Longtime Washington Capitals fans will undoubtedly remember this player in the antiquated rust bucket for being a decent scorer and a tough customer who wore the captain's C during the Capitals' Stanley Cup Finals run of 1998. Current era Capitals fans can now call this player the new head coach of the team. This morning, Bruce Boudreau was given his walking papers and it didn't take the Caps long to name a replacement in Dale Hunter. In the midst of a struggle, both on the ice and a well-publicized rift between Boudreau and star player Alexander Ovechkin, this move was not unexpected. However, there had also been talks of other teams making this change first, most notably the Columbus Blue Jackets (who are now on a bit of a points streak), Carolina Hurricanes (long overdue, in my opinion), and the New York Islanders (I wouldn't be surprised if it happened before Christmas). Hunter will bring some credibility as a coach, having been appointed away from the London Knights of the OHL, where he was coaching, and as a former captain, perhaps he will help in the locker room, as well. Washington is far too good of a team to be in this kind of free fall, and that falls on the head coach.
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