2012-13 Media Guide - Washington Capitals - NHL.com

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Blaine Forsythe
Assistant Coach
Blaine Forsythe enters his seventh season with
Washington and his fourth as an assistant coach.
Forsythe joined the Capitals as a video coach prior to
the 2006-07 season and was an integral member of the
Capitals staff that helped lead the Capitals to the 2007-08 Southeast Division championship.
Forsythe was promoted to a position as an amateur scout in 2008-09 before returning to
D.C. In his first season back as an assistant coach and leading the team’s video coaching
operations, the Capitals won the Presidents’ Trophy and the Southeast Division championship.
Prior to joining the Washington organization, the Calgary, Alberta, native worked for the
Calgary Hitmen from 1998-2006, where he served as both an assistant general manager
(1998-2006) and an assistant coach (2002-06). Forsythe helped lead Calgary to a WHL
championship in 1999.
Forsythe received a business degree from the University of Minnesota and played Division
II hockey at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. He played junior hockey with the CJHL’s
Pembroke Lumber Kings in Pembroke, Ontario.
Dave Prior
Director of Goaltending and NHL Goaltender Coach
Dave Prior returns for his second season as director
of goaltending and NHL goaltender coach, and will be
working with the team’s goaltenders as well as goalie
prospects throughout the minor-league system.
Prior spent 12 seasons as the Capitals goaltending coach from 1996-97 through the 2008-09
season and worked in the Capitals organization as a goalie coach in 2009-10. He has been part
of three division championship teams, including in 2007-08, when his goaltenders allowed
just 1.85 goals per game in the last 20 games of the season as the Capitals earned a playoff
spot.
During Prior’s first tenure with Washington, the Capitals won four division championships
Olie Kolzig
Associate Goaltending Coach
Olie Kolzig returns to the Capitals for his second season
as the associate goalie coach. Kolzig, a 15-year NHL
veteran, played for Washington and Tampa Bay and was a
member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but never played for
them. He played a total of 719 games, 711 of those with
Washington, before he retired in September 2009.
During his time with the Capitals, Kolzig garnered almost every all-time Capitals goaltending
record, including games played, wins (301), shutouts (35), and minutes (41,259) and ranks
fourth (minimum 3,000 minutes played) in goals-against average (2.70) and third in save
percentage (.906). In terms of single-season records, Kolzig leads in games (73), minutes
(4,371), wins (41) and is second (minimum 1,200 minutes) in goals-against average (2.20),
save percentage (.920) and shutouts (6).
A former Capitals first-round draft pick (19th overall) in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, Kolzig
helped guide Washington to its only Stanley Cup Final in 1998. The Johannesburg, South
and made six playoff appearances. Prior also coached Capitals goalies to three of the five
lowest team goals-against averages in franchise history, including Olie Kolzig’s Vezinawinning
season (1999-00) and the Caps’ 1998 Stanley Cup appearance. During his time with
Washington, he has coached goalies that have won league championships in the OHL, ECHL,
IHL and AHL.
Before joining the Capitals’ coaching staff, Prior worked as a goaltending coach for the Dallas
Stars, Detroit Red Wings, San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets. He has also gained international
experience coaching goalies on the German National Team in the World Junior and World
Championships as well as in the World Cup and the Olympics. In addition, the native of
Guelph, Ontario, spent seven years working with the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.
Africa, native was awarded the 2000 Vezina Trophy, presented to the league’s top goalie,
and was named the 2005-06 King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner, awarded to the player
who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant
humanitarian contribution to his community. Kolzig was named to two NHL All-Star Teams
(1998 and 2000) as a member of the Capitals, and was a three-time Olympian as a member of
the German Olympic Team in 1998, 2002 and 2006.
During his final season with Washington in 2007-08, Kolzig was teammates with several
current Capitals, including captain Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green.
Kolzig is co-owner of the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League and founder of the
Carson Kolzig Foundation and Athletes Against Autism.
He and his wife Christin have three children, a son Carson and two daughters, Kendall and
Ashlyn.