Editing Rod Langway

{{short description|American ice hockey player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2011}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| name = Rod Langway
| halloffame = 2002
| image = Rod Langway.JPG
| image_size = 230px
| caption = Langway in 2011
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|5|3}}
| birth_place = [[Taipei]], [[Taiwan]]
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 218
| position = [[Defenceman|Defense]]
| shoots = Left
| played_for = [[Birmingham Bulls (WHA)|Birmingham Bulls]]<br>[[Montreal Canadiens]]<br>[[Washington Capitals]]
| ntl_team = USA
| draft = 36th overall
| draft_year = 1977
| draft_team = [[Montreal Canadiens]]
| wha_draft = 6th overall
| wha_draft_year = 1977
| wha_draft_team = [[Birmingham Bulls (WHA)|Birmingham Bulls]]
| career_start = 1977
| career_end = 1993
}}
'''Rodney Cory Langway''' (born May 3, 1957) is an [[Americans|American]] former professional [[ice hockey]] [[defenceman (ice hockey)|defenseman]] who played for the [[Montreal Canadiens]] and [[Washington Capitals]] in the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL) and [[Birmingham Bulls (WHA)|Birmingham Bulls]] of the [[World Hockey Association]] (WHA). He won the [[1979 Stanley Cup Finals|1979 Stanley Cup]] with the Canadiens.

Langway also spent time with teams in the [[American Hockey League]] (AHL) and [[East Coast Hockey League]] (ECHL) as a player-coach after his NHL career ended. A two-time winner of the [[James Norris Memorial Trophy]] as the top defenseman in the NHL, Langway was elected to the [[Hockey Hall of Fame]] in 2002.

==Early life and amateur career==
Langway was born to a US military family in [[Taipei]], [[Taiwan]], and is the only NHL player to have been born there. He grew up in [[Randolph, Massachusetts]], and did not begin playing hockey until age 13 in 1970, aside from pick-up street hockey games with the neighborhood boys. He then led [[Randolph High School (Massachusetts)|Randolph High School]] to three straight state tournament appearances in 1973, 1974 and 1975. He was also a standout quarterback for the Blue Devils and was one of the top football recruits in the nation. As a catcher on the Randolph High baseball team, Langway was considered a baseball pro-prospect. He was an honor student. However, the top college football programs in the country had identified Langway as a future NFL quarterback. It was a football recruiter from the [[University of New Hampshire]] who convinced him to play college hockey at UNH, one of the few schools that would allow him to play ''both'' football and hockey in college, which he did without having to choose one over the other as an incoming freshman. Langway went on to lead UNH to the NCAA hockey final four in 1977. Ultimately, hockey ended up being the direction for him as a professional career. He was inducted into the Randolph High and UNH Athletic Halls of Fame.

==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.

==Coaching career==
Langway served as player-coach for the [[San Francisco Spiders]] during their single season as an [[International Hockey League (1945–2001)|IHL]] team in 1995–1996. Langway began his career before helmets were mandatory and was the only member of the Spiders who played without a helmet under a league grandfather clause. He played without a helmet even while he was playing for the Washington Capitals and was normally the only player on the ice who was not wearing a helmet.

Langway was also an assistant coach under [[Tom McVie]] with the [[American Hockey League]]'s [[Providence Bruins]] during the 1997–98 season. He played in ten games that year to assist with on-ice development, during which time he was not granted an exemption to play without a helmet. Providence finished with a mere 19 victories that season, and Langway did not return the following year after McVie was reassigned to be a scout by the Boston organization.

During the 2003–04 season, Langway coached the [[Richmond Riverdogs]] expansion franchise in the [[United Hockey League]] to a division championship, and a first-round playoff loss to the [[Elmira Jackals]]. Team management did not extend Langway's contract after the first season.

==Awards and accomplishments==
* [[Stanley Cup]] champion – [[1979 Stanley Cup Finals|1979]]
* [[Norris Trophy]]: [[1982–83 NHL season|1982–83]], [[1983–84 NHL season|1983–84]]
* [[NHL All-Star team|NHL All-Star first team]]: 1982–83, 1983–84
* NHL All-Star second team: [[1984–85 NHL season|1984–85]]
* [[NHL All-Star Game|All-Star Game]]: [[1981 NHL All-Star Game|1981]], [[1982 NHL All-Star Game|1982]], [[1983 NHL All-Star Game|1983]], [[1984 NHL All-Star Game|1984]], [[1985 NHL All-Star Game|1985]], [[1986 NHL All-Star Game|1986]]
* Canada Cup 1984 All-Star first team

Langway's jersey number (#5) was retired by the [[Washington Capitals]] on November 26, 1997, and he was inducted into the [[United States Hockey Hall of Fame]] in 1999. His career was crowned with his election to the [[Hockey Hall of Fame]] in 2002.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2002/11/05/langway-glides-into-hall-of-fame/7d1b6214-9883-4b91-89b0-272453da2626/|title=Langway Glides Into Hall Of Fame|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 5, 2002|access-date=May 29, 2021}}</ref> In 2012, he was inducted into the [[World Hockey Association Hall of Fame]] in the “Legends of the Game” category.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.whahof.com/hofmembers.html |title=WHA Hall of Fame Members |access-date=September 14, 2013 |archive-date=October 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181017214716/http://whahof.com/hofmembers.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"|
! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"|
! colspan="5"|[[Regular season]]
! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"|
! colspan="5"|[[Playoffs]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! [[Season (sports)|Season]]
! Team
! League
! GP !! [[Goal (ice hockey)|G]] !! [[Assist (ice hockey)|A]] !! [[Point (ice hockey)|Pts]] !! [[Penalty (ice hockey)|PIM]]
! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM
|-
| 1972–73
| [[Randolph High School (Massachusetts)|Randolph High School]]
| [[Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association|HS-MA]]
| 16 || 20 || 19 || 39
| — || — || — || — || —
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| 1973–74
| Randolph High School
| HS-MA
| — || — || — || — || —
| — || — || — || — || —
|-
| 1974–75
| Randolph High School
| HS-MA
| — || — || — || — || —
| — || — || — || — || —
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| [[1975–76 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season|1975–76]]
| [[New Hampshire Wildcats men's ice hockey|University of New Hampshire]]
| [[ECAC Hockey|ECAC]]
| 31 || 3 || 13 || 16 || 10
| — || — || — || — || —
|-  
| [[1976–77 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season|1976–77]]
| University of New Hampshire
| ECAC
| 34 || 10 || 43 || 53 || 52
| — || — || — || — || —
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| [[1977–78 AHL season|1977–78]]
| [[Hampton Gulls]]
| [[American Hockey League|AHL]]
| 30 || 6 || 16 || 22 || 50
| — || — || — || — || —
|-  
| [[1977–78 WHA season|1977–78]]
| [[Birmingham Bulls (WHA)|Birmingham Bulls]]
| [[World Hockey Association|WHA]]
| 52 || 3 || 18 || 21 || 52
| 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 9
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| [[1978–79 AHL season|1978–79]]
| [[Nova Scotia Voyageurs]]
| AHL
| 18 || 6 || 13 || 19 || 29
| — || — || — || — || —
|-  
| [[1978–79 NHL season|1978–79]]
| [[Montreal Canadiens]]
| [[National Hockey League|NHL]]
| 45 || 4 || 3 || 7 || 30
| 8 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 16
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| [[1979–80 NHL season|1979–80]]
| Montreal Canadiens
| NHL
| 77 || 7 || 29 || 36 || 81
| 10 || 3 || 3 || 6 || 2
|-  
| [[1980–81 NHL season|1980–81]]
| Montreal Canadiens
| NHL
| 80 || 11 || 34 || 45 || 120
| 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 6
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| [[1981–82 NHL season|1981–82]]
| Montreal Canadiens
| NHL
| 66 || 5 || 34 || 39 || 116
| 5 || 0 || 3 || 3 || 18
|-  
| [[1982–83 NHL season|1982–83]]
| [[Washington Capitals]]
| NHL
| 80 || 3 || 29 || 32 || 75
| 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| [[1983–84 NHL season|1983–84]]
| Washington Capitals
| NHL
| 80 || 9 || 24 || 33 || 61
| 8 || 0 || 5 || 5 || 7
|-  
| [[1984–85 NHL season|1984–85]]
| Washington Capitals
| NHL
| 79 || 4 || 22 || 26 || 54
| 5 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 6
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| [[1985–86 NHL season|1985–86]]
| Washington Capitals
| NHL
| 71 || 1 || 17 || 18 || 61
| 9 || 1 || 2 || 3 || 6
|-  
| [[1986–87 NHL season|1986–87]]
| Washington Capitals
| NHL
| 78 || 2 || 25 || 27 || 53
| 7 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 2
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| [[1987–88 NHL season|1987–88]]
| Washington Capitals
| NHL
| 63 || 3 || 13 || 16 || 28
| 6 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 8
|- 
| [[1988–89 NHL season|1988–89]]
| Washington Capitals
| NHL
| 76 || 2 || 19 || 21 || 67
| 6 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 6
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| [[1989–90 NHL season|1989–90]]
| Washington Capitals
| NHL
| 58 || 0 || 8 || 8 || 39
| 15 || 1 || 4 || 5 || 12
|-  
| [[1990–91 NHL season|1990–91]]
| Washington Capitals
| NHL
| 56 || 1 || 7 || 8 || 24
| 11 || 0 || 2 || 2 || 6
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| [[1991–92 NHL season|1991–92]]
| Washington Capitals
| NHL
| 64 || 0 || 13 || 13 || 22
| 7 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 2
|-  
| [[1992–93 NHL season|1992–93]]
| Washington Capitals
| NHL
| 21 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 20
| — || — || — || — || —
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| [[1994–95 ECHL season|1994–95]]
| [[Richmond Renegades]]
| [[ECHL]]
| 6 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 2
| 9 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 4
|-  
| [[1995–96 IHL season|1995–96]]
| [[San Francisco Spiders]]
| [[International Hockey League (1945–2001)|IHL]]
| 46 || 1 || 5 || 6 || 38
| — || — || — || — || —
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| [[1997–98 AHL season|1997–98]]
| [[Providence Bruins]]
| AHL
| 10 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 6
| — || — || — || — || —
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | WHA totals
! 52 !! 3 !! 18 !! 21 !! 52
! 4 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 9
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | NHL totals
! 994 !! 51 !! 278 !! 329 !! 851
! 104 !! 5 !! 22 !! 27 !! 97
|}

===International===
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:50em"
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Year
! Team
! Event
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp;
! GP
! G
! A
! Pts
! PIM
|-
| [[1981 Canada Cup|1981]]
| [[United States men's national ice hockey team|United States]]
| [[Canada Cup|CC]]
| 6
| 0
| 1
| 1
| 8
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1982 World Ice Hockey Championships|1982]]
| United States
| [[Ice Hockey World Championships|WC]]
| 6
| 0
| 2
| 2
| 4
|-  
| [[1984 Canada Cup|1984]]
| United States
| CC
| 6
| 1
| 1
| 2
| 8
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1987 Canada Cup|1987]]
| United States
| CC
| 5
| 0
| 1
| 1
| 6
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan=3 | Senior totals
! 23
! 1
! 5
! 6
! 26
|}

==See also==
* [[List of members of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{icehockeystats|legendsm=P200203}}
* [http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1977/77036.html Rod Langway's profile @ Hockeydraftcentral.com]

{{s-start}}
{{succession box | before = [[Ryan Walter]] | title = [[Washington Capitals#Team captains|Washington Capitals captain]] | years = [[1982–83 NHL season|1982]]–[[1992–93 NHL season|92]] | after = [[Kevin Hatcher]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Douglas Wilson (hockey player)|Doug Wilson]] | title = Winner of the [[Norris Trophy]] | years = [[1982–83 NHL season|1983]], [[1983–84 NHL season|1984]] | after = [[Paul Coffey]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Langway, Rod}}
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:American men's ice hockey defensemen]]
[[Category:Birmingham Bulls draft picks]]
[[Category:Birmingham Bulls (WHA) players]]
[[Category:Hampton Gulls (AHL) players]]
[[Category:Hockey Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:James Norris Memorial Trophy winners]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Montreal Canadiens draft picks]]
[[Category:Montreal Canadiens players]]
[[Category:National Hockey League All-Stars]]
[[Category:National Hockey League players with retired numbers]]
[[Category:New Hampshire Wildcats men's ice hockey players]]
[[Category:Nova Scotia Voyageurs players]]
[[Category:People from Randolph, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Providence Bruins coaches]]
[[Category:Providence Bruins players]]
[[Category:San Francisco Spiders players]]
[[Category:Richmond Renegades players]]
[[Category:Stanley Cup champions]]
[[Category:United States Hockey Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Washington Capitals captains]]
[[Category:Washington Capitals players]]
[[Category:Ice hockey player-coaches]]