📸: Katie Adler/RMNB
Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery began his press conference Thursday morning, taking a moment to thank Bailey Johnson, the Washington Post’s beat writer, who was part of Wednesday’s mass layoffs.
I was among the layoffs at @washingtonpost today. It has been an absolute dream to be a small part of this incredible team. Covering the Caps has been an honor; being a beat writer is an all-consuming thing that I love deeply. I hope I’ll get to continue that in whatever is next
— Bailey Johnson (@BaileyAJohnson_) February 4, 2026
“I would be remiss not to say something about Bailey not being here today,” Carbery said. “Getting to know her over the last two and a half years, yeah, I’m just thinking about her. And also know wherever her next stop is, whether it’s in the DC area or somewhere else, know she’ll do a fantastic job. She’s an incredible person and really, really good at what she does.”
Johnson was first hired to cover the Capitals beat on May 23, 2023, after previously covering the MLS’s Columbus Crew and the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets with The Columbus Dispatch.
The University of Michigan graduate also interned at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where she reported on Georgia and Georgia Tech football and assisted with coverage of the NFL, NBA, and WNBA.
“I was so lucky to spend my time here covering a coach as kind, generous with his time and sincere as Spencer Carbery,” Johnson said on X. “I learned from him every day, and it was a gift.”
During her time at the Post, Johnson covered Alex Ovechkin‘s goals chase and was at UBS Arena when he broke the NHL goals record. The Post had previously covered the Capitals since the team’s inaugural season in 1974.