#32 Dale Hunter 1987-99
Dale Hunter suited up for 12 seasons with the Capitals serving as team captain from 1994 through 1999. He was the hero in the 1988 Patrick Division Semifinals in a series that stretched seven games. His breakaway goal at 5:57 of overtime to beat Ron Hextall and the Philidelphia Flyers still lives on in the highlight reels to this day.
Hunter suited up for 872 games with the Caps and recorded 181 goals and 375 assists for 556 points. His best season with the Caps came in 1989-90 when he had 23 goals and 39 assists for 62 points.
In the 1997-98 postseason Hunter recorded four crucial assists to will the Caps to their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. Then he went on to coach the team in the 2011-12 season. During that stretch he guided a team who started out hot but cooled off back into the playoffs before respectfully stepping away to continue his coaching career up north in Canada.
Hunter also appeared in the 1997 NHL All Star Game and during that 1997-98 season he broke the 1,000 points barrier becoming the NHL record holder for requiring the most games to do it by a forward at 1,308.
Happy 8️⃣/1️⃣9️⃣ pic.twitter.com/w5ZyJiJacS
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) August 19, 2024
And finally we want to wish all of you a happy 8/19 Day!