Anyone who thinks pre-season games never matter should have been in Quebec City on Oct. 10, 1977. 1st round draft choice Robert Picard, after signing with the Caps over the summer, had signed a second, higher-paying contract with the WHA Nordiques. Adding kerosene to the controversy, Picard announced, "I'd rather deliver pizzas in Quebec than play for Washington." Soon after the WHA nullified the Nordiques contract, Picard appeared at Le Colisee in Quebec as a member of the Capitals. Knowing how surly the crowd would be about being spurned, Caps teammates teased Picard by avoiding him on the team bus. Sure enough, during warmups, a fan greeted him by throwing a pizza on the ice.
Quebec won the game 4-3 in overtime, before a crowd of more than 12,000. Picard finally wore a Nordiques sweater after they joined the NHL, playing there from 1985-90.