The Washington Capitals have filled their new full-time emergency backup goalie spot, and they didn’t have to look far.
Connor Leslie, a Leesburg, Virginia native with local ties all the way back to his youth hockey days, has been officially named Washington’s full-time EBUG under the NHL’s new CBA, which takes effect on Sept. 15. The league’s updated setup requires every team to carry a dedicated emergency backup who has never appeared in an NHL game, has played 80 or fewer pro games, and has not played professionally in the last three seasons.
Leslie fits the bill and brings a familiar face to the role. He grew up skating with the Washington Little Caps at MedStar Capitals Iceplex before moving on to AAA hockey and later NCAA Division III at Amherst College. He finished his college career in May 2025, and in his final DIII season posted a 4-7-1 record with a .893 save percentage and a 3.01 goals-against average across 13 appearances.
He’s also already known inside the organization. Leslie has worked with coach Scott Murray and has been part of some informal skates with the Capitals in the past.
“I've gotten to know Connor over the years through these skates,” Murray told Capitals reporter Mike Vogel. “So, when he gave me the indication that he might be available a little bit more, I brought up the new rule for emergency backup and the layout a little bit, and he showed interest.
And once he gave me that indication that he was interested, we started the process. We narrowed it down quickly to him just because we knew he was local.
The character checked out big time, and he does a good job in the net. And obviously, he got a chance to watch Parker Milner, and Parker Milner set that bar.
So that was the process for us going with Connor.”
Washington had previously leaned on Parker Milner in a similar role over the last few seasons. Milner worked as an extra practice goalie, was available for skills work and optional skates, and even dressed as a backup on a professional tryout when Charlie Lindgren was out in December.
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The Capitals have added an unusual new face to their hockey operation in Connor Leslie, a Washington-area local who will serve in the organizations first full-time emergency backup role. It is the kind of behind-the-scenes move that usually goes unnoticed, but in this case it carries a little more local flavor, with Leslie coming up through the areas youth hockey scene before moving on to junior hockey and then NCAA Division III at Amherst College.
For a player with that path, landing with the Capitals connects a longtime development story to the NHL level in a way that feels especially personal. Leslie said he was excited about the opportunity and about the tie to the teams youth hockey program, which adds another layer to a role designed for rare emergencies but now has a real human payoff attached to it. [Read more 🡒]
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Now there is another marker creeping into view for a player who has already changed the way he is viewed around the league. Wilson is closing in on a career milestone that would sit neatly alongside the rest of his resume, and it is the kind of number Capitals fans tend to appreciate because it reflects both longevity and production. For a player who once had to fight for every shift, the next step says as much about how far he has come as it does about what he still means to Washington. [Read more 🡒]