<P> The Capitals were founded in 1974 as an expansion franchise, alongside the Kansas City Scouts . Since purchasing the team in 1999, Leonsis revitalized the franchise by drafting star players such as Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green and Braden Holtby . The 2009--10 Capitals won the franchise's first - ever Presidents' Trophy for being the team with the most points at the end of the regular season . They won it a second time in 2015--16, and did so for a third time the following season in 2016--17 . In addition to eleven division titles and three Presidents' Trophies, the Capitals have reached the Stanley Cup Finals twice (in 1998 and 2018), winning in 2018 . </P> <P> The Capitals have retired the use of four numbers in honour of four players . In addition, the team holds an association with a number of individuals inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame . The Capitals are presently affiliated with two minor league teams, the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, and the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL . </P> <P> Along with the Kansas City Scouts, the Capitals joined the NHL as an expansion team for the 1974--75 season (although the city of Washington was awarded a franchise on July 8, 1972). The team was owned by Abe Pollin (also owner of the National Basketball Association's Washington Bullets / Wizards until his death on November 24, 2009). Pollin had built the Capital Centre in suburban Landover, Maryland, to house both the Bullets (who formerly played in Baltimore) and the Capitals . His first act as owner was to hire Hall of Famer Milt Schmidt as general manager . </P> <P> With a combined 30 teams between the NHL and the World Hockey Association (WHA), the available talent was stretched thin . The Capitals had few players with professional experience and were at a disadvantage against the long - standing teams that were stocked with veteran players . Like the other three teams who joined the league during the WHA era--the Scouts (later the Colorado Rockies and now the New Jersey Devils), Atlanta Flames (now playing in Calgary), and New York Islanders--the Capitals did not factor the survival of the rival league into their plans . </P>

When did the washington capitals start in the nhl