Best known for the sleight-of-hand passes that he dished from the quirky downsized blade of his stick, former Bruins center Adam Oates continued to deliver the magic Tuesday, chosen the new head coach of the Washington Capitals on the same day that he was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

No telling what gig Cam Neely’s old setup partner might have added to make the day a hat trick, but June 26, 2012, will be remembered as the day the 49-year-old Oates shook hands with a new employer and joined hands with the greatest names the game has ever known.