lit a candle 51m agoMy dad had the Caps on that night in 87 and I remember him yelling at the TV when Gould dropped Lemieux. He wasn't even our favorite player, just a guy who did his job every shift. 69 is no age at all.
Their story
Robert Alexander "Bobby" Gould was a Canadian right winger who spent eleven seasons in the National Hockey League and became one of the dependable two-way forwards of the Washington Capitals during the 1980s. Born on September 2, 1957, in Petrolia, Ontario, he played 697 NHL games for the Atlanta Flames,…
Robert Alexander "Bobby" Gould was a Canadian right winger who spent eleven seasons in the National Hockey League and became one of the dependable two-way forwards of the Washington Capitals during the 1980s. Born on September 2, 1957, in Petrolia, Ontario, he played 697 NHL games for the Atlanta Flames, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins, scoring 145 goals and 159 assists. His death at the age of 69 was announced by the Capitals on October 10, 2026.
Gould grew up in Petrolia, a small Lambton County town, and played the 1974-75 season for his hometown Petrolia Jets. He then took the college route, spending four seasons at the University of New Hampshire. His goal totals rose almost every year, from 13 as a freshman to 31 as a senior in 1978-79, when he was named to the All-ECAC Hockey Second Team. In 1977 he was drafted twice: by the Atlanta Flames of the NHL in the seventh round, 118th overall, and by the Calgary Cowboys of the World Hockey Association in the eighth round, 70th overall. He never played in the WHA.
His professional start was a long apprenticeship in the Central Hockey League with the Tulsa Oilers, Birmingham Bulls, Fort Worth Texans and Oklahoma City Stars. He played a single NHL game for Atlanta in 1979-80, moved with the franchise when it relocated to Calgary, and spent parts of two seasons with the Calgary Flames. On November 25, 1981, Calgary traded him to Washington along with Randy Holt for Pat Ribble and a draft pick. That deal changed his career.
In Washington Gould finally had a full-time NHL job and made the most of it, scoring 18 goals in his first 60 games. He topped 20 goals four times and reached a career-high 23 goals and 50 points in 1986-87. He was valued as much for his defensive work and penalty killing as for his scoring, earning Selke Trophy votes in five seasons, including a third-place finish in the voting in 1987. He wore an "A" as an alternate captain and was, by the end of the decade, the longest-serving member of a club that had grown from a laughingstock into a regular playoff team under coach Bryan Murray and general manager David Poile. Over eight seasons and 600 games with the Capitals he scored 134 goals and 142 assists.
He is also remembered for one night at the Capital Centre. On March 20, 1987, a much bigger Mario Lemieux dropped his gloves with him, and Gould broke the Pittsburgh star's jaw with a right uppercut. Lemieux spent the night at George Washington University Hospital and did not fight again in the NHL for about nine years. Gould later said he had only hoped to get Lemieux off the ice for five minutes and never thought about hurting him.
On September 28, 1989, Washington traded Gould to the Boston Bruins. In his final NHL season he helped Boston reach the 1990 Stanley Cup Final, a run that included a conference final win over his old Capitals team. He spent 1990-91 with the Maine Mariners of the American Hockey League as a player and assistant coach, then retired.
Gould and his wife Janice returned to Ontario with their three children. He stayed close to the game, serving as an assistant coach and assistant general manager of the Ontario Hockey League's Sarnia Sting in 1997-98 and 1998-99 and returning as a Sting assistant in 2011-12. He also worked as a teacher and a farmer, and in his hometown he helped out with Petrolia minor hockey, running practices for the Petrolia Midget Reps alongside his friend and fellow former NHL player Mark Hunter.
In announcing his death, the Capitals said that beyond the rink Gould was valued for the relationships he built and the positive impact he made on those around him. The NHL and the Boston Bruins Alumni also shared tributes. The date, place and cause of his death were not made public.
Biography adapted from Washington Capitals statement; RMNB (Oct 10, 2026); Wikipedia; NoVa Caps; The Washington Post archive; hockeydb.com; Petrolia Lambton Independent. Wikipedia ↗
In their own words
“The first thing that came to mind when he said, 'Let's go,' was that I could get him off the ice for five minutes. I never thought about hurting him.”
On his March 1987 fight with Mario Lemieux, to Robert Fachet of The Washington Post
“It makes me feel good to know that I was part of establishing the Washington Capitals as a top team.”
On being traded to the Boston Bruins, The Washington Post, September 1989
Photos
2Bobby Gould with the Washington Capitals
by People Forever
Bobby Gould, Washington Capitals
by People Forever
My uncle talked about that fight for years, couldn't believe the size difference