Longtime Capitals color commentator Craig Laughlin is set to get another feather in his cap. The Washington Nationals announced Tuesday that Laughlin will join the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2025.
Laughlin made his first contributions to DC hockey on the ice, playing for the Capitals between 1982 and 1988. A fan favorite in Washington, he was a member of the first Capitals team to make the playoffs in 1982-83.
Since hanging up his skates, Laughlin has become a beloved member of the Capitals’ broadcast team. He began his television career as an analyst in 1990 before forming an iconic duo with play-by-play announcer Joe Beninati in 1996. Now with Monumental Sports Network, the pair will celebrate their 30th anniversary as broadcast partners in 2026.
Laughlin and his wife, Linda, also lead the Laughlin Family Foundation, which seeks to spread awareness and raise funds to fight rare cancers.
The Capitals community rallied behind Laughlin last season as he took time off to undergo open heart surgery. After a successful operation, Laughlin made an emotional return to the broadcast booth in March and was able to call Alex Ovechkin’s record-breaking 895th goal on April 6 against the New York Islanders.
Other members of this year’s DC Sports Hall of Fame class include Washington Mystics All-Star Alana Beard, radio voice of Georgetown University men’s basketball Rich Chvotkin, basketball player and coach Johnny Dawkins, Olympic gold medalist Mia Hamm, former George Mason University men’s basketball head coach Jim Larrañaga, and NBA All-Star Alonzo Mourning. Washington’s Super Bowl XXVI-winning roster will also be honored as the 2025 Team of Distinction.
Laughlin and the rest of the Class of 2025 will be formally inducted at 12:30 on August 3 before the Nationals-Milwaukee Brewers game at Nationals Park.
