Washington Capitals long-time forward Bobby Gould has died. He was 69.
The Capitals announced Gould’s death on Saturday.
Gould played 600 games for the Capitals and was a strong goal scorer in his time in the nation’s capital.
“A consistent scoring threat, he reached the 20-goal mark four times and recorded a career-high 50 points during the 1986-87 season,” the Capitals wrote on social media to remember Gould. “Beyond the rink, Gould was valued for the relationships he built and the positive impact he made on those around him.”
Who Was Bobby Gould?
Bobby Gould was a native of the Ontario province who was born in September 1957.
He didn’t begin his NHL career with the Capitals. Instead, he was a seventh-round draft pick by the Atlanta Flames in the 1977 NHL Draft.
Gould first went to play at the college level at the University of New Hampshire.
After that, he followed the Flames as they relocated to Calgary.
The Flames traded Gould to the Capitals early in the 1981-82 season, starting his 600-game tenure with the Capitals.
Gould scored 134 goals with 142 assists for the Capitals to total 276 points.
His career-high goal-scoring season was 1986-87, when he had 23 goals. He also had a career-best 27 assists that year.
Gould reached the 40-point mark in three separate seasons for the Capitals.
He was also regarded as a great defensive forward — he was twice a finalist for the Selke Trophy.
Gould was traded to the Boston Bruins in 1989 and went to the Stanley Cup Final there. He finished his career in the minor leagues before hanging up his skates.
Overall, Gould put up 145 goals and 159 assists in his NHL regular season career, along with 15 goals and 13 assists in 78 playoff games.
Other Tributes
NHL Public Relations posted this:
The @NHL mourns the passing of Bobby Gould and extends its heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and former teammates. https://t.co/AMaWhsEXpL
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) October 10, 2026
The Boston Bruins posted this:
RIP Bobby Gould, who concluded a stellar NHL career with the Bruins in 1989-90. The Bruins Alumni extend our sincere condolences to his family.
Prior to his NHL career, Bobby was a standout at UNH. https://t.co/rDuglDLxfv
— Boston Bruins Alumni (@NHLBruinsAlumni) October 10, 2026
And this was a cool post:
Bobby Gould was a legend in Lambton County. I saw him at the rink last season because he was still coaching the Petrolia high school hockey team. He was a true gentleman and the hardest working player on every team he played for. #restinpeace
— Paul Burgess (@PburgessPaul) October 11, 2026
Washington Capitals Star Dies at 69