Craig Alan Laughlin (born September 14, 1957) is a Canadian former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

right wing, who is the color analyst for the

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NH ...

Monumental Sports Network Monumental Sports Network, formerly NBC Sports Washington, is an American regional sports network owned by Ted Leonsis through Monumental Sports & Entertainment. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the channel broadcasts regional coverage of sport ...

. He played in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

with the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. ...

, and

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...

between 1981 and 1989.

Biography

Laughlin was born in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. As a youth, he played in the 1970

Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament () is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, and give an opportunity for international competition to p ...

with a

minor ice hockey Minor ice hockey or minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body c ...

team from Toronto. Laughlin was drafted in 1977 by the

. He played for several years with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs of the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...

, Montreal's minor league affiliate, before he made it onto the Canadiens' roster for part of the 1981–82 season. In September 1982, Laughlin was traded to the

as part of a six-player blockbuster trade that sent him,

Brian Engblom Brian Paul Engblom (born January 27, 1955) is a Canadian ice hockey broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and a former professional hockey defenseman. He was a three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Montreal Canadiens. Biography Engblom was ...

, Doug Jarvis and

Rod Langway Rodney Cory Langway (born May 3, 1957) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League (NHL) and Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Associati ...

to Washington in exchange for Rick Green and

Ryan Walter Ryan William Walter (born April 23, 1958) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League. He won the 1986 Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens. He was also an assistant coach with ...

. Laughlin got an opportunity to establish himself as a full-time player with the Capitals. His contributions helped guide the Capitals to their first playoff appearance in team history. Laughlin also served as a team ambassador during his tenure with the Capitals, often making appearances in the

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, area to help grow the team's footprint in the region. Laughlin was traded to the

on February 9, 1988, in exchange for Grant Ledyard. He played the 1988–89 season, his final season in the NHL, for the

. Laughlin would play one season for EV Landshut of the German Hockey League before retiring from active play. In 549 NHL games, Laughlin scored 136 goals and had 205 assists. Laughlin has been the television color analyst for Capitals games since 1990, where he has paired with Joe Beninati since 1994. He also participates in many Capitals Alumni activities and is involved in charity work in the Washington, D.C., area. Laughlin played collegiate hockey at

Clarkson University Clarkson University is a private research university with its main campus in Potsdam, New York. Clarkson has additional graduate programs and research facilities in the New York Capital District. It was established in 1896 and enrolled over 4 ...

; his uniform #22 is retired by the school. Laughlin and his wife Linda have two children, Courtney and Kyle. The family resides in

Anne Arundel County, Maryland Anne Arundel County (; ), also notated as AA or A.A. County, is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 588,261, an increase of just under 10% since 2010. Its county seat is Annapolis, Mar ...

. Laughlin underwent cardiac surgery on February 4, 2025. Initial indications are that the procedure was successful.https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2025/02/09/craig-laughlin-returning-home-from-hospital-less-than-a-week-after-open-heart-surgery/

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Laughlin, Craig 1957 births Living people Canadian ice hockey right wingers Clarkson Golden Knights men's ice hockey players EV Landshut players Los Angeles Kings players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Montreal Canadiens draft picks Montreal Canadiens players National Hockey League broadcasters Nova Scotia Voyageurs players Ice hockey people from Toronto Toronto Maple Leafs players Washington Capitals announcers Washington Capitals players 20th-century Canadian sportsmen