On Frozen Blog

TSN, picking up the original story from RDS, reports today that Ex-Cap Gaetan Duschesne, 44, passed today from cardiac arrest.

The news is especially shocking to those of us who saw Gaetan join his Capitals’ alumni out at Kettler Capitals Iceplex just 10 days ago and skate magnificently in the alumni game.

Duschesne, an 8th-round selection by the Capitals in 1981, made the team that year and skated 74 games as a rookie. He would go on to to play six seasons in Washington, wear a Caps’ sweater for 451 games, and score 87 goals and 138 assists. Along with teammates Craig Laughlin and Greg Adams Duschesne formed “the plumbers line” that shut down some of the NHL’s most prolific scorers from the high-flying 1980s. He was a +68 in his career with the Caps.

In 1987, he was traded, along with teammate Alan Haworth and a first-round pick, to Quebec for Dale Hunter and Clint Malarchuk.

Last week the Capitals’ family lost former goaltending coach Warren Strelow, who succumbed to a prolonged illness.

Update: we’ve been passed along a statement from Caps’ president and owner Dick Patrick:

“The Washington Capitals are terribly saddened to hear of Gaetan Duchesne’s passing. Gator was a wonderful person and a popular player among his teammates, the organization and our fans. From his role on our first playoff teams until just recently, when he joined us for an alumni game here in Washington , we will always have fond memories of Gator.”