WASHINGTON (AP) - Adam Oates is the new coach of the Washington Capitals.

The team announced Tuesday that the 49-year-old Oates will be the replacement for Dale Hunter, who resigned at the end of the season.

Oates played 19 seasons in the NHL, including parts of six seasons with the Capitals. Ironically, he replaced Hunter as captain after Hunter was traded during the 1998-99 season.

Oates' last year as a player in the NHL was 2004. He has spent the last three seasons in the league as an assistant coach, first with the Tampa Bay Lightning and then the last two seasons with the New Jersey Devils.