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"
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