The Washington Capitals have reached an agreement to purchase the hockey website CapFriendly, a popular destination for NHL executives, fans and media looking to track contracts and salaries, according to someone familiar with the details.
The deal between CapFriendly and the Capitals, which are owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, is expected to close next month after the upcoming NHL draft and start of free agency, said the person, who was granted anonymity because the details are private. The Capitals plan to integrate CapFriendly’s data, tools and other functions—as well as some of the site’s employees—into their in-house hockey operations, the person said.
When that happens, the public-facing site will cease to exist, according to the source, who mentioned that the Capitals can’t keep the site open to everyone once it is infused with confidential league information.
It’s unclear how much Monumental is paying. A representative for the Capitals declined to comment; an email sent to the CapFriendly’s main contact address wasn’t immediately returned. The acquisition was first reported on Sunday by SportsNet.
The surprise acquisition will resonate around the NHL, and not just among fans and media members. A number of NHL teams had contracts with CapFriendly to better utilize the site’s tools and data. Those teams recently received notices that their contracts would be terminated, according to SportsNet, which didn’t specify how many teams were involved.
CapFriendly specializes in all things related to salary caps and player contracts. It tracks not only each team’s cap status and available money, but also the active contract status of players.
Those details, which other teams may track in-house, are useful to franchises as they evaluate their own player development, signings and scouting, and those of their rivals. There also might be a competitive advantage by subtraction—the Capitals are not only gaining a resource, but simultaneously taking one off the table for other teams.
Dominik Zrim, whose LinkedIn page identifies him as CapFriendly’s co-owner and director, previously held roles in two different NHL front offices—he spent a year with the Chicago Blackhawks from 2021-2022, and a year with the San Jose Sharks from 2022-23. A handful of other NHL teams were interested in buying Cap Friendly, according to The New York Times.
Monumental, which is led by billionaire Ted Leonsis, also owns the NBA’s Wizards, the WNBA’s Mystics, Capital One Arena, Monumental Sports Network and a handful of development and esports teams. Sportico values the Capitals at $1.42 billion, which ranks ninth in the league.
