Adam Oates hired as Capitals coach

Team announces hiring of New Jersey Devils assistant, who spent six years in Washington as a player and on Tuesday was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

5 Seconds

00:00

June 27, 2012

Adam Oates, left, and General Manager George McPhee shake hands during a news conference at the Verizon Center, where Oates was introduced as the Capitals new head coach.

Mark Gail / THE WASHINGTON POST

June 27, 2012

The Capitals' new head coach Adam Oates speaks during a news conference in Washington.

Mark Gail / THE WASHINGTON POST

June 27, 2012

Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, left, shares a laugh with Oates at the news conference.

Mark Gail / THE WASHINGTON POST

Adam Oates, 49, was an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils each of the past two seasons. During his time with the Devils, Oates was responsible for the power play and also played an important role in helping Russian star Ilya Kovalchuk develop a two-way game.

Bruce Bennett / Getty Images

Oates has no prior head coaching experience at any level on his resume, but his stock as a potential candidate rose this past spring as the Devils advanced to the Stanley Cup final. He has spent a total of three years as an assistant coach in the NHL, serving in Tampa Bay in 2009-10 and each of the past two seasons in New Jersey.

Bruce Bennett / Getty Images

Oates rushes the net against the Penguins in 2001. He played for the Capitals from 1997-2002 and was named captain for the 1999-2000 season.

Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post

Oates recorded 1,420 points in 1,337 games over a 19-year NHL career that saw him play for the Capitals, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Mighty Ducks and Edmonton Oilers.

Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post

Before Tuesday's election to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Oates was the only player ranked in the top 10 (sixth) in career assists not to be enshrined.

Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post

Oates moves in to score on Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo in 2002.

Nick Wass / Associated Press

The Capitals traded Oates, right, to Philadelphia in March 2002 in exchange for goaltending prospect Maxime Ouellet and first-, second- and third-round draft picks.

Nick Wass / Associated Press

Peter Bondra and Oates celebrate a goal in 1999.

Rick Bowmer / The Washington Post

Oates is shown as a member of the Anaheim Ducks in 2003. He played in his second Stanley Cup final with the Ducks but they lost to the Devils in seven games.

Mike Blake / Reuters

In a conference call Tuesday, Oates acknowledged he'd had a pretty good day, between getting the Capitals coaching job and being elected to the Hall of Fame. "Absolutely fantastic day. I don’t know if that’s happened before," Oates said. "I’ve got to go out and play lotto, I think. Just two huge honors."

Kevork Kjansezian / Associated Press

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Statues on display on the Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden in The Great Pavilion at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show on May 21, 2013 in London, England. The Chelsea Flower Show run by the RHS celebrates its 100th birthday this year. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Photos of the day

Chelsea Flower Show, face transplant in Poland, Oklahoma residents cope with tornado aftermath and more.

Lea Bessinger salvages a picture of Jesus as she and her son Josh Bessinger sort through the rubble of the elder Bessinger's tornado-ravaged home Tuesday, May 21, 2013, in Moore, Okla. A huge tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburb Monday, flattening an entire neighborhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Tornado near Oklahoma City causes more damage

Rescue workers are searching for survivors after a twister carved a long path of destruction in a suburb of Oklahoma City. It was part of the...

ANNAPOLIS, MD - MAY 20: The Herndon Monument Climb is the traditional culmination of plebe year at the United States Naval Academy. The plebes climb to the top of the lard-covered 21 foot high monument and remove the 'dixie cup' hat at the top replacing it with an upperclassman's hat. After completing this, the freshmen are called 'fourth class midshipmen.' This class completed the task in 1 hour 32 minutes and 43 seconds. The hat was placed by Patrick Lien from Orlando. (Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

The Herndon Climb

The Herndon Monument climb is the traditional culmination of plebe year at the U.S. Naval Academy.

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 21: Ken Marino, Erica Oyama, Ben Stiller, Chris Harrison, and Mike Rosenstein aceept the Webby Award for 'Burning Love' at the 17th Annual Webby Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on May 21, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for The Webby Awards)

Eye on entertainment

Ben Stiller, Jerry Seinfeld, Emma Stone, Chainz, Tyrese Gibson, Susan Boyle and more.

This combination of Associated Press photos shows left, a neighborhood in Moore, Okla., in ruins on Tuesday, May 4, 1999, after a tornado flattened many houses and buildings in central Oklahoma, and right, flattened houses in Moore on Monday, May 20, 2013. Monday's powerful tornado in suburban Oklahoma City loosely followed the path of a killer twister that slammed the region in May 1999. (AP Photo)

Okla. tornado loosely followed path of 1999 twister

Monday’s powerful tornado in suburban Oklahoma City loosely followed the path of a killer twister that slammed the area in May 1999.

A Burrowing owl tries to perch on a protective rope in a public park in Cooper City, Fla. Monday, May 20, 2013 as rain falls. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Animal views

Fun and fascinating creatures around the world.

FILE - In this undated publicity file photo, members of the Doors, from left, John Densmore, Robbie Krieger, Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison, pose for a portrait. Manzarek, the keyboardist who was a founding member of The Doors, has died at 74. Publicist Heidi Robinson-Fitzgerald says in a news release that Manzarek died Monday, May 20, 2013, at the RoMed Clinic in Rosenheim, Germany, surrounded by his family. (AP Photo, File)

Ray Manzarek, founding member of the Doors, dies at 74

Manzarek co-founded the Doors after meeting then-poet Jim Morrison in California. The band went on to become one of the most successful rock-and-roll...

A man walks on sulphur and mineral salt formations near Dallol in the Danakil Depression, northern Ethiopia April 22, 2013. The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is one of the hottest and harshest environments on earth, with an average annual temperature of 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34.4 Celsius). For centuries, merchants have travelled there with caravans of camels to collect salt from the surface of the vast desert basin. The mineral is extracted and shaped into slabs, then loaded onto the animals before being transported back across the desert so that it can be sold around the country. Picture taken April 22, 2013. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola (ETHIOPIA - Tags: BUSINESS SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

ATTENTION EDITORS: PICTURE 2 OF 30 FOR PACKAGE 'ETHIOPIA'S ANCIENT SALT TRAIL'
SEARCH 'DANAKIL DEPRESSION' FOR ALL

Ethiopia’s salt trail

For centuries, merchants have traveled to Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression with caravans of camels to collect salt from the surface of the vast desert basin. The mineral is extracted...

Back to Previous Gallery

Discussion Policy | FAQ | About Discussions

Comments

Add your comment

Read what others are saying About Badges

SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.

More about badges | Request a badge

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Fact Checker Badge

Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Forum Badge

Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Weather Watcher Badge

Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts.

More about badges | Request a badge

World Watcher Badge

World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Contributor Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors aren’t staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

All comments are posted in the All Comments tab.

More about badges

Get a badge

To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.