Former NHLer Bobby Gould passes away at 69

Bobby Gould, who played most of his 11-year career with the Washington Capitals in the ’80s, has died. He was 69.

The Capitals announced Gould’s passing on Saturday. He played 600 games with the team between 1981 and 1989.

“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 team wrote in their post. “Beyond the rink, Gould was valued for the relationships he built and the positive impact he made on those around him.”

Born on Sept. 2, 1957 in Petrolia, Ont., Gould was taken by the Atlanta Flames in the seventh round of the 1977 NHL Draft. After four seasons at the University of New Hampshire, he spent parts of four seasons with the team and was part of their relocation to Calgary.

He was traded to Washington a month into the 1981-82 campaign, and would spent eight seasons with the club. He was a two-time Selke Trophy finalist (1982-83 and 1986-87).

Gould, at age 32, was traded to the Boston Bruins in 1989 and helped them reach the Stanley Cup Final. He would play one more season in the minors before officially retiring.

Across 11 NHL seasons with the Capitals, Flames and Bruins, Gould had 115 goals and 129 assists for 244 points in 697 regular-season games. He also had 15 goals and 13 assists for 28 points in 78 Stanley Cup Playoff appearances.