Brandon Duhaime has quickly become one of the most beloved members of the Capitals locker room. (David Gonzales — Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/c6453c5b-7a1b-48c3-96d3-fbf104e56e13.jpeg] Brandon Duhaime has quickly become one of the most beloved members of the Capitals locker room. (David Gonzales — Imagn Images) ARLINGTON, V.A. — As the Washington Capitals wait to take the ice and stand in the tunnel before warmups, you'll often hear barking echoing through the halls. It's coming from "Doggy..." also known as "Dewey..." also known as Brandon Duhaime. There are multiple monikers for the Capitals tough guy, and yet, despite all of his nicknames, it's not easy for Tom Wilson to describe what Duhaime's come to mean to the group. "I don't think you can really put it into words," Wilson said of sharing the room with Duhaime. That's because Duhaime is one of a kind. The 27-year-old joined Washington on a two-year contract this offseason, expected to bring grit and physicality to the mix while replacing Beck Malenstyn as Nic Dowd's go-to winger on the fourth line. He's embraced that role, and then some. Duhaime has picked up a career-high nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points through 74 games this season. He's a hard-working winger who's not afraid to drop the mitts or stick up for his teammates, he kills penalties and he'll play whatever role is asked of him. "It's hard to have a bad day with this job," Duhaime said, adding, "You come in with the same attitude every day. And it should be a positive attitude. Every day, coming here and doing what we do is a privilege." Despite all he does on the ice, it's Duhaime's character and off-ice presence that's made him stand out. "It's interesting every day, in a really good way. He's just one of the teammates that I'll remember for probably the rest of my career," Nic Dowd said. First and foremost, Duhaime is known for his keen sense of humor and quick wit, which have taken the locker room by storm. He's a prank master who — though he denies it — is the catalyst behind an ongoing prank war in the District. "When he gets himself with the prank, that's probably his best (trick), just to try to get himself clear of no one thinking that it's him," Taylor Raddysh said. "Like if he's putting a water cup under someone's helmet, he'll do it to himself as well, just so no one knows it was him." Wilson, who is most frequently on the end of Duhaime's pranks, noted that the Florida native "keeps you on your toes." "Some of the stuff that he comes up with is crazy," Wilson said, adding. "My first impression was like, 'Oh, this is going to be a long year, he's going to tire me out,' because he was coming after me from Day 1. Since then, it's just been one of those things that makes you want to come back to the rink every day." Of Wilson, Duhaime shrugged it off. "He's an easy target." Capitals In Midst Of Locker Room Prank War: 'It Doesn't Matter Who You Are, No One's Safe' [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/5c0ae558-0a6b-4631-82c3-4fd54f4c0e13.jpeg] Capitals In Midst Of Locker Room Prank War: 'It Doesn't Matter Who You Are, No One's Safe' ARLINGTON, V.A. — Before Brandon Duhaime went to sit down in his stall, he noticed that his seat cushion was soaked in water. He stalked off to get a towel, and then cleaned up the mess before quickly pointing out the culprit. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/players/capitals-in-midst-of-locker-room-prank-war-it-doesnt-matter-who-you-are-no-ones-safe] "It's fun to poke him a little bit. Not too far, you don't want him seeing red," Duhaime joked. Still, even though he'll pick on his teammates, he's firmly always in their corner, a team guy through and through. "I think he's just as happy to watch his own teammates have success as he is to have personal success, which I think is hard to come by in professional sports," Dowd said. "He's every guy's biggest cheerleader," Wilson smiled. That optimism and positivity are contagious, and it's enough to overshadow the constant hijinks. In fact, it's his "can-do" attitude that has brought an already-close locker room even closer. "The season can really wear on you, and the ability for him – regardless of what's going on with him — he's able to keep the rest of our teammates light, which I think is a pretty special trait of a guy at this level," Dowd said, adding, "If we're struggling with something, whether it's on the ice or off ice, Dewey maintains a positive attitude regardless... You can really tell a lot about a person when things potentially aren't going well individually or as a team, and (he's) still able to maintain that positivity." Brandon Duhaime leads the Capitals in fights this season. (Geoff Burke — Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/d9ec1443-92ea-4d0b-a7f5-53fa8e78816e.jpeg] Brandon Duhaime leads the Capitals in fights this season. (Geoff Burke — Imagn Images) But what really makes his teammates "respect the crap out of him" is his work ethic. "He can have fun off the ice and he's hilarious, but when it comes to game time, he's a guy that's working his butt off every single shift," Charlie Lindgren explained. Duhaime, a fourth-round pick who worked his way up the ranks himself, lives by the notion of "doing it the right way," which he defines as trusting the process, paying your dues and working hard. He calls the process "doing it the right way." "Just a hard, honest game," Duhaime explained, adding, "We build offense through staying under pucks and coming up as a unit of five." "He's just this consistent energy... he just has another level," Dylan McIlrath said, adding, "He makes everyone gravitate towards him." Growing up, Duhaime joked that he wanted to be like Alex Ovechkin, but at the end of the day, he's "Dewey" — and that's more than enough for the Capitals. "Dewey's just... he's in his own group," Dowd smiled.
