Spencer Carbery - Head Coach

Spencer Carbery is entering his third season as head coach of the Washington Capitals. Through his first two seasons as head coach, Carbery compiled a record of 91-53-20 (.616 point percentage).

Last season, Carbery won the Jack Adams Award, presented annually to the head coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success”. Carbery, who won the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL's outstanding coach in 2020-21 with the Hershey Bears and the John Brophy Coach of The Year Award in 2013-14 with the South Carolina Stingrays, is the first coach ever to win coach of the year awards in the NHL, AHL, and ECHL.

Carbery guided the Capitals to a record of 51-22-9 (111 points) during the 2024-25 season, as the team finished first in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference, and second in the NHL. The Capitals improved by 20 points in Carbery’s second season behind the bench (2023-24: 40-31-11, 91 points), which marked the third-largest point improvement by a team from 2023-24 to 2024-25 (Columbus: +23; Anaheim: +21). Washington’s 51 wins and 111 points were the fourth most in a single season in franchise history, behind only the team’s Presidents' Trophy campaigns in 2009-10 (54-15-13, 121 points), 2015-16 (56-18-8, 120 points), and 2016-17 (55-19-8, 118 points). Under Carbery, Washington also won its first playoff series since 2018 in 2025.

Prior to joining Toronto, Carbery served as head coach of Washington’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate the Hershey Bears for three seasons from 2018 to 2021. Under Carbery, Hershey posted a combined record of 104-50-9-8 (.658 point percentage), including an AHL-best 24-7-2-0 record (.758 point percentage) in his final season behind the Bears’ bench in 2020-21. Carbery received the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL’s outstanding coach for the 2020-21 season, becoming the fifth coach in Hershey franchise history to win the award. During his three-year tenure with Hershey, Carbery coached and aided in the development of several players that appeared in games with the Capitals during the 2022-23 season, including Martin Fehervary, Aliaksei Protas, Connor McMichael, Alex Alexeyev, Beck Malenstyn, Lucas Johansen and Joe Snively.
 
The Victoria, British Columbia native spent five seasons as head coach and director of hockey operations for the South Carolina Stingrays from 2011 to 2016, with the Stingrays serving as the Capitals’ ECHL affiliate in Carbery’s final two seasons in South Carolina. Carbery compiled a record of 207-115-38, leading the Stingrays to the Kelly Cup Playoffs in each of his five seasons. In total, Carbery guided South Carolina to two division titles, two Eastern Conference Finals appearances and a Kelly Cup Finals appearance in 2015. In 2013-14, Carbery won the John Brophy Coach of The Year Award after leading the Stingrays to their first division title since 2000-01. Carbery is one of four coaches to ever win coach of the year awards at both the AHL and ECHL levels.
 
In addition to his time with the Maple Leafs, Bears and Stingrays, Carbery served as head coach of the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in 2016-17 and was an assistant coach with the AHL’s Providence Bruins in 2017-18.
 
Carbery, whose coaching career began in 2010-11 as an assistant coach with South Carolina, played parts of two seasons with the Stingrays and helped the team capture the Kelly Cup in 2009. That same season, Carbery was honored as the Stingrays’ inaugural Jerry Zucker Community Service Award winner for his work in the Lowcountry community. Carbery, a forward, played 181 games over three ECHL seasons with Bakersfield, Stockton, Fresno and South Carolina and 63 games in the CHL with Tulsa. Carbery graduated from St. Norbert College, where he played for three seasons after playing one season at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Carbery and his wife, Casey, have two children, Hudson and Vivian.

Scott Allen - Assistant Coach

Scott Allen, 59, is entering his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Capitals and his 30th season of coaching professional hockey. Allen is responsible for the Capitals’ penalty kill, which ranked tied for fourth in the NHL in penalty kill percentage last season (82.0). Washington owns the seventh-highest penalty-kill percentage (81.0) in the League since Allen joined the staff in 2022-23.

Prior to joining Washington, Allen spent three seasons with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL). With Hershey, Allen served as an assistant coach for two seasons before being named the Bears’ head coach ahead of the 2021-22 season. Under Allen, Hershey finished with a record of 34-32-6-4, clinching a Calder Cup Playoff berth, and ranked tied for 11th in the AHL in goals against (209).

The New Bedford, Massachusetts native has coached professionally for 30 consecutive seasons, including assistant positions with the New York Islanders (2009-12), the Florida Panthers (2016-17) and the Arizona Coyotes (2017-19). With Arizona, Allen worked with the Coyotes’ defensemen and penalty kill. During the 2018-19 season, Arizona ranked tied for first in the NHL in penalty kill percentage (85.0) and tied for fifth in goals against per game (2.68). In Allen’s one season with Florida, the Panthers finished with the second-best penalty kill percentage in the NHL (85.3). Additionally, Allen has coached in the AHL for 14 seasons.
 
Allen played professionally for 10 seasons in the All-American Hockey League, Atlantic Coast Hockey League, Colonial Hockey League, Central Hockey League and ECHL. Allen, a forward, won back-to-back Kelly Cups with the Carolina Thunderbirds in 1989 and the Greensboro Monarchs in 1990.
 
Allen and his wife, Traci, have two daughters: Mackenzie and Camryn.

Kirk Muller - Assistant Coach

Kirk Muller, 59, is entering his third season as an assistant coach with the Capitals and his 20th as an NHL coach. Muller is responsible for the Capitals’ power play and forwards. Washington’s power-play percentage jumped from 20.6 percent in 2023-24 to 23.5 percent last season.

The Kingston, Ontario native joined the Capitals after spending the previous two seasons as an associate coach with the Calgary Flames. In addition, Muller served two stints with the Montreal Canadiens as an assistant coach (2006-11) and as an associate coach (2016-21) and spent two seasons with the St. Louis Blues as an assistant coach (2014-16). Muller also served as head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes (2011-14) and the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Milwaukee Admirals (2011). Muller’s teams have qualified for the playoffs 10 times, including two conference final appearances (Montreal: 2010; St. Louis: 2016), and have ranked in the top 10 in power-play percentage seven times. During Muller’s tenure in St. Louis, the Blues owned the NHL’s third-highest power-play percentage (21.9 percent).

Internationally, Muller was an assistant coach for Canada at the 2012 and 2019 IIHF World Championships, earning a silver medal in 2019 along with Capitals forward Dylan Strome. Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Muller appeared in 1,349 games over 19 NHL seasons with the New Jersey Devils, Montreal, New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars, recording 959 points (357g, 602a). Muller, the second overall pick in the 1984 NHL Draft, won the Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1993.

Muller and his wife, Stacey, have four daughters, Brittney, Kourtney, Bryelle and Kira.

Kenny McCudden - Assistant Coach & Skills Coach

Kenny McCudden, 63, is entering his third season as assistant coach-skills coach with the Capitals.

Nine Capitals recorded career highs in points during the 2024-25 season, including Dylan Strome, Aliaksei Protas, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Tom Wilson and Connor McMichael.

McCudden joined the Capitals from the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he spent eight seasons as an assistant coach (2015-2023). During his eight seasons with Columbus, McCudden worked closely with Blue Jackets players, including Seth Jones, Cam Atkinson, Zach Werenski, Josh Anderson and Oliver Bjorkstrand, who all registered career highs in points during his tenure. In 2016-2017, McCudden was part of Jack Adams Award winner John Tortorella’s coaching staff.

A Chicago native, McCudden joined the Blue Jackets in 2015 as a skills coach after spending 16 seasons as the skating and skills coach for the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Chicago Wolves.

With Chicago, McCudden helped the Wolves advance to the 2005 Calder Cup Finals and capture the Calder Cup championship in 2008. In 2019, McCudden was inducted into the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame.

McCudden has worked with numerous NHL players and prospects as a skills coach and instructed at development camps for the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Thrashers. In addition, McCudden served as the skating and skills coach for the United States Women’s National Team from 2011-14 and as a scout for the silver medal-winning squad at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

McCudden and his wife, Cathy, reside in Woodstock, Ill. during the summer.

Scott Murray - Goaltending Coach

Scott Murray is entering his ninth season as the Capitals’ goaltending coach. Over the last eight seasons, Capitals goaltenders have combined for 344 wins, the ninth-most in the NHL.

Last season, Murray worked with goaltenders Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren. Thompson won a career-high 31 games in 2024-25 and ranked in the top 10 in goals-against average (2.49) and save percentage (.910), while Lindgren reached the 20-win mark for the second straight season. Thompson and Lindgren became the second set of teammates in franchise history to each earn 20 wins in the same season.

During the Capitals’ 2017-18 Stanley Cup-winning season, Murray helped Braden Holtby set a franchise record for most wins in the postseason and lead all goalies in goals-against average (2.16) during the playoffs.

Prior to joining the Capitals, Murray spent four seasons with Washington’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Hershey Bears. Murray joined Hershey in 2013 after spending four seasons as the goaltending coach for the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League. Murray, 47, played hockey collegiately at Lake Superior State University. The St. Clements, Ontario, native also played for the San Angelo Saints (Central Hockey League) and Motor City Mechanics (United Hockey League) during his professional career.

Murray and his wife Renee have three children, a son Tylar, and two daughters, Ella and Liv.

During the Capitals’ 2017-18 Stanley Cup-winning season, Murray helped Braden Holtby set a franchise record for most wins in the postseason and lead all NHL goalies in goals-against average (2.16) during the playoffs.
 
Murray joined the Capitals organization in 2013 after spending four seasons as the goaltending coach for the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League. Murray, 44, played hockey collegiately at Lake Superior State University. The St. Clements, Ontario, native also played for the San Angelo Saints (Central Hockey League) and Motor City Mechanics (United Hockey League) during his professional career.
 
Murray and his wife Renee have three children, a son Tylar, and two daughters, Ella and Liv.

Patrick Wellar - Assistant Coach

Patrick Wellar, 41, is in his first season as an assistant coach with the Capitals. Wellar works primarily with the Capitals' defensemen.

Wellar joined Washington after spending the previous seven seasons as an assistant coach with the Capitals’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Hershey Bears, where he oversaw the team’s defensemen. Hershey ranked in the top three in the AHL in goals against in four of his seven seasons, including league-low averages in 2020-21 (2.33) and 2023-24 (2.10). With Hershey, Wellar won two Calder Cups (2023, 2024) and two Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophies (2020-21, 2023-24) for best regular-season record, coached current Capitals defensemen Martin Fehérváry and Dylan McIlrath, and worked alongside Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery, assistant coach Scott Allen, and video coach Emily Engel-Natzke.

Prior to joining Hershey’s staff, Wellar served as an assistant coach with the Reading Royals of the ECHL during the 2017-18 season, helping guide the team to a 39-24-9-0 record and a playoff berth. The Carrot River, Saskatchewan native also spent one season as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones in 2016-17. Wellar began his coaching career and finished his playing career as a player-assistant coach in the ECHL with the Utah Grizzlies in 2014-15 and with the Alaska Aces in 2015-16.

Wellar, who was drafted by the Capitals in the third round (77th overall) of the 2002 NHL Draft, played 747 professional games over 12 seasons in the AHL and ECHL. Wellar, a defenseman, played parts of six seasons with Hershey from 2008-14, winning the Calder Cup with the Bears alongside John Carlson in 2010. Wellar also won three Kelly Cup championships as a player, with Alaska in 2006, the South Carolina Stingrays in 2009, and Reading in 2013.

Wellar and his wife, Jennie, have two children, Happ and Belle.

Brett Leonhardt - Assistant Coach & Video Coach

Brett Leonhardt is entering his 14th season as the Capitals’ video coach and eighth as an assistant coach. Leonhardt’s responsibilities include developing and delivering game plan meetings and pre-scouting opponents at five-on-five play.

Leonhardt spent two seasons in the NHL office in Toronto as their video manager for hockey operations beginning in 2011. In his role, he was responsible for breaking down and handling all video for rule changes, video reviews, officiating issues and more.

Prior to his time with the NHL, Leonhardt received a Bachelor of Arts in communications and media arts at Neumann University and was a recipient of the John A. Phillips Scholar-Athlete Award as well as the John Facenda Award for excellence in communication arts. He played hockey collegiately at both Neumann University and Oswego State University after spending three seasons playing for the Cambridge Winterhawks and Kitchener Dutchmen of the GOJHL.

Leonhardt was born in Kitchener, Ont. He and his wife, Logan, reside in Ashburn, Va., with their twin boys, Beckham and Lennox.

Emily Engel-Natzke - Video Coach

Emily Engel-Natzke is entering her fourth season with the Capitals. Engel-Natzke, 34, previously served as video coach for Washington’s AHL affiliate the Hershey Bears during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

With Hershey, Engel-Natzke was responsible for producing opponent pre-scouts and coaching reports, as well as in-game and postgame video breakdowns.

The Fort Collins, Colorado native previously worked with the University of Wisconsin’s men’s and women’s hockey teams as video coordinator from 2015-2017 and as assistant director of operations/video coordinator with the men’s team from 2017-2020.

In addition, Engel-Natzke has worked with USA Hockey as a video coach for the U18 and Senior Women’s National Teams. Engel-Natzke was part of the gold-medal winning staffs for the U18 team at the 2018 Women’s World Championship in Dmitrov, Russia, and for the Senior Women’s team at the 2019 World Championship in Espoo, Finland.

Engel-Natzke and her wife, Spencer, reside in Vienna with their dog, Hat Trick, and two cats, Juusto and Lucy.