Photo: NHL
With the Washington Capitals celebrating their 50th anniversary, NoVa Caps is summarizing each of the previous seasons, from earliest to most recent. The 1989-90 season was the 16th NHL season for the Washington Capitals.
Their final regular season record was 36-38-6 in 80 games for 78 points, good enough for third place in the Patrick Division and seventh in the Prince of Wales Conference. It was their worst regular season since 1981-82, the last time they missed the playoffs. The Capitals ranked 15th out of 21 for goals scored and 5th out of 14 for goals given up.
The Capitals got off to a slow start to the season. Even after a four-game winning streak to close out 1989, their record was 18-16-4. But, starting on New Year’s Day of 1990, they lost eight consecutive games to start the new year off, poorly.
Thus, on January 15, this losing streak prompted General Manager David Poile to fire Head Coach Bryan Murray and replace him with his brother, Terry, then coaching the Capitals’ AHL affiliate, the Baltimore Skipjacks. The Capitals ended the regular season with a losing record but made the playoffs.
However, this postseason was very different for the Capitals than their past postseasons. They met the New Jersey Devils in the first round and beat them in 6 games. They moved on to face the New York Rangers and dispatched them in just five games, the last two being overtime wins. Rod Langway had the overtime winner in Game 4 while John Druce had the overtime winner that was the series clincher in Game 5. They met the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Boston Bruins in the Prince of Wales Conference final where they were swept in four games.
The season is remembered as the first time the Capitals advanced to the third round. John Druce was an unexpected playoff hero, scoring nine goals throughout the Capitals’ playoff run. But it was also remembered for the “Limousine Incident” which ultimately resulted in Scott Stevens, Dino Ciccarelli, Geoff Courtnall, and Neal Sheehy leaving the team.
Notable Capitals Draftees in 1989 NHL Draft
- Olaf Kolzig (1st round — #19 overall)
- Byron Dafoe (2nd round — #35 overall)
- Jason Woolley (3rd round — #61 overall)
- Trent Klatt (4th round — #82 overall)
General Manager: David Poile
Head Coaches:
- Bryan Murray (through January 15, 1990)
- Terry Murray (since January 15, 1990)
Captain: Rod Langway
Leaders
Goals: Dino Ciccarelli (41), Geoff Courtnall (35), Mike Ridley (30)
Assists: Mike Ridley (43), Kevin Hatcher (41), 3 tied with 39
Points: Dino Ciccarelli (79), Geoff Courtnall (74), Mike Ridley (73)
Penalty Minutes: Alan May (339), Neal Sheehy (291), Dale Hunter (233)
Notable Trades
- June 17, 1989 – Traded 1989 5th round pick to Los Angeles Kings for Alan May
- June 29, 1989 – Traded Lou Franceschetti to Toronto Maple Leafs for 1990 5th round pick (#94)
- September 28, 1989 – Traded Bobby Gould to Boston Bruins for Alain Cote
- December 13, 1989 – Traded Dave Christian to Boston Bruins for Bob Joyce
- March 5, 1990 – Traded Yvon Corriveau to Hartford Whalers for Mike Liut
Previous Summaries
1974-75 Season
1975-76 Season
1976-77 Season
1977-78 Season
1978-79 Season
1979-80 Season
1980-81 Season
1981-82 Season
1982-83 Season
1983-84 Season
1984-85 Season
1985-86 Season
1986-87 Season
1987-88 Season
1988-89 Season
By Diane Doyle
