Dave Poulin

Dave Poulin
Born	(1958-12-17) December 17, 1958 Timmins, ON, CAN
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Rögle Bandyklubb Philadelphia Flyers Boston Bruins Washington Capitals
NHL draft	Undrafted
Playing career	1982–1995

David James Poulin (born December 17, 1958) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals.

Playing career

Poulin began his hockey career with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the University of Notre Dame. He played with the Fighting Irish from 1978–1982 and he was named to the Second All-Star Team in 1982. His small size got him overlooked in the NHL Entry Draft so instead he went to Sweden to play for Rögle BK. Poulin's head coach was Ted Sator, who was also a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League. Sator was impressed with Poulin's abilities and called for him to be put on board the Flyers' roster. In 1982-83, he began his NHL debut and played in two games scoring two points. Next season, Poulin was put on a line with superstar Brian Propp and Tim Kerr. The line became a dangerous offensive line in the NHL and he went on to set a record for most points by a Flyers rookie with 76 points. Poulin qiuckly established himself as a strong leader and a player that could play at both ends of the ice. This earned him the team's captaincy in 1983-84 replacing Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke. He continued to be a strong presence offensively and defensively during his eight year stay in Philadelphia. Poulin led the team all the way to the Stanley Cup Final where they lost to the Edmonton Oilers in seven games in 1986-87. He was awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 1986-87 and was named to the 1986 and 1988 NHL All-Star Games. Poulin also played at the Rendez-vous '87 event where he had a goal and an assist.

By 1989-90, Poulin's play was deteriorating and he was traded to the Boston Bruins for Ken Linseman. In his first season with the Bruins, Poulin and the Bruins made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers. Poulin could not beat the Oilers again and the Bruins lost in six games. He stayed with the team for three more years which saw him win the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1992-93. He left the team as a free agent in 1992-93 and signed on with the Washington Capitals. Poulin lasted another season and a half before retiring.

Post-playing career

Poulin spent 10 years as head hockey coach at his alma mater, the University of Notre Dame. In 2004, Poulin was inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame. On July 23, 2009, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke introduced Poulin as the club's new Vice-President of Hockey Operations.

Awards and achievements

• Selected to the CCHA Second All-Star Team in 1982.
• Played in 1986, 1988 NHL All-Star Games.
• Frank J. Selke Trophy winner in 1987.
• King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner in 1993.
• Inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame on February 23, 2004.
• Holds Philadelphia Flyers record for most points in a season by a rookie (76).

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1977–78	Dixie Beehives	OHA-B		34	28	31	59	59		—	—	—	—	—
1978–79	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	WCHA		37	28	31	59	32		—	—	—	—	—
1979–80	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	WCHA		24	19	24	43	46		—	—	—	—	—
1980–81	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	WCHA		35	13	22	35	53		—	—	—	—	—
1981–82	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	CCHA		39	29	30	59	44		—	—	—	—	—
1982–83	Rögle BK	Swe-2		32	35	27	62	64		—	—	—	—	—
1982–83	Maine Mariners	AHL		16	7	9	16	2		—	—	—	—	—
1982–83	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		2	2	0	2	2		3	1	3	4	9
1983–84	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		73	31	45	76	47		3	0	0	0	2
1984–85	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		73	30	44	74	59		11	3	5	8	6
1985–86	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		79	27	42	69	49		5	2	0	2	2
1986–87	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		75	25	45	70	53		15	3	3	6	14
1987–88	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		68	19	32	51	32		7	2	6	8	4
1988–89	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		69	18	17	35	49		19	6	5	11	16
1989–90	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		28	9	8	17	12		—	—	—	—	—
1989–90	Boston Bruins	NHL		32	6	19	25	12		18	8	5	13	8
1990–91	Boston Bruins	NHL		31	8	12	20	25		16	0	9	9	20
1991–92	Boston Bruins	NHL		18	4	4	8	18		15	3	3	6	22
1992–93	Boston Bruins	NHL		84	16	33	49	62		4	1	1	2	10
1993–94	Washington Capitals	NHL		63	6	19	25	52		11	2	2	4	19
1994–95	Washington Capitals	NHL		29	4	5	9	10		2	0	0	0	0
NHL totals				724	205	325	530	482		129	31	42	73	132

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1987	NHL All-Stars	RV-87		2	1	1	2	0
Senior int'l totals				2	1	1	2	0

All-Star Games

Year	Location		G	A	P
1986	Hartford		0	0	0
1988	St. Louis		0	0	0
All-Star totals			0	0	0

References

• Meltzer, Bill Flyers Heroes of the Past: Dave Poulin at PhiladelphiaFlyers.com

External links

• Dave Poulin to be Inducted Into Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame, 23 Feb 2004
• Dave Poulin career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Dave Poulin at Hockey-Reference.com
• Dave Poulin biography at Legends of Hockey (archived)
• Dave Poulin player profile at NHL.com