i think he was doing a buddy a favor in george mcphee. >> you really have to want it badly to do thatat high pressure job. >> he looked at times during the season when he was talking to us in the media like he was in physical pain. i don't know if he enjoyed it. caps players say they were very surprised by dale hunter's decision to step down this quickly but hunter certainly wasn't second guessing his decision today. he informed his friend and caps general manager george mcphee of his decision this morning and a couple of hours later met the washington media for the last time. i must say this is the happiest he's been. hunter took over for the fired bruce beaudreau at the end of november and tried to turn the capitals into a defensive minded hockey team. it wasn't until the playoffs the caps seemed to gel. they took down the defending stanley cup champs and the boston bruins in the first round and fell to the rangers in seven games in the second. overall, hunter's record in washington, 37-37. and the caps still weren't able to get out of the second round. now his decision since the ca

he told gm george mcphee at the morning meeting at the kettler iceplex. hunter went 20-3-7, a .500 record after agreeing to a one year deal to take over bruce boudreau helping the caps squeeze into the playoffs. he had an emphasis on blocking shots and washington eliminated boston in the 1st round and then lost a tough seven-game series to new york. hunter had the caps in every postseason game, 13 of their 14 playoff contests decided by just one goal. today mcphee was asked if he tried to talk hunter out of leaving. >> no because there's no gray in dale's life. he's very decisive and the only thing i asked dale was does this have anything to do with anything that's going on here and he said absolutely not. he loved it here. this is his team. this has always been his team. it's the only team he's ever wanted to coach. >> it's a tough decision and when i retired as a hockey player, i had to retire because i wasn't -- not that good anymore i guess you would say, but, you know, this was a tough decision. i enjoyed coaching these guys here and being back to th

>> wendy, capitals general manager george mcphee brought his old buddy dale hunter back to washingtonhey fired bruce beaudreau in november. all said and done shall the capitals went 37-37 under hunter and once again failed to get out of the second round. despite his deep ties to the organization, coaching on the nhl level isn't something he wanted to do anymore. and this morning he told mcphee that he was out. >> this morning dale and i met about 10:00 and he let me know that he will not be able to return as the coach. he's going to head back to london and i guess we're all fathers and sons and husbands first before anything else and if we have our priorities right in this life the family comes first. and dale needs to go home. >> when i retired as a hockey player i had to retire because i wasn't that good anymore i guess you want to say but this was a tough decision. i enjoyed coaching these guys here and being back to the team that i always figure is not my team but ted's team but still my team, you know, and so it was a tough decision but the right thing for me and my family. >> he

the coach told george mcphee at a meeting this morning and told the team shortly thereafter, hunter had a .500 record in the regular season after agreeing to a one-year deal to take over for bruce boudreau. he played a possession oriented system with an emphasis on blocking shots. washington eliminated reigning stanley cup champion boston in the first round and lost a tough seven-game series to new york. here's dale hunter on his final day as caps coach. >> this is a tough decision. i enjoyed coaching these guys here and being back to a team that is -- i always figure it's not my team, but it's still my team, you know, and so it was a tough decision to make, but it was the right thing for me and my family. >> i guess we're all fathers and sons and husbands first before anything else and if we have our priorities right in this life that family comes first and dale needs to go home. >> move did not shock mcphee. he had to talk hunter into taking the job in the first place. the players, however, caught a little more off guard especially since they bought into the new system and had seen th

the team along with coach dale hunter and gm george mcphee will be at kettler ice plex to speak to the media for the final time this season. coming up in our next half hour, we'll speak with washington examiner sports righter john right -- writer john keim. >>> one certainly networking phenom has a lot to celebrate this week. >> first, $2 billion in losses in just six weeks. sounds unimaginable. it is true. now, some of the top names in the nation's biggest banks are being blamed and at least one is on the chopping block. we are back in just a moment. time now going on 6:08. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone likes a bit of order in their life. virtual wallet helps you get it. keep track of spending, move money with a slide, and use the calendar. all to see your money how you want. ♪ . >>> making headlines this morning, three executives with j. p. morgan chase are resigning over the $2 boil onat any rating loss. one of the executives is the bank's chief investment officer. the trading blunder has led some? congress to call for new banking regulation for the industry. more on this coming

. >> reporter: still, while dale goes back to london, ontario, george mcphee must now find his thirdead coach in seven months. we will have a lot more coming up from here at 5:00 and 6:00, including player reaction to dale hunter stepping down as the capitals' head coach. >> he went out with a big finish. >> he did. >> here's to the future. up next on news 4 at 4:00 a whole lot more to come. jessica simpson opens up today about another new clothing line, this one for moms. >> also ahead what are the top baby names of 2011? we'll run down the top five for boys and girls. >> we're not on it. nbc showed off its new fall lineup this afternoon. we'll look at the new comedies the network hopes are a lot of laughs. >>> also at 4:30 the growing dangers of children swallowing button batteries. button batteries. e.r.s are getting packe never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. if my mom can fight and beat breast cancer, i can walk 60 miles. (woman) the fund-raising was the easiest part. people were very giving. complete strangers wanting to help. i knew someday i was go

we will hear from hunter and gm george mcphee plus the players and their reaction on hunter leaving later in sports. >> sad to see him go. >>> coming up an american university graduate gets her diploma as her boy friend gets down on one knee. i think she said yes. >> reporter: closing arguments in a 30-year-old murder case, i'm bruce leshan. could the wrong men have been in prison all this time? >> up next we may soon know whether john edwards will take the stand in his own defense of that campaign finance corruption trial. >>> the defense went to bat today in the john edwards finance campaign corruption trial and the focus shifted dramatically from his affair with rielle hunter to federal campaign finance law. the chief financial officer for edwards' president al campaign took the stand. she said edwards played no role with the campaign contributions and added that he did not attempt to influence her report. edwards could get 30 years if he's convicted in the case. >>> the chief accuser in the roger clemens perjury case took the stand today. brian mcnamee is clemens' former strength coac