Capitals’ John Carlson Reaches 1,100 Games: A Look Back at His Career so Far

He started the following season with the Bears, but was called up to the NHL on Nov. 20, 2009. At just 19, Carlson was the youngest player to make his debut with the team since Alexander Semin in the 2003-04 season. He bounced between the Bears and Capitals until March of that season, and was honored as the Bears’ Rookie of the Year and best defenseman.

The 2010 Playoffs were significant for Carlson. He played in both the Capitals’ and Bears’ playoffs, finding success at both levels. In the Capitals’ conference quarterfinals, Carlson played in all seven games. He tallied his first NHL playoff point and scored his first playoff goal in that series. His goal in Game 2 forced overtime, and Nicklas Backstrom was able to secure the win for their team. After the Capitals were eliminated, Carlson went to Hershey to help the Bears in their playoff efforts. He helped the team claim their Calder Cup victory with two goals and four assists.

Carlson Joins NHL Full-Time

The 2010-11 season was Carlson’s first full season in the NHL. He ended the season with seven goals and 30 assists, tying a franchise record for most points by a rookie defenseman. In 2014, the blueliner was selected for the United States’ Olympic team, which would be heading to Sochi, Russia. He played six games in the Olympics, tallying one goal and one assist. 2014 brought another milestone for Carlson — he became the first defenseman in Capitals history to play 300 consecutive games in Washington.

That season, he ended with a career-high performance of 12 goals and 43 assists. He was selected to Team USA for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey; however, he only played two games and did not tally any points in that tournament due to being injured.

Stanley Cup Championship and Continued Success

The 2017-18 season brought an incredible jump in Carlson’s success. With the exception of his career-high season, he had been averaging point totals in the 30s so far in his career. He had much higher levels of responsibility placed on him in the 2017-18 season, as the Capitals had lost three defensemen in the offseason, and Matt Niskanen was injured early on. He ended the season with an impressive 68 points, making him the first defenseman since Mike Green in 2009-10 to record at least 60 points in a season.

Carlson was a huge factor in the Capitals’ Stanley Cup championship run. Not only did he bring a veteran presence and playoff experience to the team, but he also tallied five goals and 15 assists in 24 games. Carlson was a well-deserved Stanley Cup champion after nine seasons in the league. The defenseman was selected to represent the Capitals at the 2019 NHL All-Star Game for his efforts in the 2018-19 season — he ultimately ended with 70 points, a new career high.

Carlson reached yet another career high the following season, when he finished with 15 goals and 60 assists in 69 games. He was also named one of the Capitals’ alternate captains that season after the retirement of Brooks Orpik. While he has held that title since then, he has not reached the level of success he had in 2019-20.

Carlson Becomes a Capitals’ Legend

The 2019-20 season saw Carlson break record after record. His accolades from that season are many, including him becoming the fourth defenseman in NHL history to record 20 or more points through October. He was also the fastest player to do so since 1988-89. He finished that month with 23 points, a new franchise record for most points by a blueliner in one month. He went on a seven-game point streak in November, scored his 100th career goal in December, and became the fastest Capitals defenseman to notch 45 points since the 1990-91 season.

Carlson was selected for a second consecutive NHL All-Star Game in 2020. Prior to the event, he became the fastest defenseman in Capitals history to reach 60 points. At the All-Star Game, he was the first defenseman in team history to score a goal. He also became the team’s leader in both assists and points by a defenseman, passing Calle Johansson for both records. Prior to the league pausing play for COVID-19, he led all NHL blueliners with 75 points.

In the 2020-21 season, Carlson reached three big milestones: 500 points, 400 assists, and 800 games. The following season, he broke several records as well. He became the first defenseman in Washington’s history to record five seasons with at least 40 assists. He set a personal record as well — a career-high in goals, reached with his 16th goal against the Arizona Coyotes. He also became the 18th defenseman in NHL history to record 70 points in three or more seasons.

Carlson played his 1,000th NHL game in 2024, becoming the first defenseman and third Capitals player to reach that milestone with just one team. He scored his 149th career goal in that game, becoming the ninth NHL defenseman to score in their milestone game. With his next goal, he became the Capitals’ all-time leader in goals scored by defenseman, passing Kevin Hatcher. Carlson also etched his name in NHL history by notching the primary assist on Alex Ovechkin’s record-breaking 895th goal.

There’s no denying that Carlson, now 35 years old, will go down in history as one of the Capitals’ greatest players. He has been playing alongside Ovechkin for his entire career, and the two will represent the end of an era at their retirement. Carlson currently holds the franchise records for goals, assists, points, and games played among defensemen and sits in third for games played, 17th for goals, third for assists, and fifth in points among all Capitals skaters.