Dale Hawerchuk, one of the greatest Winnipeg Jets players of all-time, has passed away at the age of 57 of stomach cancer according to Elisha Dacey of Global News. A native of Toronto, Ontario, Hawerchuk its the all-time leader of the Winnipeg Jets/Arizona Coyotes in hat tricks with 12, and second all-time in points (929).
Hawerchuk was the first overall pick in the 1981 National Hockey League Entry Draft and played for the Jets from 1981 to 1990. In his rookie season in 1981-82, Hawerchuk won the Calder Trophy as he had 45 goals and 58 assists for 103 points. In six of seven seasons with the Jets from 1981 to 1988, Hawerchuk reached the 100-point plateau. His finest season came in 1984-85, when he had career highs in goals (53), points (130), plus/minus (+20), and shooting percentage (18.9%).
In 1188 games with the Jets, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues from 1981 to 1997, Hawerchuk had 518 goals and 891 assists for 1409 points. He was a -98 with 740 penalty minutes, 568 power play points, 23 shorthanded points, 49 game winning goals, and 3754 shots on goal. He is 20th all-time in NHL points.
In the postseason, Hawerchuk had 30 goals and 69 assists for 99 points in 97 games. He was a -21 with 65 penalty minutes, 14 power play goals, two game winning goals, and 298 shots on goal.
Hawerchuk was an all-star on five occasions (four times with the Jets in 1982, 1985, 1986, 1988, and once with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1997). He was also the Jets captain from 1984 to 1990.
As a junior hockey player, Hawerchuk won back-to-back Memorial Cup titles with the Cornwall Royals in 1980 and 1981. In his final season of junior hockey, Hawerchuk was the 1981 Canadian Hockey League Player of the Year. On the international scene, Hawerchuk won gold medals for Canada at the 1987 and 1991 Canada Cups. In 2001, Hawerchuk was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Over the last decade, Hawerchuk was the head coach of the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League.
