From The Archives: The Rise Of Bobby Carpenter & His Journey From Prep School To The Capitals

This week's dive into The Hockey News' archives takes a look back at the rise of Capitals center Bobby Carpenter.

Over their 49-year history, the Washington Capitals have seen several players rise to prominence, coming out of nowhere to take the organization by storm and then seize their opportunity when it comes.

But there's no instance more prominent in franchise history than when Bobby Carpenter stole the show in 1981 after being taken third overall in that year's draft.

"You won't believe this kid I just saw," former Capitals scout David Conte had said to then-assistant general manager Roger Crozier regarding Carpenter.

The rest is history.

Here's a deeper dive into Carpenter's rise to prominence and what impact he had on the Nation's Capital, fresh from The Hockey News archive.

Vol. 35, Issue 4, Oct. 23, 1981

By Bob Fachet

David Conte, a scout for the Washington Capitals, has a vacation home on Cape Cod. A year ago, after watching a summer league hockey game, he dashed to the phone and called Roger Crozier, the Capitals’ assistant general manager.

“You won’t believe this kid I just saw,” Conte gushed. “He’s great. He’s going to be a superstar. I’ve never seen a kid at his age with skills like that…”

“Is his name Bobby Carpenter?” Crozier interrupted, and of course it was.

Crozier, like most National Hockey League talent assessors, has known of Carpenter for a long time. Carpenter’s heroics at all youth hockey age levels, plus junior high and high school, have become legend. Ever since he graduated from St. John’s prep in Danvers, MA., last June, Carpenter already has been the subject of a cover story in Sports Illustrated, a sports page headline in the Boston Globe, and a children’s television program, “Thirty Minutes.”

“One period, that’s all you need,” Crozier said after watching Carpenter in high school. “It’s like watching a plow horse and a thoroughbred. There’s no comparison. After one period you could see he can do everything.”

“I saw Carpenter last year in Colorado, with 40 of the best players in the U.S., and he was second youngest,” said Steve Brklacich, director of player personnel for the St. Louis Blues. “He stood out like a neon light.”

It was the same in the World Junior Tournament, in West Germany. Carpenter outplayed Canada’s Dale Hawerchuk, scoring three goals to none for the top-ranked junior player north of the border. If there had been a question about Carpenter’s credentials, because of the high-school opposition he had faced, that game answered it.

Still, there are always doubts about a player until he has performed in a genuine, regular season National Hockey League game.

“No problem,” Carpenter said before he made his debut Oct. 7 for the Capitals in Buffalo. And it was no problem. Twelve seconds into the game, a perfect headman pass by Carpenter freed Ryan Walter for a breakaway score. In the second period, Carpenter hurdled a Buffalo defender to shove a loose puck into the net for his first NHL goal.

Afterward, Carpenter handled a flood of media with just as much aplomb. Although he had displayed no sign of nerves, he was asked if, deep down, there had been any jitters.

“No, it was just the beginning of another game,” he replied.

If it was just another game for Carpenter, it was the fulfillment of a determined effort by Washington general manager Max McNab to bring America’s most touted hockey player to the nation’s capital. It was a campaign that had to be initiated in secrecy, because the Capitals needed someone else’s cooperation to take the New England youngster away from Hartford, which was entitled to “pick fourth in the draft, with Washington listed fifth.

There had been speculation that Carpenter would be selected in the first round. Soon, however, it became merely a question of how high he would go. Then came what seemed the definitive answer! The Whalers would make him the fourth choice. There was no interest among the three teams selecting earlier — Winnipeg, Los Angeles and Colorado — and on draft day Carpenter’s father, Bob Sr., sat at the Hartford table awaiting the dramatic announcement.

The night before, however, Larry Pleau, the Whalers’ general manager, had told Chuck Kaiton, the team’s broadcaster, that “I just have a funny feeling we’re not going to get Carpenter.”

The Whalers were suspicious that the Boston Bruins would somehow deal their way into a higher spot. Another team was wondering about Boston’s intentions, too — the Capitals.

Ten days earlier, McNab had sounded out Colorado about the possibility of flip-flopping draft picks. There were lengthy dicussions and finally on the afternoon before the draft, Colorado’s Billy MacMillan told McNab he would provide a definite answer at 8:45 a.m. on draft day, after weighing another possible deal.

That morning MacMillan confirmed his approval. Colorado agreed to the flip-flop and received Washington’s second-round pick in exchange for Colorado’s No. 3. By then, MacMillan was certain Hartford would not choose the man he wanted, defenseman Joe Cirella.

McNab dropped his bomb and the Hartford table blew up. Carpenter’s father stormed off in disgust, telling a Washington reporter that he wanted nothing to do with anyone from that city.

Back home in Peabody, MA., Carpenter kept his cool. He put on a Capitals T-shirt, a previous gift from scout David McNab, and participated in a telephone hookup to a gathering of media and fans at the Capital Centre.

“I was shocked to find out Washington picked me,” Carpenter said. “I had no idea until my father called from Montreal. All the papers around here said Hartford would pick me, but it didn’t matter where 1 went. I just want to play in the best place for me, where I’ll do my best.”

Carpenter’s parents felt the best place for their 18-year-old son was Providence College, where he had signed a letter-of-intent. The Capitals, who already had upset the family’s plans, took a low-key role in the decision-making process. They wanted him desperately, but they did not want to force a move.

“My three sons were all university graduates and [negotiator] Peter O’Malley’s family is university-oriented, so we were in an unusual position trying to persuade Bobby to turn pro,” McNab said. “We didn’t want to push, but we were afraid they’d think there was lack of interest.”

Another pertinent sidelight was the fact that Carpenter was represented by attorney Jack Herlihy, who had handled tax cases for family friend Bobby Orr, but who was not a sports agent as such. Unlike agents who might be anxious for a client to turn pro because of the contract percentage, Herlihy examined every aspect of the situation.

The decision, however, was made by Carpenter himself, and he surprised his family be accepting a three-year-plus-option Washington contract that was estimated to be worth about $500,000.

“I was so sure he was going to college that I was buying a lamp and sheets for his room at Providence the day he came in and told me he wanted to play in the NHL,” said Carpenter’s mother, Ann.

Carpenter made his decision public in a lavish news conference at Capital Centre that lured television crews and reporters from both U.S. and Canada, representatives from the White House and Maryland State House, and congressmen from both Carpenter’s home Massachusetts district and the Maryland suburbs.

While his elders tried to burden him with praise, Carpenter showed more maturity than they.

“The ultimate factor was that’s what I wanted to do,” Carpenter said. “Ever since I started skating, I’ve wanted to play in the National Hockey League. If I didn’t do it now, when I had the chance, I figured I’d regret it later.”

Asked whether he was the man to finally lift the Capitals into the playoffs, Carpenter said, “I’ve got to make the team first before I can help them make the playoffs.”

Asked what Orr, who joined him on the dais, had taught him, Carpenter showed another side of himself by cracking, “To take care of my knees, for one thing.”

It was Orr who persuaded Carpenter not to worry about signing a two-way contract, something the Capitals insisted upon. As an American, Carpenter was eligible to play minor pro hockey and the Capitals wanted that option left open, in case Carpenter needed more time to adapt to the NHL.

“I came here to play for the Washington Capitals,” Carpenter said, “I didn’t come to play for Hershey and I’m going to do everything in my power to stay here. If they do send me there, it’s to help me, not to punish me. They know the game. You’ve got to work for management, not against them.”

Carpenter went home, added some three-piece suits to his largely jeans high-school wardrobe and skated a few days with the Bruins. Then he returned and participated in the player-run pre-camp workouts at Fort Dupont in Washington. From the first time he stepped on the ice, there was no question of his starting the season in the minors.

The anticipation, the moves, the skating and stickhandling skills left no doubt that Carpenter was someone special.

“He can go pretty good,” said Ryan Walter, the team captain who plays left wing with Carpenter and 48-goal right wing Mike Gartner. “He goes to the net well and he’s hungry when he sees that puck. “I can tell you this, he loves to play. Once he learns the system, he’ll fit in nicely.”

“Bobby Carpenter really looks good out there,” said Wes Jarvis, who was assigned to Hershey because of Carpenter’s presence. “He does everything well. They’ve make a good choice. The only thing the first couple of years might be the strength factor. But he’ll build himself up.”

In Sweden, where the Capitals participated in the Dagens Nyheter Tournament, Carpenter scored twice in his very first game. He led the team with four goals in four games and his biggest problem was adjusting to the time difference. He was served two hamburgers on the bench one day, after he rose too late to eat before a practice session.

Back home, when the Capitals battled Pittsburgh in an exhibition at Hershey, Carpenter was the object of special attention and he exchanged punches with Steve Gatzos at length, besides using his stick and body to return various knocks, both real and imagined.

“I knew it was going to be a physical game,” Carpenter said afterward. “I don’t want them to think they can run me out of the building.”

“In Sweden, Bobby proved he could play as far as skating and stickhandling go,” said Washington coach Gary Green. “Now he’s trying to make the adjustment to the NHL. He’s got spunk behind him and he’s going to show everybody he can’t be pushed around.

“There’s a question mark in his mind he has to answer himself: ‘Am I strong enough? Can I handle the physical stuff?’ 1 think he got a yes answer today.”

“Anybody who tries to run him is going to eat that stick,” noted Pittsburgh coach Eddie Johnston. “You’re not going to bother him. He’s got a mean streak in him and that’s why he’ll be a super player. He shuts guys off, does a lot of little things. That was a good move Washington made drafting him.”

Carpenter’s next exhibition date was against Hartford in Binghamton, N.Y., where he displayed yet another facet of his remarkable all-ice game. Twice in the third period, with Washington a goal behind, Carpenter raced back to break up good scoring chances by Hartford. He added a goal himself, preventing the Whalers from clearing their zone during a Washington power play, whirling and firing a 50-footer that handcuffed goalie Greg Millen.

The next night Carpenter received the usual rookie indoctrination from the Philadelphia Flyers in a high-sticking. slashing debacle at Hershey. Carpenter showed the Flyers he was prepared to stick it back to them, if necessary, as well as deal out solid checks.

Carpenter dumped big Bob Dailey on his backside with a clean check that brought a loud reaction from the crowd. Then, when he found Ken Lin-seman’s stick on a course for his nose, Carpenter exchanged slashes and finally cross-checked Linseman to the ice and jumped on him.

After a couple of Philly bodies were shoved off the ensuing pile, Carpenter resumed the battle, which ended with numerous scratches on Carpenter’s face and neck.

Asked whether he felt he had passed another test, Carpenter said, “I hope so. I’d rather play hockey, but sometimes it’s got to be done.”

That it probably would have to be done again was made plain by Philadelphia coach Pat Quinn, who said, “The young man has a lot of talent. He’s feisty and if he continues to use his stick that way, he’ll eat some along the way. But maybe he’s prepared to pay that price.”

In Hartford, where he had expected to begin his NHL career, Carpenter lured a crowd of 8,764. He responded to the pressure with a superb all-round effort that included his sixth goal of the exhibition campaign. Afterward, there was no question that Carpenter was headed for Washington. Only 18, he already was clearly superior to a majority of his teammates and opponents.

Among those impressed by Carpenter’s pre-season play was Pleau, who said, “He’s a smart hockey player. He has a good head on his shoulders and he knows the game. The kid’s got a hell of a way about him. He’s mature for his age. He’ll be a good one.”

The “way” Pleau mentioned might be compared to the swaggering pilots of World War I days. Carpenter wears his skates loose, with tendon guards untaped, and whether he is handling hordes of media or walking through an office full of adoring secretaries, he has the air of someone who knows exactly what he is doing, and why.

“Nothin’ worries me,” Carpenter said. “There’s no need to be worried. It only causes problems. I know what I’m gonna do for the rest of my life. It’s good. There’s no confusion. There won’t be any more last-minute decisions about what 1 should do. If I make enough money, I won’t have to work any more. If I retire in my late 30s or early 40s, I’ll be set for life.”

What Carpenter likes best about playing hockey is the sense of being on his own: “You’re totally independent 100 percent of the time. You do what you want. It’s total freedom.”

Bob Carpenter Sr. is delighted about the whole thing, too. He finally saw Bobby play as a Capital in Binghamton and he no longer questions the decision to opt for the NHL.

“It was a parental thing, a geographical thing,” Carpenter Sr. said. “Most parents would feel the way I did. He’s just getting out of high school and in Hartford I could keep an eye on him, I guess my hopes were too high. But I’ve got to let go sometime and maybe this was all for the best. Certainly, getting chosen third makes you extremely proud.”

Both Sports Illustrated and the Boston Globe headlined their takeouts on Carpenter by referring to him as the “Can’t-Miss-Kid.” So far, only one person has disputed the label — Carpenter himself.

“Say I fall down and break my leg; then I miss out all around,” Carpenter said.

Considering that the Capitals have led the NHL in injuries four of the last five seasons, that was not the most soothing statement for officials at Capital Centre. If Carpenter breaks a leg, the biggest crowds in Landover may be on the roof — club brass lining up to jump off.

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