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Capitals hire Toronto assistant Spencer Carbery as next head coach

Capitals hire Spencer Carbery as next head coach originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

The Washington Capitals have found their next bench boss.

Spencer Carbery has been hired as the Capitals’ new head coach, the team announced on Tuesday. He replaces Peter Laviolette, with whom the team mutually parted ways following the 2022-23 campaign after three seasons.

“We are extremely pleased to name Spencer as our new head coach,” general manager Brian MacLellan said in a statement. “Spencer is one of the best young coaches in the game who’s had success at every level at which he has coached. We feel his leadership, communication skills, ability to develop players and familiarity with our organization will be a tremendous asset as he makes this next step in his coaching career.”

Carbery, 41, spent the previous two seasons as an assistant for the Maple Leafs, primarily responsible for orchestrating Toronto’s power play unit. The Maple Leafs scored on 26% of their power plays in 2022-23, the second-best mark in the NHL only behind Edmonton. Toronto had the league’s best power play in 2021-22, converting 27.3% of man-advantage opportunities in Carbery’s first year on the job.

Carbery’s experience and connection to the franchise made him an obvious candidate to fill the vacancy. He began his coaching career as an assistant for the South Carolina Stingrays, Washington’s ECHL affiliate. From 2018-2021, Carbery returned to the Capitals’ organization and served as the head coach of the Hershey Bears, the team’s AHL affiliate, before getting his first NHL coaching opportunity with Toronto.

In Washington, Carbery will be tasked to help lead the Capitals back to the playoffs after the franchise missed out on the postseason for the first time in nine years. The Capitals have made a commitment to Alex Ovechkin to remain competitive while he tries to pass Wayne Gretzky on the NHL’s all-time goals list. Ovechkin enters the 2023-24 season 72 goals away from tying Gretzky’s record.

“It’s a tremendous honor and privilege to be named the head coach of the Washington Capitals,” Carbery said. “I would like to thank the Capitals organization for affording me the opportunity to lead this team. I look forward to working with this group of talented players and building upon the winning culture in place. I would also like to thank the Toronto Maple Leafs organization for all their support over the past two years and wish them all the best in the future.”