Tommy Williams knew how to celebrate. After all, he won a gold medal with the 1960 U.S. Olympic team. And when a game ended, the party was just starting. “He was a wild man off the ice,” recalled one teammate.
Take his nickname, “Bomber” – earned for telling a customs agent he was carrying a bomb (that remark got him arrested). While in flight, he was known to wield shaving cream to decorate the hair of sleeping teammates.
On a 1974-75 Capitals team that lost 67 times, the majority of celebrating took place away from the rink. “We drank better than we played,” Williams told the Washington Star. “The more we played, the more we wanted to drink.”
So when the Capitals beat the Seals in Oakland for their first road win – after 37 straight losses – naturally it was Bomber who led the cheers.
It'll always be a fond memory for teammates Yvon Labre and Ron Lalonde, who described it to washingtoncaps.com.
“Tommy got hold of a trash can, and we paraded it around the locker room like the Stanley Cup,” said Labre.
Lalonde continues the now legendary tale in the audio clip at left.
The story of the Caps 5-3 win gets even better. Tommy’s younger brother, Butch, played for the Seals. “Our dad was listening to the game,” Butch told Brad Kurtzberg for his book, Shorthanded. “I was the first star, with 1 goal and 2 assists. Tommy (2 assists) was the second star.” Truly a night for the Williams family worth celebrating.
One newspaper headline described Tom McVie's training camp as a "Torture Chamber." Rather than complain about his coach's harsh methods, gregarious Ace Bailey chose to outfox him.
Sports.jrank.org relates this gem: "Bailey received a four-inch-manual from McVie, telling him how to get into condition. Bailey used the manual to prop up a beer keg in his bar. On the first day of training camp, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, Bailey beat several other players in a footrace, and McVie said approvingly, 'Ace, I can see you used your book this summer.' Bailey replied, 'Coach, I used it every day.'"
Another time, after a poor game, McVie scheduled a practice for the ungodly hour of 4 a.m.
As Mike Vogel of washingtoncaps.com tells it, the groggy players gathered in the hotel lobby. What they didn't know is that Bailey, pretending to be McVie, had called and cancelled the bus that was to drive them to the rink. Eventually, the players were granted a reprieve for some more shut-eye.
Ace Bailey was aboard one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center on 9/11. In memory, his family created the Ace Bailey Children’s Foundation. As friend Dave Andrews told espn.com, "Ace loved children and Ace never really lost the child in him. He had a terrific sense of humor. This is a tough business and it can become a grind. But when you were around Ace, it was never a grind."
Examine this 1974 photo of Bill Mikkelson gliding effortlessly down the ice, and it's easy to believe he could set an NHL record.
In fact, he did. During the Capitals woeful first season, Mikkelson was on-ice for 82 more even-strength goals by the opposition than by the Caps. That's "minus-82" in hockey speak, a mark that stands three decades later. "For myself, I don't mind the record," Mikkelson told Mike Ulmer of the Toronto Sun. "We were a minor league team playing in a run-and-gun era against some truly great teams."
After he retired to Edmonton, Bill's children were occasionally teased about it. But the good-natured Mikkelson had a ready-made comeback. "I would always tell them to go back to school and ask the kid who was bothering them what their father's NHL plus-minus had been."
Here's some more ammunition for your kids, Bill: Mario Lemieux was -35 in his first season, and Wayne Gretzky was a minus player for 7 of his last 8 seasons. So there.
Even if you know Mike Marson was the NHL's second black player when he joined the Capitals in 1974 - and even if you know he was the first in 13 years - you have no idea how tough it was for this small-town Canadian teenager.
Racial slurs from opponents were just the beginning. According to Cecil Harris' book Breaking The Ice, teams would offer a cash prize to the player who injured Marson. A black teammate, Bill Riley, recalls the pair “getting high-sticked and slashed and speared. Those things cut Michael’s heart out."
Marson received death threats pasted from words cut out of magazines. One read: 'You’re on thin ice black boy… The n****r is going to die'."
Marson found no refuge with his so-called “teammates.” “Uncle Ben” was one of the printable slurs. Some pretended not to know him when they boarded planes. When Marson filmed a TV commercial, Dave Kryskow cracked that he could be chosen instead “if I get my face painted.” When a death threat was phoned in to the Philadelphia Spectrum, linemates joked about sitting far from him on the bench.
Marson can be proud that a few years ago, he helped NHL officials mandate penalties, fines, and suspensions for racial slurs on the ice.
And maybe it's not surprising that after retiring, Marson became a karate black belt. These days, says toromagazine.ca, he "teaches hockey fighting like it’s a martial art. Marson’s instruction wipes away the mystery of combat. Students know they can take a punch in the head without collapsing because Marson has punched them in the head, and they haven’t collapsed."
Trivia Answer: Doug "Diesel" Mohns. Question: Who was the first captain of the Capitals? The Caps' inaugural season was Mohn's last of an illustrious 22-year career.
Mohns was also noteworthy for donning a helmet, even before goaltenders did. Smart idea, you might think - after all, he was 40 years old during his season in Washington. But it wasn't just safety that motivated Mohns to keep his head covered.
From the Washington Star: Mohns "used to carry a curious red box with him on road trips. There was a big furor when it got lost one night. He kept his toupee inside the box."
Popular Montreal defenseman Pierre Bouchard didn’t want to leave town. Of course he didn’t – Pierre played on five championship teams in eight years. For that matter, the Canadiens didn’t want to trade him. Even the Capitals never intended to acquire him.
So how the heck did Bouchard end up finishing his career in Washington? Consider it a backroom deal gone wrong.
During the intra-league draft before the ’78-’79 season, Montreal made a “wink-wink” deal with the Caps. We’ll expose Bouchard, you select him, then you trade him right back to us, and we’ll send you a prospect.
Except the NHL didn’t look the other way. So the Habs lost Bouchard. Turns out, the Capitals did, too, because Pierre retired rather than move to D.C.
They didn’t give up, though. At Bouchard’s retirement press conference, the Montreal Gazette reported, “A surprise guest was Peter O’Malley, general counsel for the Capitals, (who) own his rights.” The schmoozing continued during the winter, culminating in a March workout in Washington.
Returning to the ice was tough physically (and geographically). “I have got to get my legs back,” Bouchard said. “They are somewhere between Montreal and Washington. Maybe they are on a train between here and San Diego.”
When asked why he ultimately joined his new team, Pierre explained, “Because Jimmy Carter asked me to.”
Bouchard spent two full seasons patrolling the Capitals blueline. Long enough to make this observation: “It’s great for the players in Washington,” Pierre told the Gazette. “We can stay here forever, but the crowd changes every four years when a new Administration comes in.”
“Getting Under The Opponent’s Skin” doesn’t appear on NHL scoresheets. But it was vital for competing in the rough and tumble Patrick Division of the ‘80’s.
Rugged winger Greg Adams fit that bill for the Capitals. He possessed a scoring touch – a career high 18 goals in 1985-86 – but made his reputation banging along the boards, corners, and crease.
During a 1986 Caps visit to Philly, Greg got shoved into Flyers goalie Bob Froese. You wouldn't think a player named Froese would lose his cool. You'd be wrong.
Al Morganti of the Philadelphia Inquirer described Froese’s retaliation on Adams as, “Mad Goalie Beyond Thunderdome.”
Afterward, Froese had a side-splitting, if skewed, explanation. “Adams thought my head was a speed bag. I know it's not pretty but it ain't no speed bag. He punched me in the head while I was looking for the puck. Some guys are good at interfering without anybody knowing it. He's definitely no Picasso when it comes to that, he's more like modern art."
Froese, the “Mad Goalie beyond Thunderdome”, later became a minister! Let's hope he took a vow of honesty. The game story concluded, “Replays didn't show any punch by Adams.” An Immaculate Connection?
The script was perfect: a U.S. teenage phenom, picked third overall in 1981, jumps directly from high school to the NHL, in the Nation's Capital, no less. Sports Illustrated called Bobby Carpenter "The Can't Miss Kid."
Indeed, the Massachusetts native poured in 92 goals his first three seasons, then erupted for 53 in 1984-85. The Capitals touted Carpenter and fellow 50-goal scorer Mike Gartner as the "Goal Dust Twins."
But his breakout season was followed by multiple breakdowns - contract squabbles, poor conditioning, feuds with coach Bryan Murray, injuries, and declining production.
Now SI was calling Carpenter the "Can't Play Kid." He was overheard saying, "I've got to get out of this (bleeping) organization," was suspended, and eventually traded. Who could have imagined that after wandering through New York, L.A. and Boston, he would sign for one more season in D.C. in 1992.
Carpenter, now a defensive specialist, moved on one more time to New Jersey, where he helped the Devils win a Stanley Cup in 1995, before finally hanging up his skates in 1999.
The Capitals have never been the subject of a Sports Illustrated cover. Which proves, I guess, that you don't need an SI cover jinx to be jinxed.
Anyway, one Cap did sneak his way onto the front of Volume 46, Issue 6, Feb. 7, 1977. That's Bryan "Bugsy" Watson marking Guy Lafleur.
In a way, that's appropriate. Watson had a habit of shadowing opposing stars - with trash talk, with flying elbows, with whatever it took. "Bugsy" got his nickname from an irritated Gordie Howe. Bobby Hull dubbed him "Superpest."
Legendsofhockey.net cited Watson's "tradition of hustle and crime," a nod to his 2,212 penalty minutes for 6 NHL teams (at 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds!).
D.C. was Watson's final stop, and to his credit, the veteran retained his enthusiam. Evan Weiner of nhl.com tells how when coach Tom McVie played motivational music, Bugsy "put a bandana around his head, marching back and forth through the locker room."
Watson explained, "The first time I heard it, I thought Tommy was stark raving mad — a month later, I was singing all the songs. It didn't make you play any better, but it made you feel good."
Sort of like being a fan of the early Capitals - they didn't win much, but rooting for them made us feel good.
Bill Riley never took for granted the opportunity to play in the NHL. Perspective was likely provided by his previous occupation as a welder in an aluminum plant.
It also helped Riley keep a healthy sense of humor, even during endless hours spent on the road. Barry Lorge of the Washington Post had this case in point:
"'Who are you guys? You all seem to be together,' asked a curious civilian as nine Caps piled into a van for the shuttle to the St. Louis airport. 'We're a band,' said Bill Riley. He motioned toward a sportswriter. 'This is our bass player.'
"What's the name of your group?' the man asked. Riley did not hesitate: 'We're the Tower of Power.' 'Have a good trip,' the man said. 'I'll look for your records.'"
Washington has hosted the NHL All Star Game just once, in 1982. DC's rep was Dennis Maruk, racing to team records for goals (60), assists (78), and points (132!). "Pee Wee", deemed too small by many scouts, finished with an amazing 431 points in 343 games as a Cap.
"I was the last guy introduced. The place erupted with applause, a standing ovation. It was great to see that we did have a lot of fans in Washington. It sent chills down my spine. I was so happy my mom and dad were there to see it.
"A lot of players are fortunate enough to play on a Stanley Cup winner. I wasn't one of them. But with the reception I got from the fans that day, I consider that my Stanley Cup. That's the game I'll never forget."
To view Maruk's standing ovation, visit the "Video Vault" page.
Despite being one of only 19 60-goal scorers in NHL history, fame never went to his head. Case in point: In 2008, "Alexander Ovechkin broke Maruk's Caps record for goals in a season when he scored 65," reported The Kingston Whig Standard. "The pair talked several times during Ovechkin's big season.
"He called and said, 'I'm sorry I broke your record,'" Maruk said. "I said, 'Don't be sorry, I was cheering you on.'"
It turns out "Pee Wee" was, and is, a big man in all the ways that really count.
(Photo at left: Maruk, acknowledging the cheers, when shown on the Verizon Center scoreboard during a 2009 game. How many razors did he wear out removing the fu manchu?)
Dwight Schofield took his job as an NHL enforcer seriously - to keep sharp on road trips, he traveled with two pairs of boxing gloves.
So naturally Schofield was intrigued when he learned that fellow Capital Kevin Hatcher had trained at the legendary Kronk Gym, whose members also included boxing champion Tommy "Hit Man" Hearns.
As reported in Sports Illustrated, "Schofield challenged Hatcher to some on-ice sparring after practice. As teammates roared in approval, Hatcher quickly decked Schofield with a right. 'I took him too lightly,' said an embarrassed Schofield. 'Experienced veteran, young kid with no book on him, happens all the time.'"
For the undercard bout to the Hatcher-Schofield fight, consider this story first shared by Dave Fay of the Washington Times.
It concerns tough-guy right wing Alan May. His 339 penalty minutes in the 1989-90 season is still a team record. He hardly slacked off after that, with 264, 221, and 268 minutes in his three other full seasons in Washington.
One night, his dance partner was Jim Agnew of the Vancouver Canucks. As often happens, the combatants continued jabbering once they were done jabbing. This particular conversation, though, raised eyebrows. After their fight, May said to Agnew in the penalty box, ''How's your sister?''
May and Agnew had become close as teammates in junior hockey. In fact, May was invited to the wedding of Agnew's sister. ''You never let those things carry over,'' Agnew said of the fight. ''We had a nice little talk.''
Bryan "Butsy" Erickson claimed there was no interesting story behind his nickname. That changed the day some quick thinking saved his, er, "Butt-sy."
The Capitals had created a "Grunt Line", wrote Jack Falla in Sports Illustrated. It was "A new team ritual in which a player celebrating his birthday must skate through a gauntlet of teammates who whack him with hockey sticks.
"Erickson breezed through the gauntlet with ease and then, with a laugh, he reached into his hockey pants and removed a pair of shin guards that, well, had not been protecting his shins."
Milan Novy must be one of the few NHL players ever to simultaneously be a rookie AND the oldest player on his team! Plus, he was the first NHL player to wear the high – and highly unusual – number 66.
How those came about is rooted in Cold War hockey relations. In the early ‘80’s, Iron Curtain countries began allowing a trickle of aging stars to North America.
Milan qualified, having scored more than 400 goals during a distinguished career in his native Czechoslovakia.
Buffalo GM Scotty Bowman signed Novy early in 1982, when Czech authorities indicated he would be available after that season. Before the ’82 draft, new Caps GM David Poile fleeced Bowman, trading two picks who never panned out, in exchange for Alan Haworth and the rights to draft Novy.
That made Milan, at age 31, the oldest player on the Washington roster, even though by NHL standards he was a “rookie.”
The #6 sweater Novy wore as a Czech superstar belonged on the Capitals to Darren Veitch, so Milan asked for 66. On opening night in New York, he was assigned #26 instead.
Novy led the Caps to a 5-4 victory with a goal and two assists. Not normally giddy Bryan Murray gushed, “I think Milan Novy is the greatest thing since sugar.”
He’d earned three points, the coach’s praise – and the jersey he wanted. “Before the next match,” Novy recalled, “I was surprised (with his new number 66). Apparently the club wanted to show their appreciation."
For the year, he totaled 18 goals, 30 assists, and a +1. Yet he didn’t speak English, wasn’t fond of the rougher North American style of play, longed to be closer to home, and Poile wanted the roster spot for a younger player. So after the one season, Novy returned to playing in Europe.
Milan has retained a connection to the Capitals, playing an alumni scrimmage as recently as the summer of 2011 (photo at left.).
Sources for this post: Toronto Globe and Mail, Pittsburgh Press, hockeydraftcentral.com, legendsofhockey.net
Two former Capitals from the same draft class will forever be linked by their acts of aggression - or lack of same.
Tim Coulis, pick #18 in the 1978 draft, played just 19 games in DC. 3 years later, Coulis lost his mind during a minor-league contest. Enraged by a penalty, Coulis rammed the butt-end of his stick into the head of referee Bob Hall, knocking him unconscious. He was barred from hockey for one year.
Paul Mulvey was no shrinking violet during 3 seasons with Washington. Picked by the Caps two spots after Coulis at #20, Mulvey engaged in his share of fights. But while a member of the L.A. Kings, Mulvey refused a coach's order to leave the bench and join in a brawl. For breaking the "code" of protecting teammates, he was immediately demoted to the minors. After a year, and no calls from the NHL, he retired.
Something's backward when a player like Mulvey is essentially blacklisted for not fighting, while Coulis, who committed assault, gets forgiven - Minnesota called him up briefly in 1983, and 1984, and 1985.
Owners expect hate mail. Heck, Caps owner Abe Pollin once got an angry letter 5 pages long. It was only noteworthy because the author was one of his players.
Bob "Hound" Kelly won two Cups in Philadelphia before being traded down I-95. As Jim Jackson points out in Walking Together Forever, Kelly achieved personal bests in his first Washington campaign: 26 goals, 36 assists in 1980-81.
Early next season, though, Roger Crozier became interim GM. He and new coach Bryan Murray decided this Hound could no longer hunt. Little used, Kelly quit and picked up a pen. He called his former bosses "henchmen" and "back-stabbers."
Kelly mused later, "I scored on Roger Crozier (who was a Buffalo goalie) in the finals in 1975, and then he helps end my career six years later."
This may be the only photo containing both a Capitals sweater and a smiling Greg Joly. The Caps made Joly their first-ever draft choice, as well as the #1 overall pick in the 1974 NHL draft.
Here, he's flanked by G.M. Milt Schmidt and owner Abe Pollin. Later, they would abandon him to the not-so-tender mercies of more experienced opponents. A combination of injuries, being a teenager on a bad team, and not least of all, pre-season comparisons to Bobby Orr, made Joly's short career decidedly less than jolly.
Finally, a few words about my two favorite players growing up.
Before Ovechkin, before Bondra, before Gartner, the first player to make Capitals fans rise from their seats was Guy Charron.
Sure, the Canadiens had the more famous smooth-skating, high-scoring, French-Canadian Guy (Lafleur) - we liked ours just fine.
Like Montreal fans, we got lots of chances to shout "Ghee!" after a score. In his first three D.C. seasons, Charron tallied 102 goals, while serving as Captain and never missing a game.
And matinee idol looks didn't hurt, either: "With curly black hair and haunting eyes, he is movie star material," wrote Joan Ryan in the Washington Post.
Guy totaled 530 career points - not too shabby for a player who was never drafted.
In 1980, the Washington Star's Russ White Called Charron "The classiest player the Caps have ever had."
Guy exhibited that class in the interview at right.
Upon passing the 200-goal mark, he shared credit with Caps linemates Ryan Walter and Bob Sirois.
Playing 700 NHL matches for poor teams in Detroit, Kansas City and Washington, Guy's misfortune was to never appear in a Stanley Cup game. Our good fortune was to see #15 at his best, a worthy member of the All-Time team named in 2004.
Bengt Gustafsson fascinated fans as hockey's answer to the Globetrotters, at a time when European players were still uncommon in the NHL.
In fact, the Capitals had to legally wrestle Bengt away from the Edmonton Oilers, who had signed him to a WHA contract before the two leagues merged in 1979.
Gus could dangle the puck like a yo-yo on a string. While standing virtually still, he played keep-away from frantic opponents.
For all his flashy playmaking, Gustafsson remained a Stoic Swede. He didn't lose his cool with SOB Islanders goalie Billy Smith whacking at his shins.
And he took in stride a five goal-game in Philadelphia. Delve deeper, though, and Bengt's exploits on January 8, 1984, become more remarkable.
Going 5 for 5 is rare enough in baseball. In hockey, it's unheard of. But that was Gus' line score - a goal on each shot he took.
"Actually, I was lucky," he was quoted by Allentown's Morning Call.
"Dave Christian told me after the fourth goal that I had to go for five," Gustafsson added. "He said (Willy) Lindstrom was the only other Swede to score five in the NHL. I wanted it."
Bengt's 5-spot remains a Capitals record, tied a decade later by Peter Bondra.
He shows characteristic modesty in recalling the feat, in this clip from a washingtoncaps.com interview.
Even if Bengt was the anti-showboat, such heroics inspired plenty of passion. One night, after Gus scored an overtime game-winner, owner Abe Pollin planted a big kiss on his forehead during a post-game interview.
Bengt played hard in the defensive zone, played all three foward positions, and still finished with 555 points in the NHL. So don't worry, Abe, you weren't the only one with a man-crush on #16.
The First Former Capital (3 Games, 1974) Quick: Name the Capitals defenseman who wore this sweater bearing number 5. Rod Langway was the d-man #5 you were probably thinking of. After all, the team retired the number in his honor. Those with a high Capitals I.Q. might also have guessed Rick Green, who wore #5, was traded for Langway and won a Cup with Montreal.
But you would be right if you answered... Joe Lundrigan. The sweater above - with no name stiched on it - belonged to Lundrigan, a blueliner in the Caps first game in 1974.
Joe skated in a grand total of 2 more before becoming the first ex-Cap, never again playing in the NHL.
Doug Gibson (11 Games, 1977-78) If they ever choose to rename the Lady Byng trophy for gentlemanly conduct, I nominate Doug Gibson.
In Doug's brief NHL career - 63 games, including 11 with Washington - he was NEVER whistled for a penalty. That, friends, is an NHL record, for the most games played with zero penalty minutes.
One other bit of Gibson trivia is Caps-connected. When Gary Green was promoted from the Capitals' farm team to coach in DC, Gibson was named player-coach in Hershey. Gibson's Bears won the AHL championship, and he scored 12 playoff goals! Hershey was backstopped by two familiar names to Caps fans, Gary Inness and Dave Parro, who won 6 playoff games apiece.
Eddy Godin (27 Games, 1977-79) You might say Eddy Godin scored his goals in bunches. A 3rd round draft choice, Godin's NHL career lasted 27 games with the Caps over two seasons. He scored 3 goals.
Amazingly, two of those came, not just on the same night, but on the same SHIFT. Late in the 2nd period of a 1977 game on Broadway, Godin lit the lamp twice, 24 seconds apart. It helped the Caps secure a 5-5 tie with the Rangers.
Bill Clement (46 Games, 1975-76) Bill Clement can attest that Max McNab had the hunger as Capitals GM.
Sandwiched between four seasons with the Flyers and seven years with the Flames, Clement spent 46 games as Captain of the Capitals in 1975-76. He scored a respectable 10 goals with 17 assists. Bill's most memorable day with the team, though, was an Unhappy Meal with the boss.
"McNab sits down with me and takes a big bite of this hamburger and mumbles, 'We had to make a trade.'" Clement's recollection comes from the book, Walking Together Forever.
McNab then handed Clement the phone, so he could talk to Atlanta General Manager Cliff Fletcher. "And you know what? As I talked to Fletcher, Max finished that hamburger!"
After you eat, aren't you supposed to wait at least an hour before making a hockey trade?
Archie Henderson (7 Games, 1980-81) When the Capitals needed an extra tough guy for a 1980 game in Philadelphia, they called up Archie Henderson.
In his first minor league season as a 10th round draft selection by the Caps, Henderson had racked up 419 penalty minutes! Because when you’re 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, and not a scorer, brawling is how you keep the paychecks coming.
So on December 21, 1980, Archie stepped on the Spectrum ice for his first-ever NHL shift – and immediately fought Flyers goon Behn Wilson. (Screen grab at right.)
Ten minutes later, Archie stepped back on the ice for his 2nd-ever NHL shift – and fought Flyers goon Behn Wilson. Again. (Screen grab below.)
Later, Henderson would tell hockeynews.com that Wilson was, “Unbelievably mean. He didn’t stop until he hurt you.”
And why number 31? A spare goalie sweater was the only one big enough. (washingtoncaps.com)
The Caps-Flyers fight card eventually totaled 344 penalty minutes; the first bout came just 19 seconds after the puck dropped. Oh, by the way, the Capitals won, 6-0, a sweet first victory ever over the Flyers after seven years of trying.
Archie's brother Don pursued a career breaking up fights, rather than participating... as an NHL linesman. We can only assume that as kids, when Archie would be punished, Don would escort him to his room for a timeout.
Archie scored his only goal as a Cap a couple of weeks after his callup, also against the Flyers. It would be his last game with DC; he was sent down after the 8-1 loss. “I guess my job wasn't to score goals," Henderson mused.
Tommy Williams knew how to celebrate. After all, he won a gold medal with the 1960 U.S. Olympic team. And when a game ended, the party was just starting. “He was a wild man off the ice,” recalled one teammate.
It'll always be a fond memory for teammates Yvon Labre and Ron Lalonde, who described it to washingtoncaps.com.
Examine this 1974 photo of Bill Mikkelson gliding effortlessly down the ice, and it's easy to believe he could set an NHL record.
Two former Capitals from the same draft class will forever be linked by their acts of aggression - or lack of same.
Quick: Name the Capitals defenseman who wore this sweater bearing number 5. Rod Langway was the d-man #5 you were probably thinking of. After all, the team retired the number in his honor. Those with a high Capitals I.Q. might also have guessed Rick Green, who wore #5, was traded for Langway and won a Cup with Montreal.
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