The official Washington Capitals colors are red, navy blue and white. The primary color is red (#C8102E), paired with navy blue (#041E42) and white (#FFFFFF). These colors run across the team’s logo, jerseys and merchandise. The Caps adopted this scheme in 2007, when they went back to their original red, white and blue look.
Washington Capitals Color Codes
Here’s the full set. HEX and RGB for screens, CMYK and Pantone for print work. Grab whichever one your project needs.
| Color | Swatch | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red | #C8102E | 200, 16, 46 | 2, 100, 85, 6 | PMS 186 C | |
| Navy Blue | #041E42 | 4, 30, 66 | 100, 90, 13, 68 | PMS 282 C | |
| White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 | n/a |
Quick honesty note on the Pantone side: white doesn’t carry a PMS number here, it’s just paper or blank space in print. The two chip values (186 C and 282 C) are the ones the team actually uses across licensed gear.
The Colors, One at a Time
The red in the Capitals palette
Red (#C8102E) is the color you notice first. It’s the base of the home sweater and the reason the whole marketing push got called “Rock the Red.” This is a warm, slightly cool-leaning shade of red that sits close to Pantone 186 C, not a fire-engine red and not a brick tone either. It came back into the identity in 2007 after a twelve-year absence. If you want the arena-lights version, this is it.
The navy blue in the Capitals palette
Navy (#041E42) does the quiet structural work. You’ll spot it in the wordmark lettering, jersey trim, and the shoulder patch outlines. It’s a deep navy blue tone (Pantone 282 C), dark enough to almost read as black at a glance. The Caps leaned hard on it for their 2018 Stadium Series jersey, which was navy top to bottom and honestly one of their sharper alternates.
The white in the Capitals palette
White (#FFFFFF) is the road-jersey base and the separator that keeps red and navy from muddying into each other. Nothing fancy about the value, it’s pure white. But its job matters. Pull it out of the logo and the whole thing loses its snap. Clean white space is doing more here than people give it credit for.
Uniform Colors: Home, Away, Alternate
Home uniform: red dominates, with navy and white striping on the arms and hem plus the Capitol Dome shoulder patches.
Away uniform: white base, red and navy trim, same three-star wordmark.
Alternate: for 2025-26 the Caps run a red Screaming Eagle third jersey, worn at 15 home games. From 2022 to 2025 the alternate was the black-and-bronze Reverse Retro, which is a different animal entirely (more on that below).
History and Rebranding
The Capitals launched in the 1974-75 season wearing red, white and blue. Pretty patriotic, fitting for a team named after the nation’s capital.
Then 1995 happened. On June 22 of that year the team blew up its identity and rolled out the Screaming Eagle logo with a completely different palette: a muted blue, plus black and bronze. It was the era of the Kings’ silver-and-black and the Sharks’ teal, and Washington wanted that same aggressive edge. Those jerseys ran until 2007.
After Ted Leonsis bought the club in 1999, he pushed to bring the classic colors back. Manufacturer changes and the 2004-05 lockout stalled it, but in 2007 the redesign finally dropped. Red, white and navy returned, the wordmark logo came back (letters leaning forward, three stars for Maryland, D.C. and Virginia), and the hockey-stick “t” stayed. That’s the look the team still wears today.
The old blue-black-bronze scheme never fully died, though. It came back as the 2022 Reverse Retro alternate and stuck around three seasons, which tells you how much fans actually missed it.
How to Use These Colors
For web and screen work, use the HEX values (red as #C8102E, navy as #041E42). For anything headed to a printer, switch to the CMYK or Pantone chips so the reds don’t shift on you. That red is the one that drifts most between screen and paper, so proof it if the budget allows.
Here’s a copy-ready CSS block:
“ :root { --caps-red: #C8102E; --caps-navy: #041E42; --caps-white: #FFFFFF; } `
One pairing tip: red and navy together can feel heavy, so let white carry more of the layout than you’d expect. If you’re building fan graphics or a mock-up, a mostly-white canvas with red as the accent reads cleaner than trying to split the space evenly. Worth browsing a few red-based palette combinations if you want to see how designers balance a bold red against neutrals.
Related Resources
For the full league reference, the NHL team color codes hub lists every club’s values in one place.
If you’re comparing against the teams the Caps actually battle in the Metropolitan Division, check the New Jersey Devils color scheme (their longtime rival), the Philadelphia Flyers palette, the Pittsburgh Penguins colors, and the Carolina Hurricanes color codes. Fun side note: nearly half the division leans on some version of red or navy, so the Caps aren’t exactly alone in that lane.
FAQ on The Washington Capitals Colors
What are the Washington Capitals colors?
The Washington Capitals colors are red, navy blue and white. Red (#C8102E) leads the palette, backed by navy blue (#041E42) and white (#FFFFFF).
You’ll see all three across the logo, jerseys and fan gear.
What are the Washington Capitals color codes (HEX and RGB)?
The Capitals color codes are red at HEX #C8102E, RGB (200, 16, 46); navy blue at HEX #041E42, RGB (4, 30, 66); and white at #FFFFFF, RGB (255, 255, 255).
Use these for any web or screen build.
What is the Washington Capitals Pantone color?
The team runs two Pantone codes: PMS 186 C for the red and PMS 282 C for the navy blue.
White carries no Pantone value, since it prints as blank paper. Use the PMS chips for merchandise and licensed print.
When did the Capitals adopt their current colors?
Washington brought back red, white and blue in 2007, ending the blue-black-bronze Screaming Eagle era that ran from 1995.
The 2007 rebrand revived the original wordmark logo with three stars for Maryland, D.C. and Virginia.
What is the primary color of the Washington Capitals?
Red (#C8102E) is the primary color. It fills the home sweater and anchors the “Rock the Red” branding fans know from Capital One Arena.
Navy and white work as the supporting tones around it.
Are the Washington Capitals colors the same as the New York Rangers?
Close, but not identical. Both use red, white and blue, yet the New York Rangers palette leans on a brighter royal blue.
The Caps use a much darker navy blue (#041E42), which reads almost black on ice.
What colors are the Capitals home and away jerseys?
The home jersey is red with navy and white striping. The away jersey is white with red and navy trim.
Both carry the Capitol Dome shoulder patch and the three-star wordmark.
What did the Washington Capitals colors used to be?
From 1995 to 2007 the Caps wore a blue, black and bronze scheme with the Screaming Eagle logo.
That palette returned as the Reverse Retro alternate from 2022 through 2025 before the red look took the third-jersey slot again.
What is the navy blue hex code for the Capitals?
The Washington Capitals navy blue hex code is #041E42. In RGB that’s (4, 30, 66), and the Pantone match is PMS 282 C.
It shows up in the wordmark lettering, jersey trim and patch outlines.
What do the Washington Capitals colors mean?
The red, white and blue scheme mirrors the American flag, a nod to the team’s home in the nation’s capital.
Red signals energy, navy adds depth, and white keeps the identity clean and readable.
Conclusion
The Washington Capitals colors come down to three values: red #C8102E, navy blue #041E42 and white. Keep the HEX codes for screens and the Pantone chips (186 C and 282 C) for print.
That red-and-navy pairing has carried the team’s brand identity since the 2007 rebrand.
Whether you’re mocking up fan gear or matching the Capital One Arena look, these codes give you the exact palette. Copy them, test your contrast, and build.
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