The Washington Capitals have named two-time reigning AHL coach of the year Mitch Love as an assistant coach, joining assistant Scott Allen and goaltending coach Scott Murray on new head coach Spencer Carbery’s staff.
Love, 39, joins Washington after spending the previous two seasons as the head coach of the Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliates in Stockton and Calgary. He won the Louis A.R. Pieri Award as the AHL’s outstanding coach both seasons, and guided the Wranglers to a league-best record of 51-17-3-1 in 2022-23. Under Love, Calgary ranked first in the AHL in goals against per game (2.42) and penalty killing efficiency (85.1 percent), as well as fourth in goals scored per game (3.56).
In 2021-22, Stockton ranked third in the AHL in goals against per game (2.72) and finished with the league’s second-best record before reaching the Western Conference Finals.
In his two seasons as head coach, Love complied a record of 96-33-8-3 and won two Pacific Division titles.