Alumni

Laughlin Shines, But Johnson Steals the Alumni Game for Team White

With teams of six skaters and one goaltender, the Capitals Alumni Game had to go by quickly to prevent the old-timers from running out of gas. Craig Laughlin had six points, by his count, but Brent Johnson stopped all Team Red’s shootout chances to help Team White secure the victory in a shootout, 9-8.

Yvon Labre and Rod Langway coached Team White and Team Red respectively. With only six skaters a side, the teams skated four-on-four for two periods of 20 minutes. Instead of stopping after every goal or whistle, the clock kept running.

Red jumped out to an early lead thanks to Laughlin and Matt Bradley, but also thanks to Alan May missing three chances on a three separate breakaways. White hung around largely thanks to the work of Johnson in net and Brian Willsie scoring twice.

At the end of the first half, Red held the lead 5-3, with two goals from Alan Hangsleben. The teams did not bother to switch sides for the second half.

Kevin “Killer” Kaminski and Paul Mulvey held the blue line in check, with Kaminski jumping up in the play to score a few times. Red looked set to pull away with the game and the title, but Olaf Kolzig gave White some hope.

As Willsie came up ice to score the tying goal, Laughlin reached over the bench with his stick to try and trip him. That did not work, and Willsie potted home a rebound past Dave Parro. Johnson was out at the hashmarks yelling at coach Labre to pull him prior to the goal, but Kolzig motioned for him to get back in net. Johnson obeyed, and the tying goal was scored.

In the penalty shootout, only Brian Sutherby scored for Team White. His teammates, Johnson included, mobbed him at the Red bench, neglecting the fact that Red had last shot. Once everyone took their place back on the bench, Johnson saved Kaminski’s shot to end the game.

Overall, the Capitals Alumni went out to enjoy playing hockey again. General shenanigans ruled the ice and the referees largely let them play.

Bradley’s shootout attempt featured a water bottle tossed from White’s bench. Bradley adeptly moved around the bottle, but could not beat Johnson.

Before Laughlin’s second goal, he begged coach Langway to take him off, claiming “my arms are tired from passing.” Sticking to his guns, he cherry picked in the neutral zone for the pass to go in on a breakaway. Johnson stopped Laughlin initially, then the wrap-around went in to send the packed crowd into a frenzy. Laughlin was promptly subbed off.

When Kolzig was whistled for offside, he skated by Laughlin on the bench and said, with a smile, “that was bulls— and you know it.”

In the end, players stopped to sign autographs for waiting fans as they removed and signed their jerseys to be auctioned off to benefit Pedal For Hope and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s National Capital Area chapter, the charity of choice for Caps alumnus John Druce, who lost his daughter Courtney to cancer in April 2016.

Per handbid.com, where the jerseys were listed for auction, the Capitals raised $5,425 through the jersey sale. Labre and Kolzig both went for $525 a piece.

Max Wolpoff

Churchill High School graduate (2015) and current Boston University journalism student. Follow me on Twitter (@Max_Wolpoff) for game-day tweets or my random musings about being a college student.

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