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Dale Hawerchuk

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For the band, see Les Dales Hawerchuk.

Dale Hawerchuk
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2001
Hawerchuk in 2008
Born (1963-04-04)April 4, 1963
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died August 18, 2020(2020-08-18) (aged 57)
Barrie, Ontario, Canada[1]
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Winnipeg Jets
Buffalo Sabres
St. Louis Blues
Philadelphia Flyers
National team  Canada
NHL draft 1st overall, 1981
Winnipeg Jets
Playing career 1981–1997

Dale Martin Hawerchuk (April 4, 1963 – August 18, 2020) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Drafted first overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, Hawerchuk played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 16 seasons as a member of the Jets, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers. He won the NHL's Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's Rookie of the Year in 1982 and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility in 2001. Hawerchuk served as the head coach of the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League from 2010 to 2019.

Playing career

Hawerchuk was a young prodigy who received his first pair of skates at age two and, according to his father, "was skating before he could walk."[citation needed] Beginning competitive hockey at age four, Hawerchuk demonstrated superior skills almost immediately. At the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, he scored all eight goals during an 8–1 victory in the finals, smashing the long-standing record set by the legendary Guy Lafleur. By age 15, the famed Oshawa Generals offered him a tryout, though he did not make the team. In 1979, Hawerchuk was selected 6th overall by the Cornwall Royals of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and became somewhat of a rarity; a Toronto-born player starring in the QMJHL. He recorded 103 points and was named Rookie of the Year. Hawerchuk was the playoff MVP and led the Royals to the Memorial Cup championship. In his second junior year, he scored 81 goals and 183 points and led the Royals to their second consecutive Memorial Cup title. He was named a QMJHL First Team All-Star, the Canadian Major Junior Player of the Year, and Memorial Cup MVP.

The Winnipeg Jets selected Hawerchuk first overall in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, ahead of fellow future Hall of Famers Ron Francis, Grant Fuhr, and Chris Chelios. Hawerchuk immediately became Winnipeg's star attraction, leading the Jets to what was at the time the largest single season turn-around in NHL history, a 48-point improvement. He became the youngest NHL player in history to reach 100 points (a record since broken by Sidney Crosby in 2006), finishing with 103, and winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year. He also played in that season's All-Star Game. Hawerchuk recorded 91 points in his second season, then hit the 100-plus point plateau for the next five consecutive years, including a career-high 53 goals and 130 points in 1984–85.

During the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, Hawerchuk was involved in a blockbuster trade. Along with Winnipeg's 1st round choice (14th overall pick, Brad May) in the draft, he was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Phil Housley, Scott Arniel, Jeff Parker and Buffalo's 1st round choice (19th overall pick, Keith Tkachuk). Over the next four years he recorded no fewer than 86 points. His point totals fell off during an injury plagued and lockout shortened 1994–95 season. In 1995, he signed with the St. Louis Blues, recording 41 points in 66 games before a trade to the Philadelphia Flyers in March, 1996. He finished the season strongly, scoring 20 points in the season's final 16 games and adding 9 points in the playoffs. The next season, he was plagued by injuries but managed 34 points and played in his fifth All-Star Game. Hawerchuk announced his retirement from the game following the 1996–97 season at age 34 due to a degenerative left hip.[2] His appearance with the Flyers in the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals marked the only time any of his teams advanced past the second round of the playoffs.

He played for Team Canada in the 1987 Canada Cup tournament, and had a goal and two assists in the decisive third game of the Finals against the Soviets. Late in the third period, he won the face-off that led to Canada's most famous goal and tied up with the Russian player who tried to check Mario Lemieux at centre ice, allowing Lemieux to take Wayne Gretzky's pass in the slot for the series winner. Hawerchuk was named Canada's MVP for that decisive game. Commentators remarked on his ability in the series to switch from being a goal scorer to a mucker and grinder. Hawerchuk was also key to Canada's 1991 Canada Cup victory.

In a poll of NHL general managers during the mid-1980s asking them to select the player they would start a franchise with, Hawerchuk was voted third behind only Gretzky and Paul Coffey. He retired with 518 goals, 891 assists and 1,409 points, placing him 18th on the career NHL points list. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.

The Phoenix Coyotes (successor to the Jets) retired Hawerchuk's No. 10 during the 2006–07 NHL season.

Post-playing career

Hawerchuk became the president, director of hockey operations, and primary owner of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League's Orangeville Crushers in 2007. He left this position in 2010.

On June 4, 2010, the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League named Hawerchuk as their head coach and director of hockey operations.[3] The 2010–11 season was a rebuilding one for the Colts, as the team went 15–49–2–2, missing the playoffs for the first time in team history. In his sophomore year, the 2011–12 season, Hawerchuk amassed a record of 40–23–3–2; a significant improvement over his rookie season as bench boss of the Colts.[4]

Personal life

Hawerchuk was born in Toronto, Ontario, but grew up in Oshawa, Ontario. He was married to Crystal, whom he met in Manitoba while playing for the Jets. The couple had three children.[5]

Hawerchuck's son Ben Hawerchuk plays professional hockey as a forward for the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL. Ben had previously played for the Barrie Colts.[6]

Illness and death

In 2019, Hawerchuk announced he would be taking a leave of absence from the Colts for health reasons,[7] which was later revealed to be stomach cancer. Hawerchuk completed a course of chemotherapy in April 2020, but died on August 18, 2020 at the age of 57.[5] He was buried in Thornton Cemetery in Oshawa.

Awards and achievements

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1978–79 Oshawa Legionnaires MetJHL 36 32 52 84 — — — — — —
1979–80 Cornwall Royals QMJHL 72 37 66 103 21 18 20 25 45 0
1979–80 Cornwall Royals M-Cup — — — — — 5 1 5 6 0
1980–81 Cornwall Royals QMJHL 72 81 102 183 69 19 15 20 35 8
1980–81 Cornwall Royals M-Cup — — — — — 5 8 4 12 4
1981–82 Winnipeg Jets NHL 80 45 58 103 47 4 1 7 8 5
1982–83 Winnipeg Jets NHL 79 40 51 91 31 3 1 4 5 8
1983–84 Winnipeg Jets NHL 80 37 65 102 73 3 1 1 2 0
1984–85 Winnipeg Jets NHL 80 53 77 130 74 3 2 1 3 4
1985–86 Winnipeg Jets NHL 80 46 59 105 44 3 0 3 3 0
1986–87 Winnipeg Jets NHL 80 47 53 100 52 10 5 8 13 4
1987–88 Winnipeg Jets NHL 80 44 77 121 59 5 3 4 7 16
1988–89 Winnipeg Jets NHL 75 41 55 96 28 — — — — —
1989–90 Winnipeg Jets NHL 79 26 55 81 70 7 3 5 8 2
1990–91 Buffalo Sabres NHL 80 31 58 89 32 6 2 4 6 10
1991–92 Buffalo Sabres NHL 77 23 75 98 27 7 2 5 7 0
1992–93 Buffalo Sabres NHL 81 16 80 96 52 8 5 9 14 2
1993–94 Buffalo Sabres NHL 81 35 51 86 91 7 0 7 7 4
1994–95 Buffalo Sabres NHL 23 5 11 16 2 2 0 0 0 0
1995–96 St. Louis Blues NHL 66 13 28 41 22 — — — — —
1995–96 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 16 4 16 20 4 12 3 6 9 12
1996–97 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 51 12 22 34 32 17 2 5 7 0
NHL totals 1,188 518 891 1,409 740 97 30 69 99 67

International

Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM
1981 Canada WJC 5 5 4 9 2
1982 Canada WC 10 3 1 4 0
1986 Canada WC 8 2 4 6 4
1987 NHL All-Stars RV-87 2 0 1 1 2
1987 Canada CC 9 4 2 6 0
1989 Canada WC 10 4 8 12 6
1991 Canada CC 8 2 3 5 0
Junior totals 5 5 4 9 2
Senior totals 47 15 19 34 12

Coaching record

Team Year Regular season Post season
G W L OTL Pts Finish Result
Barrie Colts 2010–11 68 15 49 4 34 5th in Central Missed playoffs
Barrie Colts 2011–12 68 40 23 5 85 2nd in Central Lost in 2nd round (OTT)
Barrie Colts 2012–13 68 44 20 4 92 1st in Central Lost in final round (LDN)
Barrie Colts 2013-14 68 37 28 3 77 2nd in Central Lost in 2nd round (NBB)
Barrie Colts 2014-15 68 41 24 3 85 1st in Central Lost in 2nd round (NBB)
Barrie Colts 2015-16 68 43 22 3 89 1st in Central Lost in 3rd round (NIA)
Barrie Colts 2016-17 68 17 44 7 41 5th in Central Missed playoffs
Barrie Colts 2017-18 68 42 21 5 89 1st in Central Lost in 2nd Round (KGN)
Barrie Colts 2018-19 68 26 38 4 56 5th in Central Missed playoffs

See also

References

  1. ^ "Dale Hawerchuk dies at 57 following cancer battle" Kim Phillips CTV News August 18, 2020
  2. ^ Panaccio, Tim (August 26, 1997). "Hip Injury Forces Hawerchuk To Retire". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  3. ^ "Hawerchuk hired to coach OHL Colts - CBC Sports". CBC. June 5, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  4. ^ "LS Season". Archived from the original on March 26, 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Dale Hawerchuk dies after battle with cancer". CTV News. August 18, 2020.
  6. ^ "Ben Hawerchuk". Elite Prospects. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  7. ^ "Barrie Colts Hire Warren Rychel as Head Coach". OurSports Central. September 9, 2019.
  8. ^ "JEANNERET AND HAWERCHUK HEADED TO SABRES HALL OF FAME". NHL.com. August 31, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
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