Dale Hawerchuk

Dale Hawerchuk (born April 4, 1963 in Toronto, Ontario; died August 18, 2020 in Barrie, Ontario) was a retired professional player. In 2001, he was elected as an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility.

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." Beginning competitive hockey at age four, Hawerchuk demonstrated superior skills almost immediately. At a Peewee tournament in Montreal, 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 didn't 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 season, 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 future Hall of Famers Ron Francis and Grant Fuhr. 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 (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 (Keith Tkachuk). Over the next five years he recorded no fewer than 86 points (except 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 12 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. 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 second-most famous goal and tied up with the Russian player who tried to check Mario Lemieux at centre ice, allowing Lemieux to take Gretzky's pass in the slot for the series winner. He 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 Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey. He retired with 518 goals, 891 assists and 1,409 points, placing him 17th on the career NHL points list. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.

Illness and death
In 2019, Hawerchuk announced he would be taking a leave of absence from the Colts for health reasons, which was later revealed to be stomach cancer. Hawerchuk initially beat the disease in April 2020, but died on August 18, 2020 following a recurrence of cancer. He was 57 years old.

Miscellaneous

 * 4th youngest player to score 100 Goals- 20 years, 264 days (behind Wayne Gretzky, Jimmy Carson & Brian Bellows)
 * 3rd youngest player to score 200 Goals- 22 years, 267 days (behind Wayne Gretzky & Mario Lemieux)
 * 3rd youngest player to score 300 Goals- 24 years, 308 days (behind Wayne Gretzky, & Mario Lemieux)
 * 6th youngest player to score 400 Goals- 27 years, 315 days (behind Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Mike Bossy, Steve Yzerman & Michel Goulet)
 * Was the youngest player in NHL history to score 100 Points- 18 years, 355 days, surpassed by Sidney Crosby (18 years, 253 days)
 * 7th youngest player to score 200 NHL points- 20 years, 206 days (behind Sidney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky, Jimmy Carson, Mario Lemieux, Pierre Turgeon & Brian Bellows)
 * 6th youngest player to score 300 NHL points - 21 years, 199 days (behind Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux, Jimmy Carson, & Pierre Turgeon)
 * 2nd youngest player to score 400 NHL points - 21 years, 334 days (behind Wayne Gretzky)
 * 4th youngest player to score 500 NHL points - 22 years, 317 days (behind Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux & Sidney Crosby)
 * 3rd youngest player to score 600 NHL points - 23 years, 304 days (behind Wayne Gretzky & Mario Lemieux)
 * 3rd youngest player to score 700 NHL points - 24 years, 288 days (behind Wayne Gretzky & Mario Lemieux)
 * 3rd youngest player to score 800 NHL points - 25 years, 271 days (behind Wayne Gretzky & Mario Lemieux)
 * 3rd youngest player to score 900 NHL points - 26 years, 302 days (behind Wayne Gretzky & Mario Lemieux)
 * 4th youngest player to score 1000 NHL points - 27 years, 338 days (behind Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux & Steve Yzerman)
 * 4th youngest player to score 1100 NHL points - 28 years, 346 days (behind Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux & Steve Yzerman)
 * 3rd youngest player to score 1200 NHL points - 29 years, 352 days (behind Wayne Gretzky & Mario Lemieux )
 * 4th youngest player to score 1300 NHL points - 31 years, 293 days (behind Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux & Steve Yzerman)
 * 5th youngest player to score 1400 NHL points - 33 years, 269 days (behind Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman & Marcel Dionne)

Awards & achievements

 * Rookie-of-the-Year (QMJHL) Winner (1980)
 * Playoff MVP (QMJHL) (1980)
 * QMJHL Championships (1980 & 1981)
 * Memorial Cup Championships (1980 & 1981)
 * Memorial Cup All-Star First Team (1980 & 1981)
 * QMJHL Scoring Champion (1981)
 * QMJHL First Team All-Star (1981)
 * QMJHL Player of Year (1981)
 * QMJHL MVP (1981)
 * Memorial Cup MVP (1981)
 * Canadian Major-Junior Player of Year (1981)
 * Played in NHL All-Star game 5 Times
 * Calder Memorial Trophy Winner (1982)
 * World Championships Bronze Medalists (1982 & 1986)
 * World Championships Silver Medalist (1989)
 * NHL Second Team All-Star Centre (1985)
 * Canada Cup Championships (1987 & 1991)
 * Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001
 * “Honoured Member” of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame