Elliotte Friedman weighs in on Capitals placing assistant coach Mitch Love on team-imposed leave amid investigation

Elliotte Friedman spoke about the Washington Capitals placing assistant coach Mitch Love on team-imposed leave while the NHL investigates a matter from his past. The team shared the news on X, saying Love’s leave will continue until the investigation is complete and that they will not comment further.

Love joined the Capitals in June 2023 and has mainly worked with the team’s defensemen. He is known for his defensive coaching style and has been considered a top coaching candidate in the NHL.

Friedman explained on the "32 Thoughts" podcast that Love was in line for several head coaching jobs last year, including with Boston, Pittsburgh and Seattle.

"I had said it would be a shock if he did not get one of the jobs in this cycle," Friedman said on Monday. [1:14:52 onwards]

During the hiring process, a note or piece of correspondence about Love’s past surfaced, which caused the teams to step back.

“When everybody who was searching was made aware of it, they all backed off,” Friedman said.

After this, the NHL began its investigation, which is still ongoing. Friedman also stressed the need for care when discussing the situation.

“The safest thing to say is, at this point in time … we were not comfortable going with anything yet. But obviously, now ... it’s in the public domain,” he said.

He added that reporting should remain sensitive to everyone involved until the league completes its work.

Meanwhile, the Capitals are preparing for the season without Love. The matter will remain unresolved until the NHL finishes its investigation.

Mitch Love misses out on Penguins job despite strong coaching credentials

In May, NHL insider Josh Yohe of The Athletic reported that Mitch Love was a leading candidate for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ head coaching job. Love drew attention for his coaching experience and strong defensive approach. Yohe said the Penguins “would like to be the Capitals” and pointed out that Love’s work in Washington shows he can lead a team with both young players and a veteran star.

Yohe added that Love was on the short list for Pittsburgh and was also considered for the Boston Bruins job.

Despite the strong interest, Pittsburgh ultimately hired Dan Muse in June as the 23rd head coach in franchise history, ending Love’s pursuit.