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Washington Capitals: A look back at Matt Hendricks

By Michael Marzzacco |
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 10: Matt Hendricks #26 of the Washington Capitals skates down the ice against the New York Rangers in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Verizon Center on May 10, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 10: Matt Hendricks #26 of the Washington Capitals skates down the ice against the New York Rangers in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Verizon Center on May 10, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

Earlier in the offseason, former Washington Capitals center Matt Hendricks announced his retirement from the NHL.

Matt Hendricks had a long path to the NHL and the Washington Capitals. After he was selected by the Nashville Predators in the fifth round at 131st overall, Hendricks remained in college at St. Cloud State.

After graduation, he earned a minor league contract and Hendricks had stops with seven minor league teams for eight seasons including the Hershey Bears before he finally made his NHL debut with the Colorado Avalanche during the 2008-09 season.

Henricks spent 11 years in the NHL as a member of the Avalanche, Capitals, Predators, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets. The center wasn’t a high profile member of the Capitals like an Alex Ovechkin or a Nicklas Backstrom, but Hendricks played important minutes for the Capitals.

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The Capitals invited Hendricks to training camp on a professional tryout (PTO) prior to the 2010-11 season and he made the team right out of camp. Hendricks was a fan favorite in Washington for his physicality, grit, and hard hitting. Offense wasn’t his specialty but his defense was a gift for some early Capitals teams in the “Rock the Red” era.

Hendrick’s first season in Washington turned out to be the best season of his career. He tied a career-high with nine goals and recorded a career-high 25 points along with 16 assists. He was additionally second on the team (behind just Ovechkin) in hits with 165 as well as 37 blocked shots. Hendricks was first in penalty minutes that season, spending a total of 110 minutes in the sin bin.

One factor of Hendricks’ success that first season in Washington was the opportunity to play under head coach Bruce Boudreau, who happened to be the Bears bench boss when Hendricks was there in the 2006-07 season.

Hendricks’ first Capitals point was an assist on Oct. 11, 2010 in their season opener against the Atlanta Thrashers in a 4-2 loss. His first goal as a member of the Capitals came on Oct. 27 against also-recently retired Cam Ward and the Carolina Hurricanes.

Hendricks added nine points (4 goals, 5 assists) in 78 games in his second season in 2011-12 while recording eight points (5 goals, 3 assists) in 48 games in the 2013 lockout-shortened season. He finished his three year Capitals career appearing in 203 games adding 18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points. Hendricks added 278 career penalty minutes in Washington, blocked 120 shots and laid out 477 total hits.

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Hendricks was a fun player to watch in his brief stop in Washington and the “Wagon” will always be remembered among diehard Caps fans. Now like Brooks Orpik, Hendricks has finally hung up his skates. Hendricks still remains in the game, however, as a player development coach with the Minnesota Wild.

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