Washington Capitals on the lookout after Coach Dale Hunter ends short tenure -NHL Update
Washington Capitals probably had one of the worst National Hockey League (NHL) regular seasons in recent years but newly inducted coach, Dale Hunter, certainly managed to make them one of the most favourite teams for the Stanley Cup in 2012 as they knocked
out defending champions, Boston Bruins in round-one.
"It wasn't unexpected," Washington general manager, George McPhee, said. "I've always talked to Dale over the years about coaching this club. We knew that he may not be able to go beyond this year. He did a great job of coming in and helping us out."
In his short lived tenure as the team’s head coach, Dale Hunter was a gem, which Washington has now lost as he recently quite after Capitals were eliminated from the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals by New York Rangers in Game 7, but due to personal reasons
and nothing team related.
"I came in with a little different philosophy," Hunter said. "The work ethic and commitment the players (gave) down the stretch and in the playoffs... We took a very good team to game seven and anything could have happened."
Now, as the offseason progresses for Washington, they will be looking for another man to takeover and lead the team to the greatness they have been yearning for year after year.
Washington has now acquired a great goaltender in the form of Braden Holtby, who is certainly a promising youngster looking for long term success with the team. There are just a number of factors that Washington faces that stand in their way of winning a
Stanley Cup.
Whoever the new coach will be, he must realise those weaknesses and change the situation before they take a toll on the remaining players on the team. Alexander Semin is one player who has already announced that he will not be joining the team for the next
season and is ready to test the free agent market when his contract expires in July of this year.
It will be exciting to see who the third Washington Capitals coach becomes in just two years, since looking at the stats; it does not look too promising.
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