Before defenseman John Carlson debuted with the Washington Capitals during the 2009-10 season, he burst on to the hockey scene at the 2010 World Junior Championships, scoring in overtime of the gold medal game to give the United States the gold over the rival Canadians.
Two weeks after that goal, Carlson was called up from the AHL and made a permanent home on the Capitals blue line from then on. For five straight seasons Carlson featured in every game until and injury riddled 2015-2016 season. Carlson has been a steady fixture on the Caps’ back end as it underwent numerous changes over the years.