Filed under: Capitals, NHL Fans, College Hockey, Team USA, High School HockeyIn this five-part series, Adam Gretz looks at the growth of USA Hockey and the number of "non-traditional" cities and regions that are now producing players in the wake of NHL expansion. This week, we'll run a new installment every day.
Craig Laughlin has been a member of the Washington Capitals organization for 25 years, both as a player and in his current role as analyst for the team's television broadcasts. During his playing days, he was acquired by the Caps just before the 1982 season in a blockbuster trade that also brought the team defensive stalwart Rod Langway, along with Doug Jarvis and Brian Engblom, all in exchange for former No. 1 overall pick Rick Green and former No. 2 overall pick Ryan Walter.
When the group arrived in D.C., the Capitals were a floundering franchise that had failed to qualify for the playoffs in each of its first eight years of existence. The team was buried in anonymity, due not only to its own struggles, but also because of the success of the other sports teams in the region. They were even in danger of bolting from the nation's capital. Fortunately, though, the team soon found success on the ice, and during the 1982-83 season the Capitals made their first appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs, starting a run of 15 consecutive trips to the postseason. Since 1982, the Capitals have failed to qualify for the playoffs just six times. Only three teams that were in existence then have failed to qualify fewer times (Boston, Detroit and St. Louis).
Part 1: California | Part 2: Pittsburgh | Part 3: Washington, D.C.
Part 4: Dallas | Part 5: Florida
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