Breaking NHL News: Capitals Coach Suspended For The Entire 2025-26 Season

His name had been out there as a head coaching candidate this past summer, but it's now clear why that never came to fruition, as the NHL had been investigating Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love for an alleged domestic violence situation. The league has now announced that Love is suspended for the rest of the 2025-26 season.

Sources say #NHL has suspended #allcaps assistant coach Mitch Love for the entirety of 2025-26 season following an investigation into alleged domestic abuse.

The victim reported allegations directly to #NHL and teams Love interviewed with over summer for head coach vacancies.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) October 26, 2025

According to insider Frank Seravalli, the victim actually reported the allegations directly to the NHL, and the teams with head coaching vacancies that Love had interviewed with.

The Capitals have now officially fired Love as well.

"Mitch Love has been relieved of his duties as an assistant coach, effective immediately," said the Capitals in a statement. "This decision follows the findings of an NHL-led investigation into past allegations. The organization is committed to maintaining the highest standards of conduct and accountability."

The team had originally placed Love on what they called a team-imposed leave just before the start of training camp. They had been informed by the NHL that an investigation into Love was underway.

Love has now responded to, and denied the allegations.

In a statement provided to the Washington Post, Mitch Love says that he denies the allegations that led to his firing by the Capitals and the NHL suspending him for the 2025-26 season.
Full statement below: pic.twitter.com/fG4PKPfFCg
— Bailey Johnson (@BaileyAJohnson_) October 26, 2025

The 41-year-old was the head coach of the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League for two years (2021 to 2023), and was a head coach in major junior hockey for several years before that.