WASHINGTON – Washington Capitals General Manager George McPhee said Monday that Dale Hunter has decided not to return to the Washington Capitals as coach.
Hunter, who replaced Bruce Boudreau on Nov. 28, signed a deal only for the remainder of the 2011-12 season, which ended for the Capitals when they lost to the New York Rangers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Saturday.
Hunter went 30-23-7 with the Caps, guiding them to seventh in the Eastern Conference, but the team seemed to improve as the postseason wore on, with the Capitals embracing Hunter’s defense-first system. They beat the second-seeded and defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round and pushed the top-seeded New York Rangers to the brink in the second round.
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