Washington Capitals announce Adam Oates as new Head Coach -NHL offseason Update
Tuesday, June 26, 2012, could not have been any better for former player, Adam Oates, who was hired by Washington Capitals as their new head coach along with being nominated as the newest member in the Hockey Hall of Fame later on.
Oates might have known that it would be the day that he would be called in for the top coaching job in Washington, but being inducted into the Hall of Fame was probably something he did not expect to happen at all.
"Not a bad day," Oates said. "I haven't had too many days like this in my career."
Washington Capitals’ general manager, George McPhee, made the announcement earlier on Tuesday about the induction of the Hall of Famer on their team as the new head coach.
"We are very pleased to name Adam Oates as the new head coach of the Washington Capitals," GM McPhee said. "Adam was a highly intelligent player in the NHL for 19 seasons. He has been an assistant coach in our conference for the past three seasons and is
prepared to lead our club as head coach."
Previously, Oates had been working as the assistant coach of the New Jersey Devils this past National Hockey League (NHL) regular season and with Tampa Bay Lightning the one before it.
Obviously, Adam Oates had always wanted to become a head coach eventually, but it was just a matter of time.
"It's something that he wanted and I'm just glad it worked out for him," Devils GM, Lou Lamoriello, told The (Bergen) Record. "He's been great for us, solid in every way and it's a great opportunity for him. We're totally supportive of it."
Being a Hall of Famer is no easy task and it is definitely proof that Adam Oates is capable enough of handling even the most difficult of tasks. His stint with New Jersey went pretty well as they made the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, but lost in Game 6 to Los
Angeles Kings.
Washington Capitals is definitely a team with much potential and now, it will certainly be a test for Adam Oates to see whether he can release their inner powers next season or not.
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