Washington Capitals Coach Dale Hunter informed his General Manager George McPhee during a meeting on Monday morning that he will be resigning as head coach for the hockey team. On Monday, the former head coach said, “This was a tough decision. It was the right thing for me and my family.” Hunter was with the Capitals since November 28, after he replaced Bruce Boudreau, who was fired. Hunter, who signed a one year contract when he was hired, gained a 37-37 record and directed the Capitals within a game of advancing to the franchise’s first Eastern Conference finals in 14 years.
Speaking on breakdown day at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, McPhee said, “Dale and I met about 10 o’clock and he let me know that he will not be able to return as the coach. He’s going to head back to London [Ontario]. I guess we’re all fathers and sons and husbands first before anything else, and if we have our priorities right in this life, family comes first. And Dale needs to go home.” When asked if he tried to persuade Hunter to stay, he responded, “There’s no gray in Dale’s life. He’s very decisive. The only thing I asked Dale was, ‘Does this have anything to do with anything that’s going on here?’ He said, ‘Absolutely not. He loved it here. This is his team.’”
