Washington Capitals 1,000 Game Club: Part 2


During the Washington Capitals’ 50-year history, several players played in their 1,000th game in a Capitals uniform. These players included players who played the entirety of their career with the Capitals, players acquired from elsewhere, who spent the bulk of their career with the Capitals, players where the Capitals were just another stop in a career with many stops, and even a player whose last NHL stop was the Capitals.

Part 1 covered the players who achieved this milestone before the lockout of 2004-05. Those players were Dale Hunter, Phil Housley, Kelly Miller, Adam Oates, and Calle Johansson. Part 2 covers the players who achieved it after the lockout. These players, in consecutive order, were:

  • Andrew Cassels,
  • Mike Knuble,
  • Justin Williams,
  • Alex Ovechkin,
  • Brooks Orpik,
  • Nicklas Backstrom,
  • T.J. Oshie, and
  • John Carlson.

Andrew Cassels

Andrew Cassels began his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens in 1989-90. He played with the Canadiens, Hartford Whalers, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, and Columbus Blue Jackets, where more years were spent with Hartford than anyone else.

After the lockout of 2004-05, Cassels signed with the Washington Capitals as a free agent. Cassels played his 1,000th game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on the road on November 22, 2005 which was a 5-4 loss.

The 2005-06 season was Cassels’ last season in the NHL, as past injuries and the year-long layoff from hockey due to the lockout reduced his effectiveness as a player. The Capitals released him on January 28, 2006, after he played just 31 games that season and only recorded 12 points.

By the numbers 1,000 Care … – The Washington Post

Mike Knuble

Photo: Getty Images

Before signing with the Capitals as a free agent before the 2009-10 season, Knuble played with the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, and Philadelphia Flyers.  His goal-scoring productivity greatly improved after he turned 30-years old, exceeding 20 goals every year and usually getting between 20-35 goals per year, which continued through his first two seasons with the Capitals. He was generally the right winger on the Capitals’ first line.

Knuble played in his 1,000th game on December 20, 2011, against the Nashville Predators at home. The Capitals honored him for that milestone before the game, which they won 4-1.

When he achieved his game-playing milestone in 2011-12, his skills had declined and his role diminished under Head Coach, Dale Hunter. Still, he contributed a playoff series-winning goal in overtime against the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs. After that, he left the team in free agency and signed a contract with the Flyers in mid-season where he finished his NHL career.

Justin Williams

Justin Williams started his career with the Flyers but was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes where he had an empty net goal to ensure Carolina’s Stanley Cup victory in Game 5 in 2006. He was then traded to the Los Angeles Kings where he was part of their Stanley Cup-winning teams in 2012 and 2014.  In the first game of the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals, Williams scored an overtime goal against the New York Rangers.

Williams signed with the Capitals in free agency after the 2014-15 season and was an important player on the Capitals’ President Trophy-winning teams of 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.

Williams played in his 1000th NHL game on April 10, 2016, the last game of the regular season, a 2-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. He was honored before the game where his teammates presented him with gifts, including a trip to a golf course in Scotland.

Williams left the Caps in free agency after the 2016-17 season to join the Carolina Hurricanes where he played for three seasons and eventually became the Canes’ captain. His last season was 2019-20 when he played just a partial season and then retired.

Alex Ovechkin

Photo: Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin was the very first player in franchise history to play his first 1,000 games with the Capitals. Ovechkin joined the team in 2005-06 after being chosen first in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He immediately became the best player on the team and eventually became the team captain.

Throughout his career, he generally led the team in goals and is now within striking distance of Wayne Gretzky’s career goal-scoring record. On February 27, 2018, he passed Calle Johansson’s record for games played with the franchise.

Ovechkin played in his 1000th game on April 1, 2018, a 3-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. During the postseason in 2018, the Capitals won their first Stanley Cup ever. As of this writing, he has played 1,426 games, all with the Washington Capitals.

Brooks Orpik

Orpik signed with the Capitals as a free agent before the 2015-16 season after playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins for just over 10 seasons. He was a stalwart for the Capitals on defense, as he played a physical, shutdown style and mentored younger players, especially defensemen. He was part of the Capitals Stanley Cup-winning team in 2017-18 and scored one goal during game two of the Stanley Cup Finals.

After that season, he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche but re-signed with the Capitals after the Avalanche bought out his contract. He played in his 1,000th game on January 14, 2019, a 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues at home.  The Capitals honored this achievement four days later. He retired after the 2018-19 season, finished his degree at Boston College, and serves the Capitals in a player development capacity.

Nicklas Backstrom

Backstrom began his career with the Capitals in 2007-08 and was the main center on Alex Ovechkin’s line. Backstrom tied Michal Pivonka for assists in franchise history on March 15, 2015, and passed him on March 19, 2015. Backstrom was a member of the Capitals Stanley Cup-winning team of 2018. He recorded his 700th assist on March 5, 2021.

Backstrom played in his 1,000th game on April 15, 2001, where they played the Buffalo Sabres at home, a game the Capitals lost 5-2. He was the second player in franchise history to play in his 1,000th game, with all games being played with the Capitals.

Just before that game, the Capitals honored him with a pregame ceremony. Backstrom went on to record his 1000th point on March 9, 2022. After the 2022-23 season, he had surgery for his hip and, since he did not regain his old “form”, stepped away from hockey on November 1, 2023.

T.J. Oshie

AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

T.J. Oshie started his career with the St. Lous Blues and played for them for seven seasons before being traded to the Washington Capitals where he has played ever since. He generally played as right-wing on either the first line or the second line. He was part of the Capitals Stanley Cup-winning team of 2018.  When not dealing with injuries, he generally would score 20 or more goals with the Capitals, posting a career-high of 33 in 2016-17.

On March 16, 2024, Oshie played in his 1,000th NHL career game, a game where they beat the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 at home. The Capitals honored Oshie on March 19, 2024. Oshie has been dealing with back issues during the last few seasons. If he cannot find a permanent solution to his back problems, he will step away from hockey for 2024-25.

John Carlson

John Carlson started his career with the Washington Capitals in 2009-10, the same season where he scored a game-winning goal in Overtime in the IIHC World Junior Championship Final game between the United States and Canada, giving the USA the championship.

He soon established himself as the top defenseman for the Capitals. He was part of the Capitals Stanley Cup-winning team of 2018 and eventually set franchise records for goals, assists, total points, and games played in franchise history for defensemen. He passed Calle Johansson in franchise history in games played on February 27, 2024.

He played in his 1000th NHL on March 30, 2024 in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins at home. They honored him for that achievement on April 7, 2024.

Summary

The players who played their 1000th game with Washington included two players who eventually became NHL Hall of Famers: Phil Housley and Adam Oates. Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom will likely become Hall of Famers themselves.

Five players achieved this milestone before the NHL lockout of 2004-05: Dale Hunter, Phil Housley, Kelly Miller, Adam Oates, and Calle Johansson. All five played with the Washington Capitals team that made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1997-98. The other eight achieved that milestone after the lockout. Five of them, Alex Ovechkin, Brooks Orpik, Nicklas Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, and John Carlson were part of the Capitals Stanley Cup win of 2017-18, with all but Oshie and Orpik having played their entire careers with Washington.

By Diane Doyle

 





Source link

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR