On Monday morning, the Washington Capitals announced that the club has promoted Chris Patrick to general manager and senior vice president. Brian MacLellan will remain in his current role as the president of hockey operations. 

Patrick will represent the club at the NHL’s general managers’ meetings and serve as the primary point of contact while reporting to MacLellan, who will continue to oversee all aspects of hockey operations.

Patrick has been with the Capitals’ organization for 16 seasons, serving as associate general manager in 2023-24. He becomes the 48th general manager in franchise history.

“We are thrilled to announce Chris’ promotion to general manager,” Monumental Sports & Entertainment chairman and CEO Ted Leonsis said in a statement released by the team. “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 began his tenure with Washington in a player development and scouting role for the 2008-09 season. He has been involved in many roles during his tenure, including scouting, director of player personnel, assistant general manager and associate GM. In his role as associate GM, the 48-year-old headed the team’s analytics department, player contract negotiations, hockey operations staff, player personnel as well as budget and team scheduling. He also managed the scouting department and played a big role in the success of the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears, who have won back-to-back Calder Cup championships. 

MacLellan is entering his 24th season with the Capitals. The 65-year-old was appointed GM in 2014 and went 449-244-88, recording the third-most wins in the League over that time. He racked up the third-highest point percentage (.631) among GMs with 500 games experience in NHL history and won the franchise’s first and only Stanley Cup in 2018.