Winnipeg Jets: Remembering the legacy of Dale Hawerchuk
Winnipeg Jets legend and Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk has died of cancer at the young age of 57.
Terrible news came out Tuesday afternoon, as it was announced that Winnipeg Jets legend Dale Hawerchuk passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. Hawerchuk, who was just 57, was first diagnosed with stomach cancer back in September 2019. He finished his chemotherapy in April, but his son Eric confirmed in July his cancer had returned.
To the surprise of no one, thousands upon thousands of tributes were sent out today from former teammates, opponents, current players, fans, and many, many more. It is very clear from seeing them that while Hawerchuk was a terrific player, he was an even better person.
If you are a fan of the game, you certainly know who Hawerchuk is, despite not playing in the NHL since the 1996-97 season. While he is highly regarded as the best Winnipeg Jets player of all-time, he also had a terrific five seasons with the Buffalo Sabres and also had stints with the St. Louis Blues and the Philadelphia Flyers.
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The Winnipeg Jets certainly couldn’t have asked for a better first overall pick when they selected Hawerchuk from the Cornwall Royals of the QMJHL. That season was his second with the Royals, and it was clear he was miles above the competition, posting a ridiculous 81 goals and 183 points in just 72 games.
While some take time to adjust to the NHL, Hawerchuk was not one of them, putting up 45 goals and 103 points for the Jets that next season, which led the team in scoring. As a result, he won the Calder Trophy as the league’s best rookie.
He had no problem replicating that success in the years to come, cracking the 100-point mark in five of the next six seasons, including career highs of 53 goals and 130 points during the 1984-85 season.
A true testament to just how dominant Hawerchuk was during his Jets career is that he led the team in scoring for each of his nine seasons with the team. He also led the Sabres in scoring for three of his five seasons with the team.
When his career was all said and done after the 1996-97 season, Hawerchuk had amassed 518 goals and 891 assists for 1,409 points in 1,188 regular season games. His 1409 points rank 20th all-time.
Unfortunately, he was never able to win a Stanley Cup. However, that was more so due to his teams’ rosters rather than his play. While his playoff totals weren’t as outstanding as his regular season numbers, they were still fantastic, as he put up 30 goals and 99 points in 97 games.
Hawerchuk’s brilliant career was capped off in 2001 when he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in just his second year of eligibility. Prior to getting sick, he had spent nine seasons coaching the Barrie Colts in the OHL.
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This is an extremely sad day, as the hockey world lost an icon. Hawerchuk is without a doubt one of the greatest players to ever play the game and will be remembered as such for a long, long time. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Hawerchuk family during this extremely difficult time.