Bailey Johnson is back covering the Capitals.<\/p>\n
Johnson announced on social media Tuesday that she has returned to the Washington Post to cover Washington\u2019s push through the final stretch of the NHL season, which is a development that felt unthinkable two months ago. The Post eliminated its entire sports department in February, ending a relationship with the Capitals that the paper had maintained since the franchise\u2019s inaugural season in 1974.<\/p>\n
\u201cDidn\u2019t see this coming, but I\u2019m back at the Post to cover the final stretch of the Caps\u2019 season,\u201d Johnson wrote.<\/a> \u201cIt\u2019s been a really weird couple of months, but I\u2019m grateful to have the work and be back doing what I love for the time being.\u201d<\/p>\n Didn\u2019t see this coming, but I\u2019m back at the Post to cover the final stretch of the Caps\u2019 season. It\u2019s been a really weird couple of months, but I\u2019m grateful to have the work and be back doing what I love for the time being pic.twitter.com\/rQ6pEDUIqa<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Bailey Johnson (@BaileyAJohnson_) March 31, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n When Johnson was initially laid off in February, Capitals coach Spencer Carbery opened his next press conference by acknowledging her absence.<\/p>\n \u201cI would be remiss not to say something about Bailey not being here today,\u201d Carbery said at the time<\/a>. \u201cWherever her next stop is, know she\u2019ll do a fantastic job. She\u2019s an incredible person and really, really good at what she does.\u201d<\/p>\n The Post has been quietly piecing together some form of sports coverage since the February layoffs drew widespread backlash and tens of thousands of subscription cancellations<\/a>. The cuts had drawn condemnation from just about the entire media industry, with owner Jeff Bezos facing particular criticism<\/a> for claiming he wanted the publication to continue growing amid the layoffs.<\/p>\n Less than two months after gutting the sports section, the paper brought back a Nationals beat, hiring Danielle Allentuck<\/a> away from the Baltimore Banner \u2014 which had made moves to hire D.C.-area sports journalists in the aftermath of the WaPo cuts<\/a> \u2014 to cover Washington\u2019s baseball team for the season.<\/p>\n Johnson\u2019s return fills the Capitals\u2019 hole the Post created when it let her go, at least through the end of the season. She was careful to describe it as \u201cfor the time being,\u201d which leaves open the question of what happens when the Capitals\u2019 run ends.<\/p>\n The Post had reportedly been in contact with several former staffers<\/a> about returning, though many of the star columnists and reporters it let go have already landed at ESPN<\/a> and The Athletic<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t