Dave Hunter thought his brother would stay in Washington

Former NHLer Dave Hunter is surprised his brother, Dale, decided to walk away from coaching the Washington Capitals.

“I actually thought Dale liked coaching in the NHL,” said Dave, as per the Edmonton Journal. “This was a challenge for Dale. I thought he’d stay on. He had a good run there, a helluva run, actually. I mean everybody wants to win (a championship), but it was a close final game with the Rangers. He got the max out of that Washington team. It’s not like they didn’t make the playoffs or lost four straight in the second round.”

Dale said family was the reason he was returning to London, Ontario, where he owns the Knights of the OHL with his other brother, Mark.

“I’m going home,” Dale said. “It’s a good thing going home. I’ve got a good thing with a home there and the family so I’ll stay there.

“My sisters, they go to the [Knights} games, my other son lives two or three doors down, he goes to university there and my daughter lives there, so pretty much everyone is there.”

Related: Backstrom on Hunter departure: “It’s not good”