Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The Washington Capitals have only been around for 40 seasons. Despite that, the Caps have been blessed with some great captains. The Washington Capitals have had a variety of captains during their history.
They’ve had superstars who led by example and elevated the play of those who they played with. They’ve had grizzled veterans who helped mentor younger teams and set the tone for the Capitals. They’ve even had guys who were almost forced into the role but had success despite that.
The Washington Capitals have had a total of 14 different players who have served as their captain. Being a captain is a huge responsibility. When you are a captain, you are responsible for leading your team.
When your team wins, it’s your job to compliment everyone except for yourself. When your team loses, even if you had a hat trick in a 4-3 loss, guess whose job it is to accept blame for the loss?
Yours. Guess who gets blamed anytime something doesn’t go right? You. Being a captain can be extremely stressful on players. Some of the best players ever weren’t captains. It’s a brutal job that not everyone can handle.
As a captain, it’s their job to set the example for the rest of your team. They’re expected to be one of the first on the ice for practice and one of the last off it.
When their team is struggling, it’s their job to help the team push through. If you’re the captain of a great team, you’ll be celebrated. If you’re the captain of a bad team, you’ll be criticized.
The Washington Capitals have had some excellent captains over the years. This ranking will be based on not just stats, but how important they are or were to their team. Some of the best captains weren’t point producers, and this list reflects that.
Next: Honorable Mentions
Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Honorable Mentions
Let’s start off with a list of the Washington Capitals captains. The following 14 players have at some point during their careers spent time as the Caps official captain.
Let’s remember some of the players who didn’t make the top five. Jeff Halpern was the Washington Capitals captain during the 2005-2006 season. He is a bit of a folk hero in DC as he was born and raised in DC.
He wasn’t that productive as a captain as far as points, but I think the 2005-2006 team matured a lot and considering its roster, did better than expected. When that happens, the captain probably deserves credit.
Adam Oates was a tad bit underwhelming as a captain. While he did produce points, he wasn’t that leader that some of the other guys were.
Like I said earlier, being a captain is a tough job that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Not everyone is cut out to be one, and that’s fine.
Steve Konowalchuk drew the short straw as he was a captain for some bad Caps teams from 2001 to 2003. I think he was a very good leader, but the Caps just didn’t have much talent back when he was the captain.
Doug Mohns was the captain of arguably the worst NHL team ever (the 1974-1975 Caps), so he deserves to be mentioned. He was drafted almost exclusively to lead the newest NHL team.
1974-1975 would be his last season in the NHL and is famous for being one of the first players to wear a helmet. He died in 2014.
Next: #5: A Captain Traded For Another
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
#5: Ryan Walter
Coming in at number five on our list of the best Washington Capitals captains of all-time is a captain whose influence on the Washington Capitals stretched far past his tenure with them: Ryan Walter.
Walter was a center who served as the Caps captain from 1979 to 1982. Walter was important to the Caps history for two reasons.
First of all, he helped the Caps become a playoff team because the team matured greatly during his tenure as the captain. Their record may not have shown it, but he had an impact.
He did a great job in particular of helping Mike Gartner and Bengt-Ake Gustafsson develop. He did all of that despite being just 21 years old when he became the captain. He was thrown into the fire and has success.
The other reason that he was very important to the Washington Capitals? Well, he was traded for Rod Langway in 1982. He proved his talent as a player by making the transition from the Caps aggressive hard-hitting style to Montreal’s wide-open offense.
Also, the guy once beat up Mike Milbury. That gives him a ton of brownie points.
Next: #4: The Great Enforcer
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
#4: Yvon Labre
Stats don’t define who a great captain is. They help, but they certainly aren’t the end all. The Washington Capitals had a captain who proved that in defenseman Yvon Labre. Labre served as the Caps captain from 1976 to 1978. He wasn’t the Caps captain for that long, but he played a very important role in the Caps turning into a playoff team.
As a captain, Labre taught the young Washington Capitals how to play in the NHL. His work ethic was contagious.
He taught the young players what it was like to be a part of a team. Whenever an opponent had a problem with the Caps during a game, Labre would stand up for his teammates. It didn’t matter who he had to fight to do so.
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When Yvon Labre strapped on his hockey gear, he became a pure foot soldier who fought his battles in the toughest trenches of any arena in which he played. He launched his advent to the big leagues with the Toronto Marlboros where he toiled as a slow-skating, defensive defenseman who played tough, engaged in scraps, and inspired his teammates with his big heart. He made his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1970 before being dispatched to the minors where he played in Baltimore, Amarillo, and Hershey. He won a return engagement with the Pens in 1973-74 and was then returned to the minors until the Washington Capitals selected him in the 1974 Expansion Draft. His transition to the Caps marked his arrival as a full-fledged NHLer. The problem was, Labre was playing for one of the worst teams in league history — and he even had to struggle to make that team each year. He survived by throwing every ounce of his heart into clearing creases and engaging in fights that, more often than not, he lost because his arms were too short, as he once joked. By 1980-81, Labre’s knee gave out, forcing his early retirement. As a tribute to his career, he was invited out to centre ice where the Caps acknowledged his contribution to the club. In the process, he was stunned to learn that his #7 was to be retired to the rafters of the MCI Center. Labre has since stayed on with the Caps’ organization as a director of special programs. – Legends of Hockey
Labre is someone who Washington Capitals fans should appreciate. Without him, the Caps would be quite different and might not have even lasted in DC.
Next: #3: The Quintessential Cap
Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
#3: Dale Hunter
Coming in at number three on our list of the best Washington Capitals captains of all-time is none other than Dale Hunter. Hunter epitomized what it means to be a Capital as he is the only Caps captain ever to lead the Caps to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Granted, the Caps got swept in the Stanley Cup Finals, but they were facing a far superior Detroit Red Wings team.
During Hunter’s tenure as the Washington Capitals, the Caps were notorious for being physical and very difficult to play against. They worked hard and teams never looked forward to playing against them.
Dale Hunter played a huge role in that, as Hunter himself wasn’t an easy guy to play against. Not only could he score on you, he could beat you up as well. While Hunter was the captain, the Caps took on the personality of Hunter. That’s what great captains do.
However, as a captain, Hunter had his flaws. He racked up penalty minutes, perhaps being a bit too hard of a hitter and too aggressive.
A good captain can’t put his team a man down as often as Hunter did. He wasn’t always the best role model, as he proved against the New York Islanders.
He would later serve as the Washington Capitals head coach during the 2011-2012 season. His experience as a captain helped him take the Capitals to the playoffs and even upset the reigning Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins.
Next: #2: A Future Hall Of Famer
Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
#2: Alex Ovechkin
The current Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin comes second on our list of the best Capitals captain of all-time. Ovechkin became the Caps captain on January 5th, 2010.
Since then, Ovechkin has led the Capitals to the playoffs in all but one of his seasons as the Caps captain. Ovechkin has been an excellent captain by leading through example and coming through for his team when they’ve needed him to.
Perhaps his only criticism as a captain is that he has never taken his team past the second round of the playoffs. However, that hasn’t been Ovechkin’s fault.
The Caps have always relied far too heavily on Ovechkin. Hopefully with the recent changes that the Caps have made this off-season, they have created enough scoring depth to complement Ovechkin.
Being the captain hasn’t always been easy for Ovechkin. Under Hunter, Ovechkin and Hunter clashed as Hunter wanted Ovechkin to be a better defensive player. At times, Ovechkin saw his playing time reduced while Hunter was the head coach.
Despite that, he remained his team’s leader. Under Adam Oates, Ovechkin saw his offense return, but he also experienced his roughest season as a pro in 2013-2014.
Under Barry Trotz, Ovechkin has re-discovered his game. The fire in his belly is back and he’s using it to win the Caps their first ever Stanley Cup.
Next: #1: The Secretary Of Defense
Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
#1: Rod Langway
Coming in at number one on our list of the best Washington Capitals captains in team history is Hall of Famer Rod Langway. Langway was the Capitals captain from 1982 to 1993. During that time, the Caps never missed the playoffs.
The Hall of Fame defenseman led the defensively gifted Caps to arguably their most successful ten-year period in franchise history.
The defenseman did not score points, but he did shut down virtually every forward that he came across. He set an example with his hard hits, his incredible defense and his constant desire to be a better player.
Just prior to the start of the 1982 training camp, a blockbuster deal was struck with the Washington Capitals, changing the face of both clubs. Langway was on his way to the U.S. capital, along with Doug Jarvis, Craig Laughlin and Brian Engblom in exchange for Ryan Walter and Rick Green. Immediately, the Capitals named Langway their captain and the tide had begun to turn. After missing the playoffs in every season since their conception in 1974, the newly charged club marched to a winning record and its first playoff birth, led by their captain’s Norris Trophy performance and 1st Team All-Star berth. Over the next ten seasons, Langway was a pillar of strength on the Capitals blue line. A knock-off of old school defencemen from yesteryear, he became known for his fearless shot blocking and goal stopping expertise as confirmed by this Mike Gartner testimony in 1983, “”They’re the guys (along with Engblom) you want out there in the last minute of a 3-2 game because you know they’re going to get the puck out.”” Known in Washington D.C. circles as the “”Franchise Saver””, he was always willing to sacrifice his body for the club, never giving less than his best effort and expected nothing less from those around him. Teammate Al Jensen once stated, “”You have to respect a guy who works as hard as Rod does.”” Langway would capture a second Norris Trophy in 1984, along with another 1st Team All-Star selection and a 2nd Team All-Star selection in 1985, while participating in five more All-Star contests,including the Rendez-vous ’87 match-up versus the USSR National Team. An extremely patriotic person, Langway rarely missed an opportunity to represent his country on the international stage. He was the captain and leader of Team USA on four separate occasions, the 1981, 1984 and 1987 Canada Cup’s, along with the 1982 Pool ‘A’ World Championship. Despite never tasting team success during the high-calibre tournaments, Langway was always considered one of the best at his position, earning All-Star honors along with the USSR’s Viacheslav Fetisov at the 1984 Canada Cup. – Legends of Hockey
