Dale Hunter is finished as head coach of the Capitals, the team announced today. Hunter, who replaced Bruce Boudreau last November after a disappointing start to the 2011-2012 season, will not be returning for the next campaign, the Post reports.

The Capitals learned about 10 a.m. today that Hunter, who racked up a 37-37 record (including 14 playoff games) in his time running the team, is heading home to London, Ontario to spend more time with his family and with the local hockey club he runs.

The move was not unexpected, the Post reports, especially with Hunter being a midseason replacement for Boudreau, who sometimes clashed with team captain Alex Ovechkin. “I thought he did a great job of coming in and helping us out,” Capitals general manager Gerald McPhee said of Hunter.

Hunter, who spent more than half his playing career in Washington, was unlikely to stay on for a full season. Instead, he’ll return home and get back to running the London Knights, the minor-league team he owns and, until being tapped by the Capitals last November, also coached.

Meanwhile, Capitals fans shouldn’t anticipate the team to name Hunter’s replacement any time soon. McPhee told the Post he will “take his time.”