Odds & Ends

Odds & Ends

"Is this an Odd or an End?"

-- Rodney Dangerfield in "Easy Money"

First Draft Choice

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.

But 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.

PHOTO: G.M. MILT SCHMIDT, JOLY, AND OWNER ABE POLLIN

First Hometown Goal

The photo at right is from the first home game in Capitals history, on October 14, 1974. Yvon Labre scores the first team goal at Capital Centre, as the Caps tie the L.A. Kings, 1-1.

All In The Hall

In this 1988 photo are 3 future Hall of Famers who played in their prime on the same Capitals team.

From left to right: Mike Gartner, Rod Langway, and Scott Stevens.

The 1980's Capitals teams thrilled fans by piling up monster regular season win totals. But Gartner, Langway and Stevens ultimately were all dressed up with nowhere to go - not one Stanley Cup.

All 3 did earn rings - with other teams. Gartner may not wear his; he was traded by the Rangers just before they won the Cup in 1994. Gartner played 1,554 NHL games, but not a single one in the Finals.

Early Olie

Longtime goalie Olaf Kolzig began his NHL career in 1989 in the old red, white and blue.

In those early days, Olie apparently ate his postgame meal on the ice while still in uniform.

Other disturbing issues raised by this photo:

Kolzig's tribute-to-Elvis hairdo, the creepy fish-eye lens... and why is his name, "Olaf", spelled out by the mustard?

The Very, Very, Very First

At left is a Washington Post ad promoting the first games at Capital Centre, pre-season tilts with the Canadiens and Flyers.

It asks, "How good is this scrappy new team of fast-skating wild men?" As Jerry Seinfeld once asked, who are the ad wizards that came up with that one?

The very, very, very first time NHL hockey was played in Washington was Sept. 28, 1974, and it got off to a very good start. Just 11 seconds into the game, Tommy Williams (celebrating at right) scored on legendary Montreal goalie Ken Dryden. The game ended 4-4.

"Great Expectations"

The first time the Capitals ever really felt their oats was during the franchise's third season. In 1976-77, the Caps won 24 games, more than their first two seasons combined.

When the team put together a three game winning streak, they placed this newspaper ad to promote upcoming games (opponents include the long-gone Cleveland Barons and Colorado Rockies).

Coach Tom McVie, flanked by three of his players, says in the ad, "Every single time we take the ice we expect to win... We don't bust our tails in

two-a-day practices and expect to lose."

What In The World...

Between 1976-78, the Capitals played six pre-season games against teams from the rival World Hockey Association.

The Caps won their only meeting with the Indianapolis Racers, split two games with the Quebec Nordiques, and lost all three matches with the New England Whalers.

Where In The World...

(Washington Capitals)

The Capitals made their first post-season appearance in the spring of 1976 - in fact, they won the cup.

It's not in the record books, because the appearance was in Japan, and the trophy was the Coca-Cola Bottlers Cup.

A week after the conclusion of the '75-'76 season, the Caps and Kansas City Scouts were invited to play a series of four exhibition games in Tokyo and Sapporo. Washington won 3 of the 4 games to capture "the Cup", and the Scouts were so despondent they relocated to Colorado in the off-season.

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