Washington Capitals Top Goal Scorers: Gartner
Coming in at number three on our list of the best goal scorers in Washington Capitals history is a Hall of Famer who played in the 1980’s: Mike Gartner. Gartner scored a lot of goals for the Caps, so it’s easy to see why he ranks so highly on this list.
Over ten seasons, Gartner played in 758 games. He scored 397 goals for the Washington Capitals. That’s the equivalent of 316 adjusted goals.
"Gartner was drafted 4th overall during the 1979 Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals. He made an instant impact on his new club, leading the team in both goals (36) and points (68). Over the next eight seasons, Gartner never scored fewer than 35 goals, hitting the magical 50-goal mark during the 1984-85 season. He led the Capitals in scoring on four occasions, and prior to his trade to Minnesota in 1989 he had tied or set 12 team records including career goals (397) and points (789), all of which he accomplished on a team that missed the playoffs three times and bowed out in the first round three other times. The poor playoff performances by the Capitals enabled Gartner to become an experienced member of Canada’s National Team. Always answering the call when asked, Gartner suited up for the 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1993 World Championship squads. Additionally, he was named to the Canada Cup clubs in 1984 and 1987, narrowly missing a third tournament as the final cut in 1981. Combined with his World Junior bronze medal, Gartner won two gold and three bronze medals in international competition, scoring a total of 19 goals and 29 points. After two short half-season stints with the North Stars, Gartner was traded to the New York Rangers in March 1990 where over the next three seasons he continued his goal scoring consistency with totals of 49, 40 and 45. He had now recorded 30-or-more goals in 14 consecutive seasons, a new NHL mark. During his stint in the Big Apple, Gartner became just the 16th player to reach the 500-goal mark, 6th to reach 600 goals and 33rd player to hit the 1,000-point milestone. Prior to the 1994 trade deadline, Gartner was dealt to his boyhood home, Toronto. Continuing his record-setting streak with a 34-goal season, he was again disappointed as the Maple Leafs were ousted in the Stanley Cup semi-finals. Playing two more seasons for the Maple Leafs, Gartner was named as a Commissioner’s Selection to the 1996 All-Star Game team. This marked his seventh and final appearance, which included an MVP performance of four goals and an assist in 1993. It was during the annual Skill’s Competition, however, that he excelled. Gartner captured the “Fastest Skater Competition” each of the three years he entered, including 1996, at age 36. During the 1985-86 season, Gartner once said, “I have a God-given ability to skate. I haven’t really worked on my legs at all during my career.” He continued to prove his ability until his retirement in 1998. –Legends of Hockey"
Next: #2: Bondra