Summary of the Washington Capitals 1980-81 Season: Close, But No Cigar

August 28, 2024

Photo: Hockeygods.com Blog

With the Washington Capitals celebrating their 50^th anniversary, NoVa Caps is summarizing each of the previous seasons, from earliest to most recent.

The 1980-81 season was the seventh NHL season for the Washington Capitals. Their record was 26-36-18 in 80 games for 70 points, which missed the playoffs by three points, was fifth in the Patrick Division and fifth worst in the NHL but it was their best season in franchise history. The Capitals ranked 18^th out of 21 for goals scored and 12^th out of 21 for goals given up.

At the end of calendar year 1980, the Capitals embodied the definition of middling, with a 13-13-11. But, unfortunately, they began the new year with a five-game losing streak. February was even rougher. They won on February 1 but did not win again until March 8. That non-winning stretch included several tie games.

The season featured offensive heroics from young stars Dennis Maruk and Mike Gartner, the first players in franchise history to score more than 40 goals and record more than 90 points. They had four other players who scored at least 20 goals. But the depth was thin after that.

Photo: Sportsinfo.paper Blog

Notable Capitals Draftees in 1980 NHL Draft

Darren Veitch (1^st round — #4 overall)
Torrie Robertson (3^rd round — #55 overall)
Timo Blomqvist (5^th round — #89 overall)
Peter Andersson (9^th round – #173 overall)

General Manager: Max McNab
Head Coach: Gary Green

Captain: Ryan Walter

Leaders

Goals: Dennis Maruk (50), Mike Gartner (48)
Assists: Dennis Maruk (47), Mike Gartner (46)
Points: Dennis Maruk (97), Mike Gartner (94)
Penalty Minutes: Alan Hangsleben (198), Jim McTaggart (185)

Notable Trades

June 11, 1980 – Traded Robert Picard, Tim Coulis, and their second-round pick (#26) to the Toronto Maple Leafs for goaltender Mike Palmateer and Toronto’s third-round pick (#55)
July 1, 1980 – Acquired Jean Pronovost from the Calgary Flames for future considerations.