Pollin family reflects on Washington Capitals, 50 years after team’s founding

Last weekend, the Washington Capitals began their 50th season in the National Hockey League (NHL), and along the way, the franchise has seen everything from the very worst season ever recorded to a Stanley Cup Championship. Soon, a lifelong Capital might also become the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer.

“I remember that the odds were against Washington getting a team,” said Jim Pollin, son of the late Capitals founder Abe Pollin. “But I do know that in order for my father to build an arena, he had to have a hockey and basketball team. So, it was a must to have that hockey team.”

He said Washington, D.C., wasn’t even expected to be awarded a team, and he credits Bill Wirtz, who used to own the Chicago Blackhawks (they’re now owned by his son, “Rocky”) for helping Abe Pollin’s cause.

“He put some good words in for my father, because my father knew him because of the NBA, and I think that probably had something to do with it, and also my father’s reputation,” Pollin said.

Initially, the league was divided up into four divisions — but not by geography. The Capitals shared a division with Montreal, Pittsburgh, Detroit and Los Angeles. And they were bad — historically bad. They finished 8-67-5, the worst record ever.

“It wasn’t just one season. It was a couple of seasons,” Pollin said. “It was really bad. But you know, people were coming out.”

The league itself wasn’t at its strongest. The Kansas City Scouts, who joined the NHL the same year as the Capitals, moved west to Denver after two years and became the Colorado Rockies. Since 1982, they’ve been the New Jersey Devils.

But 1982 ended up being a pivotal year for D.C., too. Many moments over the last 50 years stand out. Among them are the team’s first Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 1998 and the hoisting of the Stanley Cup in 2018. But none of that would have happened if things had gone differently in 1982. There was no chance the Capitals were going to relocate like other teams had, but the team’s finances were, generously, shaky, and there was a chance the team would have to fold.

“The Capitals were not drawing. It was a pivotal time where the team was changing, and my father just said, ‘You know what? The city has to support this team,’” Pollin said. That kicked off the “Save the Caps” campaign.

“It was a campaign saying that we need to have sellout games … in order to be able to save the team,” he explained. So they went out to corporations, and corporations bought season tickets.

“The city really came together to save the team. Individuals went out and bought season tickets. It was such a joint cooperation,” Pollin recounted. “And then the energy inside the arena was incredible.”

The arena was full, and suddenly, the team was good, too. Hall of Famers Rod Langway and Mike Gartner were on the roster. So was Bobby Carpenter, Bengt Gustafsson and Craig Laughlin.

“They went into guaranteed win nights, that if we didn’t win, then we would refund your money or give you tickets for another game,” Pollin said. Luckily, the team was finally winning more than it was losing. For the first time ever, the Capitals would make the NHL Playoffs, touching off a successful run that has turned the franchise into one of the hockey league’s jewels.

“Starting from not being able to win games, and fans were still coming out, and the fans needed to be educated,” he reminisced. That led to another story from Pollin.

“You probably didn’t know, but on (the big screen video board), the rules were stated,” Pollin said. “So, if there was an icing, then the rules for icing would go up on the tell screen and saying, ‘This is what happened.’ You know, if someone was offsides, the rules for offsides were posted … so people could learn the game.

“Look where the city is now with hockey,” Pollin said, brimming with satisfaction.

“He was told Washington will never be a hockey town,” Pollin said, talking about his dad’s vision for the sport in D.C. “I don’t think there’s another arena in the country that’s as loud as the Capital Center was in hockey or basketball or now, you know Capital One Arena. The fans really rallied around them.”

He also went out of his way to say that current owner Ted Leonsis “has done a great job” since buying the franchise and helping to boost the sport of hockey even more.

“It is just spectacular,” Pollin said. “I think it’s probably one of the best hockey towns in the country, if not the best hockey town in the country.”