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Capitals Logo & Uniform History
The Capitals current look, unveiled prior to the 2007-08 season, boasts ties to the
franchise’s past both in color and design.
Red, white and blue brought the Capitals back to their original colors, in shades that
align with those of the American flag and symbolically strengthen the Capitals’ ties to
their home city of Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital.
Countless Capitals fans had emailed owner Ted Leonsis asking – pleading in some
cases – for a return to the red, white and blue that the team wore for 20 years. Spurred
on by those requests – along with similar convictions held by Leonsis, team president
Dick Patrick, the rest of the ownership group and vice president and general manager
George McPhee – the Capitals worked with Reebok to develop the new look.
The primary logo draws upon the team’s original jerseys, but with a fresh, bold font.
The letters lean forward, representing the team’s commitment to innovation and
forward thinking. The three stars represent Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
– the three main geographic areas in the Capitals’ market – and align with hockey
tradition, as each game’s top players are named its three stars. The letter t, like in the
original uniforms, depicts a hockey stick, with a puck at the end.
The shoulder patch incorporates imagery from the Capitals’ most recent uniforms,
which featured an eagle and the Capitol dome. Here those Washington, D.C., icons
come together in a distinctive look. The eagle’s wings are raised at its sides and help
form the shape of a “W,” representing Washington, D.C., the world’s most powerful
and influential city.
UNIFORM TIMELINE
1974-75
The team wears red, white and blue uniforms during its inaugural year in the NHL.
1980-81
The “WASHINGTON” above the Capitals wordmark logo is reduced in size.
1983-84
The number of stars on the sleeves is reduced from five to four. It returns to five two years later.
June 22, 1995
The team introduces new logos and uniforms with a blue, black and bronze color scheme.
1995-96
The first year of the blue, black and bronze jerseys. The word “CAPITALS” appears below the eagle on the home and road jerseys.
1997-98
The word “CAPITALS” only appears on the road jerseys. A black third jersey is added and is worn for the first time Jan. 25, 1998. The jersey, which is worn nine times
during the season, has arched letters for the nameplate.
2000-01
The black jersey replaces the road blue jersey and the team now only wears two jerseys. The nameplate letters on the black jersey are no longer arched.
2003-04
The NHL switches to wear dark jerseys at home and white jerseys on the road.
June 22, 2007
The team introduces new logos and changes its colors and uniforms back to red, white and blue.
1974-75 to 1994-95 1995-96 to 2006-07 1997-98 to 2006-07
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WASHINGTON CAPITALS OFFICIAL GUIDE
2007-08 to present