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From San Jose to Washington: Brenden Dillon adjusts to life on the East Coast originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Brenden Dillon learned quickly that he wasn't in San Jose anymore. On his first night in the Washington area after getting traded from the San Jose Sharks to the Washington Capitals, Dillon was not exactly dressed for the cold.

"Shorts and sandals," he said after his first skate with the team. "I had my California backpack with me so yeah it wasn't too bad, just walking around the area here. Yeah, definitely not in San Jose but at the same time, it was great weather in my opinion. I'm a Canadian boy so not too bad at all."

Just in terms of hockey, Dillon lucked out at the trade deadline. He went from a Sharks team that was well out of playoff contention to the Capitals who currently lead the Metropolitan Division and who are just two years removed from hoisting the Stanley Cup. Off the ice, however, Dillon traded the sunny skies of California for the grayer and colder February in Washington, D.C.

Weather, however, is just one aspect of Dillon's new life that will require some getting used to.

The transition to a new team and a new city can often be a difficult one for players, especially at the trade deadline with little time left in the season to adjust. There are a lot of aspects to a player making that transition, more than just switching from shorts to pants.

"Time zone is probably the biggest thing," Dillon said after practice on Tuesday. "Getting used to 7:00 is 10:00 now and so on and overall it has been great. Both areas are great cities to live in. I mean the fan base has been unbelievable since day one when I got here and again I've been spending most of my time here around the guys here around the rink … everyone has been very welcoming, which makes the transition a lot easier."

Dillon is currently staying in a hotel by himself. His girlfriend is back in San Jose, but is planning on coming later in the season.

While living out of a hotel may not sound all that appealing, Dillon plans on remaining there for the rest of the season.

"It's a great set up there, it's nice and close," he said. "Great restaurants, great stuff to do around here and a lot of guys live in the area if you need a ride."

Dillon has been positive on just about every aspect of the move from west to east while also acknowledging the difficulties involved. To help with that transition, Dillon has found an unexpected ally.

In addition to Dillon, Washington also acquired forward Ilya Kovalchuk before the trade deadline as well. Kovalchuk knows several of the team's Russian players and is good friends with Ovechkin.

Despite that, Kovalchuk is also living out of the hotel and has spent a fair amount of time with Dillon since coming to Washington.

"When the guys come back home they have kids and families," Kovalchuk said, "And I don't want be another kid in their house."

"Pretty much every day [Kovalchuk's] been inviting me for dinner," Dillon said, "And we've been getting to know one another and chatting about life. He's obviously a little different than me."

Having another player going through the same struggles as he is has helped Dillon through this process.

"Feels like you are not just in a hotel," he said. "Feels like you are at least some familiarity and with guys who are going through the same stuff you are and for the both of us, learn the systems in the area, I think there are some common kind of venturing out we can do together."

A successful transition off the ice should hopefully aid in his transition with the team and that's important considering Dillon has stepped into a first-pair role right away. Having Kovalchuk to aid him will help, but first, he needs to get some pants.

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