Fans are expressing their discontent with the Washington Capitals after the team shared a fundraising link for Wes Johnson, their longtime PA announcer, who was hospitalized last week due to a medical emergency. Johnson, 63, was found unresponsive, prompting his family to set up a GoFundMe page, which the Capitals promoted on their X account.
The Washington Capitals express our heartfelt thoughts and send our best wishes to our beloved public address announcer, Wes Johnson.
Please visit the GoFundMe page established by the Johnson family for additional support at https://t.co/2cUDf6v6Im pic.twitter.com/sxwolDSjC4
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 27, 2025
According to Front Office Sports, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis contributed $25,000 to the fund, which surpassed its goal of $50,000, raising over $165,000 by Wednesday afternoon. Nonetheless, many fans criticized Leonsis for not covering Johnson’s full medical expenses, given his 25 years of dedication as the Capitals’ PA announcer. Leonsis, who also owns the Washington Wizards and Washington Mystics, has a net worth of $3.1 billion, as reported by Forbes.
Social media saw a wave of backlash, with many fans expressing their frustrations vocally.
25 years as the PA announcer for the Caps and we’re making the social media team share a GoFundMe link. Ted, come on man. https://t.co/55YoxsuQ5z
— bald coach appreciator (@OVECHKlN) January 27, 2025
Imagine working 25 years as the voice of the Washington Capitals, you get a medical emergency & your billionaire owner has the social media team put a GoFundMe link on Twitter. https://t.co/8jcyKzdGNB
— You Be Frank (@Yoube_Frank) January 27, 2025
So embarrassing for the team to be sharing a GoFundMe link for this. https://t.co/S9Qqt05MtF
— Andrew (@adfvbricks) January 27, 2025
The owner of the Washington Capitals is worth 3.1 billion dollars. Billionaires don’t deserve to exist. https://t.co/dJTrRNLz3R
— Más Def (@projectpatriley) January 28, 2025
On a positive note, Johnson showed signs of improvement while remaining in the ICU as of Wednesday. His wife, Kim, updated the GoFundMe page, noting that Johnson “is awake and talking, but just a little out of it. He’s still in ICU but far more stable. Specialists have a theory on what the health issue is, and they’re running tests to pinpoint the cause.” Beyond his role with the Capitals, Johnson is also known for his acting appearances in films like The Invasion and Hearts in Atlantis, as well as notable TV shows such as Veep and The Wire. Additionally, he is a cartoonist, comedian, and voice artist who has contributed his talents to various cartoons, commercials, and video games, including Fallout 3 and Fallout 4.
