After spending his entire National Hockey League career with the Washington Capitals, Olaf Kolzig left the team as a free agent following the past season. He is thought of as one of the best and most popular players to ever play for the franchise, and will be missed by his teammates and the fans. He has been one of the staples of the franchise since being drafted in 1989, and his departure will definitely be noticed this upcoming season.
Olaf Kolzig began his career as a backup goalie, and, after the injury to Bill Ranford in 1996 forced him into the starting lineup, he became the starting goalie for the Capitals until 2008. His first full season as goalie he helped lead the team to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they were swept by the Red Wings. One of his best seasons came in 2000, when he won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie. He played in the 1998 Winter Olympics for the German team, and was also part of the German World Cup team in 2004.
Even though Kolzig will now be playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning after signing a 1-year contract, he will always be considered a Washington Capital by many fans. He received the most votes in a 2004 poll, in which the team asked fans to vote for the top 30 players in franchise history to celebrate their 30th season in the league.
