Washington Capitals

About the Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals joined the NHL in 1974 as an expansion franchise alongside the Kansas City Scouts.

The Capitals endured a difficult beginning, winning only eight games during their inaugural 1974-75 season. The organization gradually improved, however, and eventually developed into a consistent playoff contender.

Washington reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 1998 and captured the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history 20 years later.

Division History

When the Capitals entered the NHL in 1974, they were placed in the Norris Division of the Prince of Wales Conference.

League realignment in 1981 moved Washington into the Patrick Division, where the Capitals developed rivalries with teams including the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers.

When the NHL adopted geographic conference and division names in 1993, Washington became a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference.

Another realignment in 1998 moved the Capitals into the Southeast Division.

Washington remained in the Southeast until 2013, when another league reorganization placed the Capitals in the newly created Metropolitan Division, where they remain today.

The exception was the shortened 2020-21 season, when the NHL temporarily reorganized its divisions and Washington competed in the East Division.

Championship History

The Capitals reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time during the 1982-83 season.

Washington developed into a regular postseason participant but spent years trying to make a deep playoff run. The franchise finally reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 1998.

The Capitals defeated the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres before facing the Detroit Red Wings in the championship series. Detroit swept Washington in four games.

A new era of sustained success began after the arrival of Alex Ovechkin in the mid-2000s.

Washington won the Presidents' Trophy for the first time in 2009-10 after finishing with an NHL-best 121 points. The Capitals added Presidents' Trophies in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

The franchise finally broke through in 2018.

Washington defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins before eliminating the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games in the Eastern Conference Final.

The Capitals then faced the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final. After losing Game 1, Washington won four consecutive games to capture the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.

Ovechkin received the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs.

The Capitals won five consecutive Metropolitan Division championships from 2015-16 through 2019-20, the longest run of division titles in franchise history.

Washington added another Metropolitan Division championship in 2024-25, finishing first in the Eastern Conference with 111 points. The Capitals defeated the Montreal Canadiens in the opening round before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.

Washington has won 14 division championships, three Presidents' Trophies, two conference championships and one Stanley Cup.

The Capitals' Home

The Capitals play their home games at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, D.C.

When Washington joined the NHL in 1974, the team played at Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. The arena remained the Capitals' home for more than two decades.

The franchise moved into a new downtown arena in December 1997. Originally known as MCI Center, the building later became Verizon Center before adopting the Capital One Arena name in 2017.

Capital One Arena was the home of the Capitals during their 2018 Stanley Cup championship season and remains the center of the franchise's presence in Washington.

Notable Capitals

Alex Ovechkin became the greatest goal scorer in NHL history during his career with the Capitals.

Washington selected Ovechkin with the first overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, and he immediately established himself as one of the league's premier offensive players.

Ovechkin won the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year and has collected numerous major awards during his career, including multiple Hart Trophies as league MVP, Art Ross and Ted Lindsay awards, and a record number of Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies as the NHL's leading goal scorer.

His defining team achievement came in 2018, when he captained Washington to its first Stanley Cup and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

On April 6, 2025, Ovechkin scored the 895th regular-season goal of his NHL career to surpass Wayne Gretzky and become the league's all-time goals leader.

Nicklas Backstrom became one of the greatest playmakers in Capitals history after Washington selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2006 NHL Draft.

The Swedish center spent his entire NHL career with Washington and recorded 271 goals, a franchise-record 762 assists and 1,033 points in 1,105 regular-season games.

Backstrom formed a highly productive partnership with Ovechkin for more than a decade and played a major role in Washington's 2018 Stanley Cup championship.

After stepping away from NHL play because of ongoing hip problems, Backstrom returned to his native Sweden in 2025 to continue his playing career with Brynas.

Peter Bondra was Washington's leading goal scorer before the Ovechkin era.

Bondra spent parts of 14 seasons with the Capitals and recorded 472 goals and 825 points for the franchise.

He led the NHL in goals twice and played a major role in Washington's first trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 1998. Bondra scored one of the most important goals in franchise history when his third-period goal in Game 6 against Buffalo helped send the Capitals to the Final.

Rod Langway helped transform the Capitals into a playoff team after arriving in Washington in a major trade with the Montreal Canadiens in 1982.

Known as the “Secretary of Defense,” Langway won consecutive Norris Trophies as the NHL's top defenseman in 1983 and 1984.

He served as Capitals captain for more than a decade and helped establish a defensive identity that contributed to the franchise's first extended period of postseason success.

Washington retired Langway's No. 5 in 1997.

Braden Holtby became the defining goaltender of the Capitals' championship era.

Holtby won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender in 2016 and shared the league record at the time with 48 regular-season victories during the 2015-16 campaign.

He played a central role in Washington's 2018 Stanley Cup run and produced one of the most famous saves in franchise history late in Game 2 of the Final against Vegas.

John Carlson became the most productive defenseman in franchise history during his long career with Washington.

Carlson scored the overtime goal that won the 2010 World Junior Championship for the United States before establishing himself as a fixture on the Capitals' blue line. He later helped Washington win the 2018 Stanley Cup and became the franchise's all-time leader in points by a defenseman.

Other prominent players in Capitals history include Mike Gartner, Dale Hunter, Olaf Kolzig, Scott Stevens, Sergei Gonchar, T.J. Oshie and Tom Wilson.