The Washington Capitals have named Patrick Wellar an assistant coach, senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick announced today. Wellar will primarily work with the Capitals' defensemen.
Wellar, 41, joins Washington after spending the previous seven seasons as an assistant coach with the Capitals’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Hershey Bears, where he oversaw the team’s defensemen. Hershey ranked in the top three in the AHL in goals against in four of his seven seasons, including league-low averages in 2020-21 (2.33) and 2023-24 (2.10). With Hershey, Wellar won two Calder Cups (2023, 2024) and two Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophies (2020-21, 2023-24) for best regular-season record, coached current Capitals defensemen Martin Fehérváry and Dylan McIlrath, and worked alongside Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery, assistant coach Scott Allen, and video coach Emily Engel-Natzke.
Prior to joining Hershey’s staff, Wellar served as an assistant coach with the Reading Royals of the ECHL during the 2017-18 season, helping guide the team to a 39-24-9-0 record and a playoff berth. The Carrot River, Saskatchewan native also spent one season as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones in 2016-17. Wellar began his coaching career and finished his playing career as a player-assistant coach in the ECHL with the Utah Grizzlies in 2014-15 and with the Alaska Aces in 2015-16.
Wellar, who was drafted by the Capitals in the third round (77th overall) of the 2002 NHL Draft, played 747 professional games over 12 seasons in the AHL and ECHL. Wellar, a defenseman, played parts of six seasons with Hershey from 2008-14, winning the Calder Cup with the Bears alongside John Carlson in 2010. Wellar also won three Kelly Cup championships as a player, with Alaska in 2006, the South Carolina Stingrays in 2009, and Reading in 2013.
