The Capitals disclosed on Sunday a decision to sever ties with Mitch Love, an assistant on their bench, once a league probe examined how he had behaved away from the rink.
Having arrived in 2023, Love had sat out under a leave ordered by the club since September while the matter was being reviewed.
Through a statement put out Sunday afternoon, the team said Love was being removed from his post right away. The decision, the club explained, followed the conclusions of a probe spearheaded by the NHL into past accusations, and it underscored that the franchise stays committed to the strictest standards of behavior and answerability.
A report Sunday from insider Frank Seravalli indicated the inquiry centered on claims of domestic violence and that NHL officials had chosen to bench Love through the conclusion of 2025-26.
Sources say #NHL has suspended #allcaps assistant coach Mitch Love for the entirety of 2025-26 season following an investigation into alleged domestic abuse. The victim reported allegations directly to #NHL and teams Love interviewed with over summer for head coach vacancies. — Frank Seravalli (@frank\_seravalli) October 26, 2025
Over the warmer months, Love had figured into several bench-boss searches across the NHL, with reported connections to Pittsburgh, Boston, and Seattle. Ahead of his Washington stint, he had directed AHL squads in Stockton and Calgary, the Heat and the Wranglers.
By accounts from numerous outlets, a letter spelling out accusations about Love's off-ice conduct landed with both the league and the clubs meeting with him, which set the review in motion. As camp opened, GM Chris Patrick verified that the alleged conduct stemmed from a personal matter and had nothing to do with the sport; Seravalli had stated earlier that the claims originated with a woman who had previously been romantically involved with the coach.
Speaking September 18, Patrick said the organization hadn't received a great deal of detail, though their understanding was that the matters at hand were of a personal kind, separate from anything tied to the game.
While Love stayed away, Patrick Wellar — an assistant down in Hershey — has stepped in temporarily with Washington, and Brent Thompson, once a captain of the Bears, has filled the spot Wellar left behind there. The club hasn't indicated yet whether Wellar holds onto the job or whether a hire from outside is on the way.