Gord Smith Was One of the Capitals’ First, and Not Forgotten

The Capitals’ original roster is long gone, but the names from that era still carry weight in Washington if you know where to look. This piece goes back to Gord Smith, one of the franchise’s earliest building blocks, and digs into why those first-season players still matter to the story of the team. It is the kind of throwback that reminds you expansion hockey was never tidy, and that survival in this league always came with a little grit and a lot of guessing.