- 1974
- 1984
- 1997
- 2004
- 2018
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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 ...
History of the Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, and is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, headed by Ted Leonsis. The Capitals initially played their home games at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, before moving to the arena now known as Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. in 1997.
The Capitals were founded in 1974 as an expansion franchise, alongside the Kansas City Scouts, and struggled throughout its first eight years of existence. In 1982, David Poile was hired as general manager, helping to turn the franchise's fortunes around. With a core of players such as Mike Gartner, Rod Langway, Larry Murphy, and Scott Stevens, the Capitals became a regular playoff contender for the next fourteen seasons. After purchasing the team in 1999, Leonsis revitalized the franchise by drafting star players such as Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson, and Braden Holtby. The 2009–10 Capitals won the franchise's first 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 for the third time the following season in 2016–17. In addition to 12 division titles and three Presidents' Trophies, the Capitals have reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998 and 2018, winning in the latter.
Established
1974
City
Washington D.C.
League History
1974 – Present / National Hockey League
Team History
1974 – Present / Washington Capitals
Nickname
Capitals – Washington owner Abe Pollin decided on the perfectly apt nickname Capitals after staging a name-the-team contest.
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
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.
Retired Number
5 / Rod Langway
7 / Yvon Labre
11 / Mike Gartner
32 / Dale Hunter
99 / Wayne Gretzky
*Blue is this team’s history