Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis commented on the team’s season on social media Friday, just days after their 2025-26 campaign wrapped up on Tuesday night with a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets — a game he attended in person at Nationwide Arena so that he could see Alex Ovechkin’s potential final NHL game.
The Capitals finished with a 43-30-9 record (95 standings points) and missed the playoffs for the first time under head coach Spencer Carbery. The team struggled with Pierre-Luc Dubois out injured for much of the season, facing major bouts of inconsistency and notably going without two straight victories between December 5 and January 31.
While it’s disappointing to see the 2025–26 season come to an end earlier than we had hoped, I could not be prouder of the resilience our @Capitals players displayed throughout the year.
One of the most encouraging aspects of this season was the progress of our young players, several of whom made their @NHL debuts. We believe strongly in the foundation we have in place, and our emerging talent will only continue to develop and strengthen our team in the seasons ahead.
As I shared last week, we will fully support our captain, @ovi8, and give him the time he needs to determine his playing future. I want to sincerely thank the @penguins organization, as well as Sidney Crosby. Our final home game of the season – the 100th matchup between Ovi and Crosby – will forever hold a meaningful place in our organization’s history.
To our fans: thank you. Your energy and passion are the heartbeat of this franchise.
I look forward to seeing you back at @CapitalOneArena this fall! #ALLCAPS
Leonsis’s focus on the future comes after the team went 8-2-0 in their final 10 games, with top prospects Cole Hutson and Ilya Protas both making their NHL debuts in the final month of the season. Ivan Miroshnichenko, after a call-up from Hershey, also played every night down the stretch, while goaltender Clay Stevenson started the team’s final game of the season.
The Capitals also got big contributions from rookies Ryan Leonard (20g, 25a) and Justin Sourdif (15g, 20a) throughout the season.
