The Capitals defenseman was an all-out warrior for D.C.
This article originally appeared in The Hockey News Apr 6, 1979/vol. 32, issue 27
BY RUSS WHITE
WASHINGTON— Of all that has been said about Yvon Labre of the Washington Capitals, the most gratifying to him was that he played hockey as though he were Charles Bronson. “Yeah,” Labre coos, “like Bronson. Arrrrrrrrr.”
Labre has known only one way to play—all out.
Once, in that first long, hard year for the Caps, he bemoaned the fact that his arms were too short. “If they were this much longer,” he said “I wouldn’t lose every fight.”
As the Caps play their final games of the regular season—once again, they will not be in the playoffs—Labre is the only one of them selected in the June 1974 expansion pool draft, to have survived five seasons.
When Milt Schr idt picked from the expansion pool, he said that in order for the club to grow none of the expansion players would be left in five years.
He was right, except for Labre.
Knee surgery and a chronic shoulder have cut Labre’s playing time the past two years, yet if he suits up for the club’s remaining half dozen games, he’ll have participated in 291 of the team’s first 400 games—more than anyone else.
Naturally, it hasn’t been easy for Labre or any of the Caps. The team will have to wait until next year to finally notch its 100th victory. It is no bargain going night after night with a team that can’t even win one out of four (the Caps had 81 victories in 391 games.)
Records, memories and the past don’t concern Labre. He is more concerned with the future of the team and his role. He now gives ground to the club’s more celebrated defensemen—top draft picks Rick Green and Robert Picard. Labre doesn’t get as much ice time but he’s been a plus five, which shows he has played well when called on by coach Danny Belisle.
“Labre is as sound as he ever was,” says Caps’ general manager Max McNab, “He made a typical Yvon Labre play recently in Detroit, throwing himself in front of a shot in the goal crease while Gary Inness was down. Labre has been handling the puck better and getting out of trouble better than I have ever seen him.”
The Caps have been making some interesting changes on defense and were expected to use Ex-Canadien favorite Pierre Bouchard in the last half-dozen games. Bouchard came out of retirement to begin working out with the Caps. Perhaps, he had Stanley Cup fever as spring arrived.
Meanwhile, Belisle has been using Green at left wing. The move was designed to allow Green to observe the tactics used by other NHL defensemen. “I’ve noticed some things that they do against forwards, that maybe I should be thinking of, myself,” he said. “There’s.a lot some of them get away with that I didn’t think possible.”
Green lined up with Ryan Walter at center and Chuck Arnason, recently purchased by the Caps from the North Stars, at right wing. All three are first round draft choices—Arnason eight years ago by Montreal.