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Adam Oates will be AHL Hershey’s co-coach

Adam Oates

Back in June, the Washington Capitals named Adam Oates as their head coach for the 2012-13 campaign. Now that the lockout has put the NHL season in jeopardy, the Capitals have modified their plans.

“Mark French and Adam Oates will be co-coaches and they will work together and both will be very involved with the day-to-day [operations] of the team,” said Capitals GM George McPhee in a report on one of the Capitals’ official blogs: Dump ‘n Chase.

The remainder of the Capitals’ coaching staff will also play a role in Hershey, but their exact duties have not yet been determined.

McPhee sees this as a way “for all of our coaches in the organization to work together to learn the nuances of our system of play.”

Oates will be bringing an aggressive system to the table following former head coach Dale Hunter’s defense-first philosophy.

The infusion of the Capitals coaches will also allow for more one-on-one time with the AHL players.

“We obviously think the learning environment will be that much improved,” says McPhee. “You don’t have many opportunities to do this in our business. We’re looking for the silver lining and trying to make the best of the situation.”