The Washington Capitals made an announcement on Sunday that assistant coach Mitch Love was let go from his position, effective immediately. The team stated that the decision came after an NHL-led investigation into past allegations. The statement emphasized the organization’s commitment to upholding high standards of conduct and accountability. Love had been placed on leave by the team just four days before the start of training camp last month as they awaited the results of the investigation.
Love, 41, had been a part of the Capitals coaching staff since June 2023 when Spencer Carbery took over as head coach. He was primarily responsible for working with the team’s defensemen during the previous season, where the Capitals finished with 111 points and claimed the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Despite his successful tenure with the team, Love found himself in hot water as allegations from the past surfaced during his coaching career. These allegations were brought to light when Love was being considered for coaching positions with other NHL teams during the offseason. Not really sure why this matters, but apparently two of the teams he interviewed with received similar letters detailing the allegations.
During the offseason, Love was a sought-after candidate for coaching positions after his contributions to the Capitals’ recent playoff appearances. He had even interviewed with multiple teams and was a finalist for coaching vacancies with the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins. An anonymous source from the NHL revealed that the league received a letter outlining allegations regarding Love’s personal conduct while he was in talks with other teams. The claims dated back to before Love joined the Capitals’ coaching staff. The investigation conducted by the NHL lasted several months before the team was informed of the allegations and subsequently placed Love on leave. Love’s coaching experience also included stints with the Everett Silvertips and Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League, as well as the AHL’s Stockton Heat and Calgary Wranglers before joining the Capitals. The Capitals, who suffered a 7-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night, are set to face off against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. So, let’s see how they perform without Love on the coaching staff.
