The Washington Capitals‘ leadership committee for the 2026-27 season was finalized on Thursday, a day before the team hits the road for its season-opening game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Alex Ovechkin will serve as the Capitals’ captain for an 18th season, making him the third-longest-tenured captain in NHL history, behind only Sidney Crosby and Steve Yzerman. Ovechkin was originally named captain on January 5, 2010, during the 2009–10 season, ahead of a game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Tom Wilson will wear the “A” full time, while forward Dylan Strome and defenseman Matt Roy will share part-time duties with the second letter: Strome will wear the “A” at home while Roy will wear it on the road.
Both Strome and Roy held those responsibilities temporarily last season due to injury and after the trade deadline, when veterans Nic Dowd and John Carlson were traded. Carlson, arguably the greatest defenseman in Capitals history, served as a Capitals alternate captain for parts of seven seasons after first joining the leadership group in 2019–20.
The nod marks the first time both Strome and Roy will hold the A’s for a full NHL season. Strome, 29, is entering his fifth season with the Capitals, while this will be the 31-year-old Roy’s third after spending the previous six seasons with the Los Angeles Kings.
“Roysie, he’s a guy all the guys love in the room,” Jakob Chychrun said earlier in training camp. “He’s just a great, great person, great guy, works really hard, just a great sense of humor. Someone I’ve really enjoyed spending time with away from the rink, off the ice, and on the ice he’s just a competitor. Works hard, does all the little things right, doesn’t cheat the game, and he’s a really fun guy to play with. I think we’re just continuing to get better together and communicate and, you know, be better in all areas of the ice together, so it’s a fun pairing.”
Before joining the Capitals’ leadership group, Strome had not regularly worn a letter since his junior career with the OHL’s Erie Otters. He served as an alternate captain in 2014-15 before taking over as captain the following season after Connor McDavid departed for his rookie year with the Edmonton Oilers. He got his first opportunity with an “A” in Washington during the 2024-25 preseason.
“It’s important for him now to take that next step in his career and assume a leadership role,” Carbery said then of Strome. “He does a lot of good things on the ice. We see the production and all that stuff. But his impact off the ice and in the locker room is only going to grow.”
Wilson, believed to be the Capitals’ next captain, first wore an “A” during the 2016 preseason. He debuted with the letter in a regular-season game in 2021 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and became a full-time alternate captain in 2024–25.
