Three More Years with Caps for Beagle

Jun 29, 2015

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On Monday, June 29, Brian MacLellan, senior vice president and general manager of the Washington Capitals announced that they had re-signed center Jay Beagle to a three-year, $5.25 million contract.

“We are pleased to re-sign Jay to a new three-year contract,” MacLellan said. “Jay is a hard-working player who plays multiple positions and is an excellent face-off man and penalty killer. Jay has improved steadily since joining our organization and has always brought his game to a different level in the playoffs.”

Jay Beagle

Beagle finished the regular season having played 62 games (tying a career high) in which he earned a career high 10 goals (2 of which were game winners) and 10 assists for 20 points. The center had an impressive 56.5% in face-off wins in the regular season. During the Capitals game at San Jose on February 11, he recorded a career-high three points (2 goals and 1 assist), and he recorded three of his four career multi-point games in this last season.

During the Capitals playoff run, Beagle earned five points (1 goal, 4 assists) in 14 games in addition to scoring his first career playoff game-winning goal in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Rangers. His face-off win percentage in the postseason ranked first at 63.8%.

Beagle is an example of why those players who didn’t get drafted this past weekend shouldn’t give up on their dream to play in the NHL. He signed with Washington as an undrafted free agent on March 26, 2008. The Calgary, Alberta native spent two years in the Alberta Junior Hockey League with the Calgary Royals and then spent two years attending the University of Alaska-Anchorage before joining the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) and then the Hershey Bears (AHL – and Washington Capitals affiliate).

While with the Hershey Bears, Beagle won back-to-back Calder Cup championships in 2009 and 2010, tallying a total of 95 points (47 goals, 48 assists) in 211 career AHL games. The season he suited up with the Idaho Steelheads, he won the Kelly Cup.