Washington Capitals Fire Bruce Boudreau, Hire Retired Captain Dale Hunter

Retired Washington captain Dale Hunter will take over as coach for the 12-9-1 Capitals. Hunter has been coaching the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League since retiring in 2000. The Knights won the Memorial Cup under Hunter in 2005. Hunter is the only player in NHL history to score 1,000 points and earn 3,000 penalty minutes in his career.

Hunter has his work cut out for him as the Capitals are currently in the middle of a 5-9-1 skid following a 7-0 start. It was early in the swoon when Boudreau sat Alex Ovechkin in an OT victory. If the playoffs started today, Washington would be the 8th seed in the East. They have as many points (25) as the Devils and have just one more point than the Lightning, Senators and Canadiens. Presumably, the Capitals will not take a first round exit quite as passively under Hunter.