In a move that caught many Washington Capitals fans by surprise, Olaf Kolzig has announced he will not return to the team next season. Kolzig, who had spent his entire 17-year career with the Caps, didn't appreciate how the organization treated him at the end of the year and has decided to go a different direction. Whether the 38-year-old netminder will retire or attempt to catch on with another team remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is his time in Washington has come to a close.
Kolzig was extremely disappointed when the Capitals acquired goaltender Cristobal Huet from the Montreal Canadiens at the trade deadline. After initially splitting games, Huet was handed the starting job and didn't disappoint, posting an 11-2 record, a 1.63 goals-against average, and a sparkling .936 save percentage in leading the Caps to a late-season run that saw the team come from nowhere to claim the Southeast Division crown.
When the Caps opened the playoffs, Huet was again the man in net. And even when the team fell behind 3-1 in their first-round series with the Philadelphia Flyers, Huet remained the man, rallying the Caps to force a decisive Game Seven in Washington before falling in overtime.
Kolzig apparently took everything as an insult. He was particularly upset when he didn't get a chance to start Game Five. Never mind that he had a pitiful .892 save percentage on the season, he still expected to play over Huet. It's an unfortunate ending to an otherwise stellar career.
