A milestone partnership
The Washington Capitals announced this week that their affiliation with the South Carolina Stingrays will continue through the 2028‑29 season, marking the thirteenth straight year of a relationship that has become a model of stability in minor‑league hockey.
Since the partnership began, the Stingrays have compiled an impressive résumé, capturing the Kelly Cup in 2009 and adding three conference championships since 2015, while reaching the playoffs in 30 of their 33 ECHL seasons.
The club’s recent accolade came in the 2024‑25 campaign, when it earned the Brabham Cup after posting a league‑best 109 points, and last season it finished second in the South Division and third in the Eastern Conference.
The affiliation has served as a launchpad for several players who have ascended to the NHL, including goaltender Logan Thompson, who earned a spot on the NHL’s Second All‑Star Team in 2025‑26, and forward Clay Stevenson, who posted a 2.54 goals‑against average during his lone Stingrays season in 2022‑23.
Behind the scenes, head coach Spencer Carbery spent five years (2011‑2016) steering the Stingrays, compiling a 207‑115‑18‑20 record and capturing the John Brophy Coach of the Year Award in 2014, before returning to the Capitals’ bench.
Carbery’s dual role as director of hockey operations allowed him to shape a development environment that emphasized both on‑ice performance and professional growth, a factor many analysts cite as a key reason for the pipeline’s sustained success.
The continued alliance not only reinforces the Capitals’ scouting and player‑development strategy but also promises to keep the Stingrays competitive, ensuring that the next generation of talent will have a clear pathway to the NHL.