It was the most important trade the Capitals ever made and became the cornerstone of the excellent Washington defense of the 1980s and early 1990s. While Green and Walter would help the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup in 1986, Langway's solid defensive play won him the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman in 1983 and 1984.

He was so respected that not only was he immediately named captain of the Capitals, Langway also captained the American team in the 1984, 1987 and 1991 Canada Cup tournaments.

The Capitals never made the playoffs in their eight seasons before Langway arrived. They never missed with him in their lineup.

Nashville Predators Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations and General Manager David Poile was in his first season as the Capitals general manager when he dealt for Langway. He later traded Engblom for Larry Murphy and took Scott Stevens and Kevin Hatcher in his first two drafts, assembling one of the NHL's top defenses.

2002 Hall of Fame Inductions Editor's note: There's nothing more self-fulfilling to a hockey player than to be elected to the Hall of Fame. On Monday November 4th, three new members, Clark Gillies, Bernie Federko and Rod Langway, will be inducted into the Hall in the Player Category. Roger Neilson, will also enter the Hall, as he will be honored in the Builder Category. The Inductees Clark Gillies Bernie Federko Rod Langway Roger Neilson More Links NHL History on NHL.com Hockey Hall of Fame

"Every team that's had success has had some dominating player or position," Poile said. "With the acquisition of Langway and Engblom in the same year that Scott Stevens was drafted, defense became the foundation for the Capitals for the 15 years I was there.

"It was a team that had not made the playoffs until Langway got there. His presence and energy and his winning background in Montreal helped get the franchise over the hump in the belief they could be competitive and that certainly was the case.

"After the trade, we were still a team that didn't have high-scoring forwards, but our defense allowed us to win games 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2."

"We really cut down the goals-against in Washington," Laughlin recalled. "Rod always preached that in the dressing room as the captain of the team. He said if we keep it out of our net we have the guys who can wait for a break and score. We played a very tight game and he was the leader on the ice and in the dressing room."

"The players we got in the trade, like Rod Langway, increased the talent on the team which had some talent already," said former Capitals goaltender Al Jensen, now with the NHL Central Scouting Service. "They brought a higher standard of talent and automatically made us divisional contenders. Both Brian and Rod were dominant defensemen.

"Rick Green and Ryan Walter were excellent players, but we got four quality players that made an impact on the team right away. It was a great trade for the franchise.

"Washington then had a dynamite defense. Langway was the main guy in the trade. All four were key, but he was the best of the bunch."

Langway's legacy continues today in the solid play of Stevens, an eager disciple who realized he was learning from Langway what had been taught by Montreal's ?Big Three? defensemen of the late 1970s, Larry Robinson, Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe.

"He talked about those guys and how they had a big influence on him and helped him out," Stevens said. "It took the pressure off me coming in at a young age. He was a very smart defensive player and a guy who worked really hard. He was great positionally and he taught us all that.

The Capitals never made the playoffs in their eight seasons before Langway arrived. They never missed with him in their lineup.

"When you are a young defenseman, you want to do well defensively and be a 'plus player.' He definitely helped me in that area."

"I remember him in the dressing room, helping out Scott Stevens in his first season," Jensen recalled. "What a great person to have on the team when Scott was breaking in. Scott learned an awful lot from Rod. It was great for his development and it showed. It still shows. Scott has had a great career and plays a lot like Rod did.

"Rod was very inspiring for the other players because he worked his tail off. After every practice, he jumped on the exercise bike and wouldn't stop. That's why he was the captain. He gave us great leadership. The other players saw it and did the same. He was a leader because he worked hard on and off the ice."

"Rod loved the game of hockey," Stevens said. "He loved playing, working out and being with the guys. That's something that has slipped away a bit. He was one of the old-time type of hockey players. He loved to be at the rink and loved being part of the team."

"Rod hated to lose," Jensen said. "He'd get ticked off, which is why he was so good. He made sure other guys pulled their weight and didn't hesitate to say something. He was vocal in the dressing room and made sure everyone did their job."

"He was very assertive in his authority and in the respect everyone gave him," Laughlin said. "It wasn't just the opposition that respected him. I knew if he gave me the puck on the right wing, I'd better get it out of the zone or he would give me a wicked scowl. I knew if I didn't, he'd have to scamper back and get hammered again to get it out again. I didn't want that. All our wingers knew that if "Rocket" gave us the puck around the boards, around the glass or on the tape, he wanted it out of the zone."

"He was a workhorse in terms of minutes and a warhorse in competitiveness," Poile said. "He was also very durable. He hardly missed any games."

The key to Langway's game was positioning. He was also a fearless shot blocker.

"For a guy who never wore a helmet he never hesitated to block shots," Jensen said. "He was very strong at clearing guys out from the net. He was an intimidating force. Rod was also great at moving the puck. He played with a lot of confidence and he had a lot of respect for players on other teams. He kept guys outside where I could see them and he blocked a lot of shots."

"He was an imposing guy that played defense in a way that was a throwback to the 1950s and '60s," Laughlin said. "He was a stay-at-home defenseman who was excellent at reading the play and establishing body position. That's a lost art in this day and age. He had little techniques to angle people wide. He was not the swiftest of skaters but he used his size and his reach to his advantage and it was very difficult to get around him.

"His teammates, at practice, and players on opposing teams said playing against Rod Langway was like playing against an octopus. You thought you had him beat but he'd turn just in time and get a hand or arm on you. It was just like skating in quicksand. He was one of the strongest players in the League."

"He wasn't a fancy player," Stevens said. "He had to work hard for everything he got. He started late in playing hockey. He played football as a kid. He didn't start hockey until he was 12 years old. That's what sticks out most in my mind: He got a late start but he wound up winning two Norris Trophies and a Stanley Cup and now he's in the Hall of Fame."

"Langway was a little bit like Tim Horton in that he was kind of a bull of a player. He was so strong," Poile said. "In this day and age it's nice to see a defensive defenseman recognized with all the elite players. Right now, we are statistic oriented. Someone like Langway, who didn't put up the offensive numbers, doesn't usually get recognized.

"Nobody seems to want to play like that anymore. The defensemen who become first-round picks are guys with a lot of points. Adam Foote is getting good recognition because he plays on a team that's winning and he makes a big contribution. But it took him longer to gain recognition because of his style.

"Part of this story is that this is a unique selection," Poile emphasized. "If you go back to the last 10 years, the guys that have gotten into the Hall of Fame are not his type of player."