Washington Capitals: Top 5 team captains of all-time
The Washington Capitals have been around for nearly 50 seasons. In that time frame they have been blessed with great team captains throughout their franchise history. These guys were superstars in both the stat sheet and the examples they led both on and off the ice.
From veterans who embraced that role to help the young bucks to others that got thrown into the role but thrived despite it, we’ll take a look at the best of the best. The Caps have had 14 different players don the C patch on their sweater. Let’s take a look at the top 5 Capitals captains who have embraced that responsibility.
#5 Ryan Walter
Coming in at number five on our list is Ryan Walter. He served as captain of the Washington Capitals for three seasons but he was integral in the Caps process for two reasons.
First he helped the Caps become a playoff team. The Caps matured during his time as a captain. He also helped groom Mike Gartner and Bengt-Ake Gustafsson despite being just 21 years old.
Walter was also traded for Rod Langway in 1982 as part of the Save the Caps campaign. It helped the franchise transition into a winner. Also he once beat up Mike Milbury which is pretty cool.
#4 Yvon Labre
Defenseman Yvon Labre served as team captain from 1976 to 1978. He wasn’t a Washington Capitals captain for long but he helped turn the team into a playoff team and a team that was relevant.
As a captain, Labre taught the young bucks of the Washington Capitals how to play in the NHL with a solid work ethic. He also wasn’t afraid to stand up for his teammates when a situation arises. He’s one of those folks Capitals fans should appreciate. Without him, who knows if the Washington Capitals would still be a squad?
Yvon Labre wasn’t just a hockey player. When he strapped on the hockey gear he became a soldier ready to go to war. He fought his battles in the toughest trenches. He made his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1970 before being sent down to the minors where he played in Baltimore.
A few years later he returned to the Penguins before being returned to the minors before the Capitals selected him in the 1974 Expansion Draft. Despite playing on a bad Capitals team, Labre threw every once of his heart into clearing creases and engaging in fights with his opponents.
#3 Dale Hunter
Coming in at number three on our list is Dale Hunter. Before there was Tom Wilson, Hunter was the tough guy on the team and he was the first captain to lead the Caps to their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. Although the Caps got swept in that Finals, it came at the hands of a talented Detroit Red Wings team.
During Hunter’s tenure with the Washington Capitals, the team was very physical and was a nuisance to play against. The Caps grinded hard to the point where nobody looked forward to playing against them.
A big part of that was because of Dale Hunter’s physicality. Hunter not only was a tough guy to score against but he could beat you up if you messed with him. His leadership caused the Caps to take on his personality. If you can cause your entire team to do that, you are one hell of a team captain.
Despite Hunter’s toughness there was some downsides to him as team captain. Hunter racked up penalty minutes as a result of becoming too hard of a hitter and too aggressive. Later Hunter would use his leadership skills as team captain to coach the Capitals and helped lead them to a first round upset over the Boston Bruins.
#2 Rod Langway
Rod Langway aka the Secretary of Defense is a Hall of Fame. He was the captain of the Capitals from 1982-1993. During that stretch, the Capitals never missed the playoffs. It was arguably their most successful 10 year period in franchise history thanks in large part to their defense.
While Langway hardly scored points, he was a shutdown defenseman who put fear in every forward that he came across. He laid the foundation with his hard hits, tenacious defense and his drive to be a better all around player.
Langway was acquired in a blockbuster trade just prior to the start of the 1982 training camp. Langway was on his way to the Capitals along with Doug Jarvis, Craig Laughlin, and Brian Engblom in exchange for Ryan Walter and Rick Green. The Caps immediately named Langway their captain right after the trade.
Over the next 10 seasons, Langway was a pillar of strength on the Capitals defense. He was known for his fearless shot blocking and goal stopping. He was willing to sacrifice his body for the club. He also represented Team USA on the international stage. Despite never winning the Stanley Cup, Langway was one of the most respected in that locker room.
#1 Alex Ovechkin
The current Washington Capitals captain is also the number one captain of all time. Before you guys come after me with recency bias of selecting Alex Ovechkin as number one, hear me out. Back when he was bestowed team captain on Jan. 5, 2010 the critics came out in full force.
“Alex Ovechkin is not a team player” blah blah blah.
It took a while for Ovechkin to completely shut his haters up but he did exactly that in 2018 when the Capitals finally made it past the second round in his era and went en route to their first ever Stanley Cup. Even prior to that, Ovechkin didn’t deserve the blame as losing is entirely a team effort and not on just one player.
Being the captain hasn’t always been easy. Things got bad between him and then head coach Dale Hunter when he wanted him to play more defense. With them not clicking, Ovechkin’s ice time dropped.
Under Adam Oates, he rediscovered his offensive potential. At the same time however, that second year under Oates saw the Caps miss the playoffs. The team not only rebounded under Barry Trotz but would later finally break through.
More. Washington Capitals: The Capitals Will Remain a Physical Force. light
Once they did, who else but Alex Ovechkin to lift the Stanley Cup.