Capitals hire former All-Star as assistant coach

New Washington Capitals assistant coach Kirk Muller Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Capitals hire Kirk Muller, Kenny McCudden as assistant coaches

Originally posted on Daily Faceoff | By Mike Gould | Last updated 7/20/23

The Washington Capitals have hired Kirk Muller and Kenny McCudden as assistant coaches to serve on Spencer Carbery’s staff, the club announced Thursday morning.

Muller, 57, spent the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons as an associate coach with the Calgary Flames. He has also served as the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes and the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals.

McCudden, 61, had served as an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets since the 2015–16 season. The Capitals said McCudden will operate as an assistant/skills coach with the team.

Muller and McCudden join Scott Allen and Mitch Love as assistant coaches on Carbery’s staff. Allen worked for the Capitals during the 2022–23 season; Love joined the Capitals earlier this off-season after being named the AHL coach of the year in back-to-back seasons with the Flames’ farm team.

The Washington Capitals have named Kirk Muller as an assistant coach and Kenny McCudden as an assistant/skills coach.#ALLCAPS
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) July 20, 2023

An All-Star NHL player in his day, Muller debuted with the New Jersey Devils in 1984 and remained one of the team’s leading scorers until being traded to the Montreal Canadiens in 1991.

Muller won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Canadiens in 1993. He then spent time with the New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, and Dallas Stars before retiring as a player in 2003. Through 1,349 career NHL games with those six teams, Muller collected 357 goals and 959 points.

Shortly after retiring, Muller began his coaching career with the Queen’s University Golden Gaels. He transitioned back to the NHL in 2006 when the Canadiens named him an assistant coach; after spending time with the Hurricanes, Admirals, and St. Louis Blues, Muller rejoined the Canadiens as an assistant in 2016.

McCudden has enjoyed extreme longevity with two teams throughout his coaching career. He spent 16 seasons as a skating and skills coach with the Chicago Wolves between 1994 and 1997 and from 2002 to 2015. The Blue Jackets subsequently hired McCudden as an assistant coach beginning with the 2015–16 season.

This article first appeared on Daily Faceoff and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: