Dale Hunter stepped onto the ice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex to a roaring ovation early Monday afternoon. Fans wanted to see the former Washington captain back here as the new coach, and they greeted him like a conquering hero.
Hunter played parts of 12 seasons with the Caps, and former teammates see him as a perfect fit for this new job.
“He’s going to lead that team to play the way he played,” Peter Bondra said. “He’s got a great sense of hockey.”
Former Caps broadcaster Jeff Rimer said he thinks Hunter will be “terrific” in succeeding Bruce Boudreau as coach.
“He doesn’t demand respect, but he gets it because of the type of person that he is,” Rimer said. “I think it’s a perfect fit to go back to Washington, where he was the captain.
• Stephen Whyno can be reached at swhyno@washingtontimes.com.
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