Brian MacLellan is entering his 10th season as general manager and first as president of hockey operations and general manager of the Capitals. MacLellan, 64, was named the sixth general manager in the franchise’s history on May 26, 2014, and is entering his 23rd season with Washington after previously serving as the team’s assistant general manager, director of player personnel and as a professional scout.
Since appointing MacLellan as general manager, the Capitals have compiled a record of 409-213-77 (.640 point percentage) and have recorded the third-most wins in the NHL in that span. Among general managers in NHL history with at least 500 games, MacLellan ranks third in point percentage, trailing only Sam Pollock (Montréal Canadiens, 1964-1978: .685 P%) and Don Sweeney (Boston Bruins, 2014-present: .666 P%).
During MacLellan’s tenure, the Capitals have won a Stanley Cup, two Presidents’ Trophies, and a franchise-record five consecutive Metropolitan Division titles from 2014-15 to 2019-20. With MacLellan at the helm, the Capitals won their first Stanley Cup in 2018. Of the 19 players to take the ice during the Cup-clinching win in Game 5, eight players were either signed, traded for, or drafted by MacLellan, including three of the four players that scored in the game (Jakub Vrana, Devante Smith- Pelly and Lars Eller). The Capitals tied an NHL record with 10 road wins during the run and joined the 1991 Pittsburgh Penguins as the only teams to win the Stanley Cup despite trailing in all four series.
In the 2016-17 season, the Capitals won their second consecutive Presidents’ Trophy, marking the seventh time in NHL history that a team has won the Presidents’ Trophy in consecutive seasons. Washington posted a 55-19-8 record, marking the second-most wins and third-most points (118) in a season in franchise history. The Capitals recorded 55 wins in two straight seasons (2015-16: 56, 2016-17: 55), joining the Montreal Canadiens (1975-78) as the only teams in NHL history to win 55 or more games in consecutive seasons. Washington also earned 238 points in the prior two seasons, marking the most points in two straight seasons since Montreal recorded 244 points from 1977-79.
In the 2015-16 season, Washington led the NHL with a record of 56-18-8 (120 points) and captured its second Presidents’ Trophy in franchise history (2009-10). The Capitals set franchise records in wins and road wins (27), and MacLellan was named a finalist for the 2015-16 NHL General Manager of the Year Award.
In his first season, Washington posted a record of 45-26-11 (101 points), reaching the 100-point mark for the eighth time in team history and the first since the 2010-11 season.
As assistant general manager and director of player personnel, MacLellan oversaw the club’s professional scouting staff and worked closely with the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Hershey Bears, who won the Calder Cup in 2006, 2009 and 2010. MacLellan, who served as a pro scout for the Capitals from 2000-03 prior to his promotion to director of player personnel, assisted and advised the general manager in all player-related matters.
MacLellan, who won a Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames in 1989, recorded 413 points (172 goals, 241 assists) in 606 games during his 10-year NHL career with the Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, Minnesota North Stars, Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings. MacLellan also won a silver medal with Team Canada at the 1985 World Championship in Prague.
The Guelph, Ont., native played hockey at Bowling Green State University from 1978-82, registering 143 points (64g, 79a) in 160 games. MacLellan’s 345 career penalty minutes rank sixth in school history. The 6’3” forward earned 63 points his freshman year, marking the second most points by a freshman in school history. MacLellan moved to defense in his junior season and was named an All-American defenseman and First-Team All-CCHA in 1982. MacLellan served as co-captain for the Falcons from 1980-82. He was elected to the Bowling Green Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.
MacLellan graduated with a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Bowling Green and earned his MBA in finance from the University of St. Thomas in 1995. He went on to work for an investment consulting firm in Minneapolis before joining the Capitals as a pro scout.