Adam Oates, a former RPI standout, is the new coach of the Washington Capitals.
The team announced today that the 49-year-old Oates will be the replacement for Dale Hunter, who resigned at the end of the season.
On the same day, Oates, who is 16th on the all-time NHL scoring list, was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
More on Oates
For more on Adam Oates’ big day, see sportswriter Ken Schott’s blog HERE.
Oates, 49, was the leading scorer on the RPI team that won the national Division I championship in 1985. He holds the RPI record for most assists in a season (60) and most points in a season (91) — both set during the 1984-85 championship season.
The Weston, Ontario, native played 19 seasons in the NHL, including parts of six seasons with the Capitals. Ironically, he replaced Hunter as captain after Hunter was traded during the 1998-99 season. Oates’ last year as a player in the NHL was 2004. He has spent the last three seasons in the league as an assistant coach, first with the Tampa Bay Lightning and then the last two seasons with the New Jersey Devils.
Last season he helped guide the Devils to the Stanley Cup playoff finals, where the team eventually lost to the Los Angeles Kings.
