Chris Patrick becomes Capitals general manager, Brian MacLellan still president of hockey operations

Chris Patrick was named senior vice president and general manager of the Washington Capitals on Monday. 

Meanwhile, Brian MacLellan, who was Washington GM for the past 10 seasons, will stay on as president of hockey operations, a title he got in 2023. MacLelland will keep overseeing every area of hockey operations and Patrick will report to him.

Patrick is the seventh GM in Capitals history.  He recently completed his 16th season with the team and first as associate GM.

“We are thrilled to announce Chris’ promotion to general manager,” Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said. “Chris is a dedicated and hard-working executive who is fully prepared for this next step in his career. His vision, extensive experience, hockey acumen and player evaluation make him the perfect leader to drive our team forward. We are confident that he will thrive in this new role.”

Patrick first joined the Capitals in 2008 in a player development and scouting role and served as a pro scout, director of player personnel, assistant GM and associate GM. As associate general manager, he monitored Washington’s analytics department, player contract negotiations, hockey operations staff, player personnel and budget and team scheduling matters.

Additionally, Patrick managed the Capitals’ professional scouting staff and worked closely with the Hershey Bears, Washington’s American Hockey League affiliate, which won the Calder Cup the past two campaigns.

While overseeing Hershey, Patrick played a pivotal role in developing many Washington prospects to reach NHL level, He also employed two coaches, Spencer Carbery and Todd Nelson, who have won AHL Coach of the Year awards with Hershey. Carbery was named Capitals coach on May 30, 2023. In his past positions, Patrick handled scouting drafted players at the collegiate and junior levels.

“With Dick Patrick as chairman, Brian as president and Chris as general manager, we believe we have a dynamic leadership team in place to continue to guide our hockey operations department forward,” Leonsis said. “Over the past decade, Brian has excelled as the head of our hockey operations department, helping bring the Stanley Cup to Washington and maintaining our team’s consistent competitiveness. Brian’s leadership, experience, and vision for our hockey team, combined with Chris’ impressive track record and successful tenure as an executive, talent evaluator and guardian of our minor league partnerships, position our hockey operations team for a successful future.”

For MacLellan, this would be his 24th season with the Capitals, including stints as GM, assistant GM, director of player personnel and as a professional scout. He became GM on May 26, 2014 as George MchPhee’s replacement.