Kölzig had been with the Washington Capitals franchise since they selected him in the 1989 Draft; he was the first South African-born player to be drafted to the NHL; he was the last remaining Capital to have worn the original red, white and blue uniform and the blue jersey from 1995. He spent several years in the American Hockey League with the Baltimore Skipjacks, Rochester Americans, and Portland Pirates, and the ECHL with the Hampton Roads Admirals, after playing major junior hockey for the New Westminster Bruins and Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League (WHL). During Kölzig's time with the Americans, he had an on-ice fistfight with Portland Winter Hawks goaltender Byron Dafoe, someone with whom he would go on to have a friendly rivalry in the NHL—so friendly that they served