true champions of our hearts...
Championship
Stanley Cup 1
2018
Arena
2018 – Present / Capital One Arena
2006 – 2017 / Verizon Center
1997 – 2006 / MCI Center
1974 – 1997 / Capital Centre
Owner
1999 – Present / Monumental Sports And Entertainment
1974 – 1999 / Abe Pollin
- 1974
- 1984
- 1997
- 2004
- 2018
-
Washington Capitals Team Formation
Along with the Kansas City Scouts, the Capitals joined the National Hockey League as an expansion team for the 1974 – 1975 season. The team was owned by Abe Pollin also the owner of the NBA’s Washington Bullets/Wizards until his death on November 24, 2009. Pollin had built the Capital Centre in suburban Landover, Maryland, to house both the Bullets, ... -
Save The Caps
By the summer of 1982, there was serious talk of the team moving out of the U.S. capital, and a “Save the Caps” campaign was underway. Then two significant events took place to solve the problem. First, the team hired David Poile as General Manager. Second, as his first move, Poile pulled off one of the largest trades in franchise ... -
Verizon Center Opens
The Verizon Center, formerly known as the MCI Center, is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C. The Verizon Center is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment and is situated on top of land leased from the District of Columbia. The Verizon Center was built in the mid-1990s solely with private financing and was originally owned by Abe Pollin ... -
Draft Alexander Ovechkin
In the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, the Capitals won the Draft Lottery, moving ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins who had 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 Moscow Dynamo. On December 20, 2013, in a game against ... -
Stanley Cup Winner 2017 – 2018
The 2018 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League (NHL)’s 2017 – 2018 season and the culmination of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Washington Capitals defeated the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights four games to one to win their first championship in their 44th season. The Vegas Golden Knights made ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in the District of Columbia. Founded in 1974, they are members of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference and compete in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Capitals have been one of the NHL's most successful franchises since their inception, winning nine division titles and four conference championships. They have also made it to three Stanley Cup Finals but lost each time.
Since the 1997-98 season, when they won their first division title after missing out on playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, Washington has been among NHL’s elite teams with five President's Trophy wins and six more division titles over two decades later. In the 2018-19 season, they finally ended 44 years of wait by clinching their first-ever Stanley Cup championship led by captain Alexander Ovechkin who was named Conn Smythe winner for his outstanding performance during the playoffs run, while coach Barry Trotz earned Jack Adams Award for the best coach that same year due to guiding Caps all way through finals despite being fired from a previous job with Nashville Predators just a few months earlier.
Sports Fan Products
Retired Number
5 / Rod Langway
7 / Yvon Labre
11 / Mike Gartner
32 / Dale Hunter
99 / Wayne Gretzky
*Blue is this team’s history