Who is Brad Shaw?

The Washington Capitals have not only interviewed Jeff Halpern and Spencer Carbery for the vacant head coaching position, they also interviewed some secret unknown candidates. Yesterday one of those secret candidates emerged and it’s another former player in Brad Shaw.

But who is he?

He only played in four games with the Caps from the 1998-99 season. Now he’s an assistant with the Philadelphia Flyers on John Tortorella’s staff  and has emerged as a candidate with the Caps and Anaheim Ducks.

Elliotte Friedman brought up Shaw’s name during his recent 32 Thoughts podcast:

"In the last pod, I kinda tripped myself up a bit because I mentioned Brad Shaw close to Anaheim. I’m not sure that Brad Shaw is on Anaheim’s list but I have heard he’s on someone’s. The other name, I’m not sure where, but I’ve heard there’s interest in Kirk Muller. So, there are names out here I’m hearing that I can’t pin down yet.In Washington, I wonder if any of these coaches we’ve mentioned are in with them. I don’t know but obviously Carbery and Halpern and I’ve been told they’ve interviewed at least a third but I haven’t been able to pin down who it is yet."

After that Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period reported that Shaw was in the running for the head coaching jobs in Anaheim and Washington.

Shaw has coached in the NHL for 18 seasons but his only experience as a head bench boss was when he was an interim head coach with the New York Islanders during 2005 06.

He has additionally served as an assistant or an associate coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Islanders, St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets, Vancouver Canucks, and Philadelphia Flyers.

Shaw is 59 years old which is one year older than Peter Laviolette and far older than Halpern or Carbery. It is likely the team is also still considering talking to Hershey Bears coach Todd Nelson whenever their Calder Cup run ends.