#NHLPeachy @NHL Ted Leonsis Named 2026 Lester Patrick Trophy Honoree
The National Hockey League today announced that Ted Leonsis has been named the recipient of the 2026 Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the United States.
The annual award, one of the most prestigious in hockey, was presented to the National Hockey League by the New York Rangers in 1966. It honors the memory of Lester Patrick, who spent 50 years in hockey as a player, coach and general manager and was a pioneer in the sport’s development.
Leonsis, the founder, chairman, managing partner and CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), has been the controlling owner of the Washington Capitals since 1999, making him one of the longest-tenured owners in the NHL. He was also unanimously elected as Chairman of the League’s Board of Governors on Sept. 22 of this year.
“Ted Leonsis epitomizes the essence of effective leadership: He turns inspired vision into groundbreaking results through flawless execution. Hockey in the United States, particularly in and around Washington, D.C., has been among the primary beneficiaries of that dynamic combination,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “Ted’s stewardship of the Washington Capitals over the last 27 years has been transformative – for the franchise, for the downtown neighborhood reinvigorated by the Caps’ presence and investment, and for the thousands of young people who have come to our game and experienced enhanced educational opportunities because of Ted’s philanthropy. For all of that and so much more, Ted Leonsis is a truly worthy recipient of the Lester Patrick Trophy, among the most prestigious awards the National Hockey League presents.”
During Leonsis’ time owning the Capitals, the franchise captured the first Stanley Cup in its history in 2017-18. The Club has also won three Presidents’ Trophies, as the team with the League’s best record during the regular season, finished as the top team in the Eastern Conference five times and won 13 division titles. Also, since 1999-2000, the Capitals have won 1,085 regular-season games and amassed 2,435 points, both third-best among all clubs in that span.
The Capitals have also made significant commitments to growing the game of hockey in the Washington, D.C. market under Leonsis’ leadership. More than 30,000 individuals have participated in a Capitals youth hockey event since 2018. Since its inception in 2016, more than 12,000 players have been introduced to hockey through the Future Caps Learn to Play program, and the Capitals have built or refurbished 14 outdoor street and inline hockey rinks, as well as launching the Capitals Street Hockey League, to improve accessibility to the game. Additionally, the total number of USA Hockey-registered youth and adult players in Washington, D.C., has climbed by more than 220 percent from 2005-06 through 2025-26, and by 78% across Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., as a whole. The total number of USA Hockey-registered girls and women players across D.C., Maryland and Virginia has also increased by 225 percent over that period.
As a steadfast champion for increasing access to education for all, Leonsis serves as the Chairman of the District of Columbia College Access Program (DC-CAP), a nonprofit scholarship provider for D.C. students to pursue post-secondary opportunities. The Leonsis Family also supports young student entrepreneurs at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business through their annual “Bark Tank” pitch competition, Leonsis Venture Lab and support for the Georgetown Entrepreneurship program. A native of Brooklyn, NY, the 70-year-old Leonsis also owns the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the Washington Mystics of the WNBA and the Capital City Go-Go of the NBA G League.
Leonsis will be formally honored as part of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration Nov. 30 in Washington, D.C. That event will include the enshrinement of U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2026 honorees Stan Wong, Amanda Kessel, Phil Kessel, T.J. Oshie and Ryan Suter.
Past winners of the Lester Patrick Trophy include Ray Shero (2025), Sam Rosen (2024), Joe Bertagna (2023), Warren Strelow (2022), Jack Barzee (2021), Lynn Olson (2020), Dr. Jack Blatherwick (2019), Jim Johansson (2018), Peter Lindberg & Dave Ogrean (2017), Mark Howe & Patrick J. Kelly (2016), Jeremy Jacobs & Bob Crocker (2015), and Bill Daly & Paul Holmgren (2014). For the full list of Lester Patrick Trophy recipients please click here.
