The final part of the month-long talk about captains wraps up today with the Washington Capitals. Originally part of the 1974 expansion year along with the Kansas City Scouts (See, you learn something new everyday), the Capitals set the bar for futility, with a 8-67-5 record, or 21 points total for the season. Remember this the next time you think your team stinks because this kind of futility will never be replicated (at least, I hope it isn't). Aside from that and the dreadful Jaromir Jagr years (2001-2004), the Capitals have actually been near the respectability line, but only once in their franchise have they been to the Stanley Cup Finals (where they were swept by Detroit in 1998).
In the team's history, they have had fifteen captains. In the first five years of the franchise, they had four captains, which pretty much sums up the team's early years. In that time, Doug Mohns (1974-75), Bill Clement (1975-76), Yvon Labre (1976-78), and Guy Charron (1978-79) all wore the C. Three years of Ryan Walter would follow before his trade to Montreal in the 1982 offseason. In that trade, the Caps got Rod Langway, who would be named captain upon his arrival. From 1982 until 1993, Langway would not only establish himself as one of the best stay-at-home defensemen in the league, he would also wear the C. He was cut in 1993, giving way to Kevin Hatcher for a season. Hatcher's trade to Dallas following the season opened the door to agitator extraordinare Dale Hunter, who would in his captaincy from 1994 until 1999, get under the opponents' skin and set an example for teammates to follow. A late season trade to Colorado ended his time in Washington as captain in 1999, and Adam Oates would inherit the C the following season. He would wear the C for two seasons before the 2001-02 season would have Steve Konowalchuk and Brendan Witt share the captain duties. Konowalchuk would take sole possession of the C the following season, and would be captain until an October 2003 trade to Colorado. For the rest of the season, the Caps would go without a captain. After the lockout, Jeff Halpern would be named captain, but he would be captain for that season only. The 2006 offseason would see Chris Clark inherit the captain's role until his midseason trade in 2009-10 to Columbus. That trade would see Alexander Ovechkin, the face of the current Capitals, be named captain.
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