Editing Rod Langway (section)

==Professional career==
A left-handed shot, Langway was drafted by the [[Montreal Canadiens]] of the [[National Hockey League|NHL]] in [[1977 NHL Amateur Draft|1977]] and by the [[Birmingham Bulls (WHA)|Birmingham Bulls]] of the [[World Hockey Association|WHA]] in the same [[1977 WHA Amateur Draft|year]]. He played one season for the Bulls ([[1977–78 WHA season|1977–78]]) before joining the Canadiens for the [[1978–79 NHL season]]. He was 22 years old when he helped the Canadiens win the [[Stanley Cup]] that year. He played for Montreal until he was traded to the [[Washington Capitals]] for the start of the [[1982–83 NHL season|1982–83]] season.

The Capitals acquired Langway from the Canadiens in a blockbuster trade—going with [[Doug Jarvis]], [[Craig Laughlin]], and [[Brian Engblom]] in exchange for [[Ryan Walter]] and [[Rick Green (ice hockey)|Rick Green]].<ref name="blockbuster">{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B1wxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CqUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1530%2C318354|title=Canadiens make blockbuster trade|last=Fisher|first=Red|date=September 11, 1978|work=Montreal Gazette|access-date=February 7, 2023}}</ref> That trade not only saved the franchise from moving out of D.C., but also stocked them for an extended string of postseason appearances. After not making the playoffs in their first eight seasons in the league, the Capitals competed in the postseason in every one of the 11 years that Langway was with the team. Following that trade, the Capitals named Langway their [[Captain (ice hockey)|captain]] (succeeding the aforementioned Ryan Walter), which he would hold for the next 11 seasons until his NHL retirement.

[[File:Just Say No. National Hockey League.jpg|thumb|left|Langway with [[Nancy Reagan]], [[Pete Peeters]] and [[Dave Poulin]] in 1988.]]
As captain, Langway became known as an accomplished leader who demanded greatness from himself and others, earning the nickname "Secretary of Defense". Many people considered him the franchise's savior, despite not being the sort of player that one would expect to prevent the club from moving. Langway's predecessors as Norris Trophy winners were the dominant defensemen of the 1970s, like [[Bobby Orr]], [[Larry Robinson]], and [[Denis Potvin]], who had put up high scoring numbers. By contrast, Langway was a traditional defender whose shot was likened to a "cool summer breeze", scoring only three goals during one of his best seasons, though he is remembered by Capitals fans for a game–winning goal in overtime against the [[New York Rangers]]' [[Mike Richter]] in the 1990 playoffs.<ref name="nyt_1990">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/26/sports/overtime-goal-gives-capitals-3-1-series-edge.html|title=Overtime Goal Gives Capitals 3–1 Series Edge|last=Sexton|first=Joe|date=April 26, 1990|work=New York Times|access-date=April 29, 2009}}</ref> Despite his lack of offensive production, his excellence at his position was credited with significantly reducing the Capitals' goals-against average, which enabled them to finally make the playoffs.

Langway won the [[James Norris Memorial Trophy|Norris Trophy]] as the [[National Hockey League|NHL]]'s top defenseman in both [[1982–83 NHL season|1983]] and [[1983–84 NHL season|1984]]. He earned two postseason [[NHL All-Star team|All-Star first team]] selections and one Second Team selection as a defenseman—the first American NHL All-Star since [[Frank Brimsek]] in 1948. Langway finished runner-up to [[Wayne Gretzky]] for the [[Hart Memorial Trophy]] in 1984. He was also part of the NHL All-Star team that played the Soviet national hockey team in [[Rendez-Vous '87]]. Upon his retirement from the NHL during the 1992–93 season, Langway was the last active player who won a Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens during their late-70s dynasty. In international hockey, he represented the United States in the [[1981 Canada Cup|1981]], [[1984 Canada Cup|1984]], and [[1987 Canada Cup]] as well as the 1982 [[Ice Hockey World Championship]] tournaments.