Georgetown’s Ted Leonsis to receive hockey’s Lester Patrick Trophy in Washington

By Helena Thorncroft

WASHINGTON — Ted Leonsis, the Georgetown graduate who has owned the Washington Capitals since 1999, will receive one of hockey’s oldest honors in his own city next month, capping a fall in which he also took the chair of the NHL’s Board of Governors.

The NHL named Leonsis the 2026 recipient of the Lester Patrick Trophy, awarded “for outstanding service to hockey in the United States,” the league announced on Oct. 6. He will be presented with the trophy at the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration on Nov. 30 at the Grand Hyatt Washington, according to the Hall of Fame.

The same ceremony will enshrine the Hall’s Class of 2026: Phil Kessel, Amanda Kessel, former Capitals forward T.J. Oshie, Ryan Suter and longtime USA Hockey athletic trainer Stan Wong, the NHL said.

Leonsis, the founder, chairman, managing partner and chief executive of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, was unanimously elected chairman of the league’s Board of Governors on Sept. 22, according to the NHL release.

A builder’s award

The trophy, presented to the league by the New York Rangers in 1966, has gone to players, coaches, executives and broadcasters; past winners include Wayne Gretzky, Herb Brooks and Commissioner Gary Bettman, according to NHL records.

Under Leonsis, the Capitals won their first Stanley Cup in 2017-18, three Presidents’ Trophies and 13 division titles, the league said. The NHL also credited the club’s youth programs: more than 12,000 players introduced to the sport through the Future Caps Learn to Play program since 2016, and 14 outdoor street and inline rinks built or refurbished. USA Hockey registrations in the District rose more than 220 percent from 2005-06 through 2025-26, the release said.

Monumental also owns the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics and the G League’s Capital City Go-Go.

Back on the Hilltop

Leonsis graduated from Georgetown’s College in 1977, according to Georgetown Entrepreneurship, where he chairs the board. He has served on the university’s Board of Directors and Board of Regents, the program says, and the NHL noted that the Leonsis family backs student founders at the McDonough School of Business through the annual “Bark Tank” pitch competition and the Leonsis Venture Lab.

The Inquisitor is seeking comment from Monumental Sports & Entertainment. This story will be updated with any response.

Photo: Ted Leonsis, 2019 (cropped). All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.