Days after mutually parting ways with head coach Peter Laviolette, the Washington Capitals agreed Monday to part ways with assistant coaches Kevin McCarthy and Blaine Forsythe.
General manager Brian MacLellan made that announcement Monday, along with the news that the team will retain assistant coach Scott Allen, goaltending coach Scott Murray, assistant coach/video coordinator Brett Leonhardt, and video coordinator Emily Engel-Natzke.
"We want to sincerely thank Kevin and Blaine for their efforts and contributions to the Capitals during their respective tenures and wish them all the best moving forward," MacLellan said in a statement about the two departing coaches. “Blaine has been a dedicated member of our organization for 17 seasons and was instrumental in helping the franchise capture its first Stanley Cup in 2018.”
Indeed, Forsyth has been with the Capitals since being hired as a video coach 2006. He was promoted to assistant coach in 2010, and has been on the bench with six different Caps head coaches since.
McCarthy, meanwhile, joined the staff with Laviolette in 2020, and has been one of his longtime lieutenants, serving as an assistant in Nashville, Philadelphia, and Carolina.
Laviolette and the team agreed to part ways on Friday, about 11 weeks before Laviolette’s contract was set to expire, and MacLellan told the media Saturday the team was open to bringing the coach back after some discussions, but Laviolette himself requested a meeting with the GM and the conversation led to them agreeing it was best to move on from each other.
"I think he’s a good coach. I think he’s a good person. I like working with him," MacLellan said. "I think we were open. I guess I wanted some time with players, wanted some time with everybody around. Just get some opinions and kind of go from there.”
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Laviolette’s hire came in part because the Caps wanted an experienced bench boss, but this time around, they’d be open to a first-time younger head coach, as long as that comes with some veteran assistants – although the preference is experience.
"Probably a combination of what we’ve had would be the ideal candidate," MacLellan said Saturday. "I don’t know that we can find it, but we’ll do the best we can."
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