Adam Oates is returning to the Washington Capitals.
As first reported by Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, the Capitals have hired Oates as the team’s next head coach.
#Cap set to name Adam Oates next head coach in Wash.
— Nick Kypreos (@RealKyper) June 26, 2012
Oates spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils, where he helped guide the team to an Eastern Conference title this season. He also spent one season as an assistant with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2009-10.
Sportsnet’s John Shannon reported that Oates had an integral role with the success of Russian superstar Ilya Kovalchuk in New Jersey, so there was an obvious fit with the Capitals and Alex Ovechkin.
The Capitals were looking for a new head coach after Dale Hunter resigned following the 2011-12 season. He returned to the London Knights of the OHL after helping guide the Capitals past the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the New York Rangers in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The 49-year-old Oates played 19 seasons in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers. In 1,337 career games, Oates compiled 341 goals, 1,079 assists and is widely considered one of the best passers in the history of the league.
He helped lead the Capitals to the Stanley Cup final in 1997-98, but the team fell short to the Red Wings.
“I know a lot about him as a player,” the Capitals’ Troy Brouwer said in Chicago, where he’s attending union meetings. “Obviously, being inducted into the Hall of Fame helps his credibility and his stature, but guys already know that he was able to do a lot of good things in his career. He was able to be a good offensive impact player on any team that he played for, and I think he’s probably going to bring some of that mentality to our team.”
Brouwer was actually hoping the job would go to Mike Haviland, an assistant in Chicago when he played there. Haviland was recently fired by the Blackhawks.
“He’s had a lot of influence in my hockey career,” Brouwer said. “I guess they went with Oates, and it was obviously a decision that they felt was best for the team. Any decision that they’re going to make I think is going to be the one that they feel is going to propel the team into a good category.”
Oates is the fifth consecutive first-time NHL head coach hired by general manager George McPhee during McPhee’s 15 years with the Capitals, following Bruce Cassidy, Glen Hanlon, Boudreau and Hunter.
“Adam was a highly intelligent player in the NHL for 19 seasons,” McPhee said in a statement released by the club. “He has been an assistant coach in our conference for the past three seasons and is prepared to lead our club as head coach.”
–With files from The Associated Press
