Shanahan Suspends Ovechkin : January 24, 2012

NHL executive for the department of player safety Brendan Shanahan continued to prove himself as the league's disciplinarian tonight when he suspended Washington forward, and NHL superstar Alex Ovechkin for...

Washington Celebrate Defensive Style? : January 19, 2012

The Washington Capitals secured an important 3-0 win over Montreal on Wednesday night. It was a win that moved them to the top of the Southeast division and it emphasised...

Pittsburgh and Washington In Unfamiliar Positions : January 12, 2012

The rivalry between Pittsburgh and Washington has been one of the most enjoyable to watch since the lockout. Few will forget their incredible seven-game series in the 2009 playoffs. The...

Alexander Ovechkin Returns To Form : January 05, 2012

Washington Capitals' captain and premier player Alexander Ovechkin has drawn a lot of headlines during his career so far. In his first five season, those headlines were almost exclusively focused...

Hunter’s Washington Still Looking For Answers : December 27, 2011

After a sub-par start to the season, the Washington Capitals would have hoped to have turned over a new leaf following the Christmas break. However, conceding four goals in the...

Karl Alzner, John Carlson Performing for Capitals Again : December 17, 2011

Last season rookie defensemen John Carlson and Karl Alzner earned rave reviews for their strong performance as the Capitals shutdown pair, and for their part in turning around what was...

Washington Capitals at the top of NHL Standings : October 24, 2011

Just over 2 weeks into the 2011/12 NHL Season, the Washington Capitals have begun the year a perfect 7-0-0. Their latest win came against a previous unbeaten team--the Detroit RedWings,...

Five Teams Under Pressure For The 2011/12 Season : October 03, 2011

The Preseason has ended for many of the NHL teams, and it is time to look at 5 teams that will be under immense pressure during the 2011/12 NHL season. #5...

Washington Capitals Believe Vokoun Is Their Key To A Stanley Cup : September 12, 2011

The Washington Capitals have achieved great regular season success the last few years, however, the Capitals remain to disappoint in the Playoffs. GM George McPhee made goaltending his highest priority during...

washington capitals History

The National Hockey League (NHL) team the Washington Capitals are based out of Washington, D.C. The team plays in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division. The Capitals were founded in 1974. In 1988-89, Washington won their conference championship and reached the Stanley Cup Finals. The team has won a total of 7 division championships and 1 President Trophy in 2009-10 for being the team to score the most points during the regular season.

The Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts joined the NHL as expansion teams in 1974-75. Abe Pollin (who also owned the Washington Bullets of the NBA) was the owner of the Capitals until he died in 2009. Throughout the 1970s into the early 1980s, Washington struggled. Then in 1982 the team pulled off a big trade with the Montreal Canadiens which helped to turn the franchise around. In 1983, the Capitals made the playoffs for the first time and appeared in the post season for 14 years in a row. In 1997-98, Washington was the Eastern Conference championship. The Capitals made it into the Stanley Cup finals before being swept by the Detroit Red Wings in four games.

The Capitals in 1997 moved from Capital Centre in the suburbs to the Verizon Center in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Since 1999 the team has been owned by Ted Leonsis, a former AOL executive. He has helped to revitalize the franchise through the drafting of star players like Alexander Semin, Mike Green, Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Ovechkin as well as hiring Bruce Boudreau as the team's head coach.