Former Saginaw Spirit Coach Now Coaching NHL Washington Capitals

Arlington, Va. – The Washington Capitals have announced Spencer Carbery, former head coach of the Saginaw Spirit, as the team’s head coach. Carbery had spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He becomes the first former Spirit head coach to move on to an NHL head coaching job.

The Victoria, B.C. native coached the Spirit during the 2016-2017 season to a 27-32-7-2 record before departing for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL). During his time behind the Saginaw bench, Carbery was instrumental in the development of players like Damien Giroux (Minnesota Wild), Filip Hronek (Detroit Red Wings), and Mitchell Stephens (Detroit Red Wings).

With the Bears in Hershey, Carbery posted a 104-50-9-8 record from 2018 to 2021. In his final season, the Bears were a league-best 24-7-2-0, and Carbery received the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL’s top head coach.

Prior to his arrival in Saginaw, Carbery was the head coach of the South Carolina Stingrays in the ECHL. In five seasons as the Stingray’s head coach, Carbery amassed a record of 207-115-38, reached the playoffs each year, and appeared in the 2015 Kelly Cup Final.

In the 2013-2014 season, Carbery won the John Brophy Coach of the Year Award after leading the Stingrays to a division title.