Rod Langway
Rod Cory Langway ( May 3, 1957 in Taipei, Taiwan ) is a retired American professional ice hockey player (defender) and coach, the Birmingham Bulls in 1977 to 1992 for the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League and the World Hockey Association played.
Career
Rod was born while his parents were in Taipei of Taiwan. His father was stationed there as an American soldier. Back home, he grew up in Randolph, a suburb of Boston. His first sports were football and baseball. It was not until the age of 13 he started with ice hockey. In all areas of life, it was the hard work through the Rod brought it to success. Not only in sports and wrote his zeal training in various sports helped to success, but also in everyday school life, where he overcame a slight learning disability with diligence and so came to a successful conclusion. He led his hockey team, the Randolph Blue Devils in 1973 and 1975 State Championship, his strongest sport, however, was football, where he served as quarterback.
Scouts of all schools and universities had his eye on Langway, but since he did not want to decide between football and ice hockey, his choice was the University of New Hampshire, whose scout was responsible for both sports. In the first year an injury cost him the entire football season, but the hockey season, he was fit and played as a team in the NCAA. In his second year he made something special. Both the football team, where he was now linebacker, as well as in ice hockey, he reached the championship final.
Well acted as a potential hockey star, voted him the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL Amateur Draft 1977 in the second round as the 36th from. However, he opted for a change in the World Hockey Association, where he was the Birmingham Bulls had already brought in 6th place in the draft. He spent his first season mostly in Birmingham but has been used to some extent in the AHL farm team at the Hampton Gulls.
For the 1978/79 season as the WHA already stuck in financial difficulties, he took advantage of a clause to his contract to resolve and decided a change to Montreal. At the start of the season he was in the NHL team, but here it was used in the summer for several weeks in the AHL with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs. He managed to be back soon take the plunge and won with the Canadiens the Stanley Cup. Guided by the "Big Three", Larry Robinson, Guy Lapointe and Serge Savard he developed into a very good defender. He would have loved to stay longer in Montreal, but above all by the poor exchange rate of the Canadian dollar and the high taxes in Canada could not agree, and so he moved to a large barter with Brian Engblom, Doug Jarvis and Craig Laughlin for 1982 season / 83 of the Washington Capitals, who sent in return Rick Green and Ryan Walter to Montreal.
The team, founded in 1974 had hitherto never reached the play -offs, but with the strong defensive work by Langway succeeded in this first season Rods in the capital. He was never too good to throw in a shot and to give everything for his team. He was one of the last players in the NHL who played even without a helmet. His great performance at the Capitals earned him not only honor and recognition among his opponents, the NHL honored in 1983 and 1984 with the James Norris Trophy as best defender.
When it was possible, played the very patriotic Langway also for his national team. A special highlight was also discharged in place of the All- Star game Rendez- vous '87 against the USSR. After the 1992/93 season forced him to 36 years, a knee injury for End of career.
As a coach, he took over the Richmond Renegades in the East Coast Hockey League as a coach, but as the players were scarce due to injuries, he jumped in his second year as a player again. He then tried his hand in the International Hockey League with the San Francisco Spiders again as a player before he left the bonds of Richmond Renegades returned again. 1997/98 he coached the Providence Bruins in the AHL, but after a year he was hired again in Richmond and remained there until 2000.
When the Washington Capitals on 26 November 1997 played their last game in the old stadium, the Capital Centre, Langways jersey with the number 5 was pulled under the hall roof. His number is since no longer awarded.
He was honored with induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002.
Statistics
Awards
- First All -Star Team: 1983 and 1984
- Second All-Star Team: 1985
- James Norris Trophy: 1983 and 1984