Not to be confused with the previous Washington Capitols basketball team, the Washington Capitals are the NHL franchise based in the nation's capitol. The Capitals were incorporated for the 1974-75 season as an expansion franchise along with the Kansas City Scouts, and have remained in the city for the duration of their existence. The team has struggled over the years, earning more than a few division championships and a single conference win, but so far the Stanley Cup has eluded them.
When the Capitals were first incorporated, the situation was a bleak one. Between the NHL and its rival World Hockey Association, there were thirty professional hockey teams and not nearly enough professional-level players to go around. Their first season was a bleak one, with only eight wins and a whopping 67 losses, setting a .131 winning percentage that remains an all-time low in the NHL.
Things changed in 1982 with the hiring of David Poile as manager. He immediately pulled off one of the biggest trades in the franchise's history, bringing a number of solid defensive players to the team and strategically working that year's draft. The result was a third-place finish in the division, and the following year saw the Capitals reach the playoffs - a feat they'd repeat for fourteen years running.
The team hit another lull in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and returned to the cellar of their division. Recently, however, their fortunes have been improving, and the 2007-2008 season saw the team post their first winning record in a number of years. Fans hope the rebuilding will allow the Capitals to reach the playoffs again soon, and possibly win that elusive Stanley Cup.
