Dale McCourt

Dale McCourt
Born January 26, 1957
Falconbridge, ON, CAN
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Right
Played for Detroit Red Wings
Buffalo Sabres
Toronto Maple Leafs
HC Ambrì-Piotta
National team  Canada
NHL Draft 1st overall, 1977
Detroit Red Wings
WHA Draft 35th overall, 1977
Indianapolis Racers
Playing career 19771991

Dale Allen McCourt (born January 26, 1957) is a former NHL ice hockey forward. Dale began his junior hockey career with the Hamilton Red Wings in 1972–73. Two years later he was the team captain of the 1976 Memorial Cup champion Hamilton Fincups. In 1977 he led the team to the Hamilton Spectator Trophy. He was awarded the Red Tilson Trophy as Most Outstanding Player in the OHA, and voted CHL Player of the Year for his efforts. Dale was also awarded the William Hanley Trophy as the OHA's Most Sportsmanlike Player two consecutive years (1975–76, 1976–77). In the 1977 World Junior Hockey Championships McCourt scored 18 points, a Canadian record he shares with Brayden Schenn and one point more than Eric Lindros and Wayne Gretzky.

He was drafted 1st overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft. When Red Wings general manager Ted Lindsay signed Los Angeles Kings goaltender Rogatien Vachon, an NHL arbitrator ruled that McCourt should be the compensation paid the Kings for Vachon's loss, but McCourt refused to report to the Kings. The matter was resolved and McCourt remained in Detroit. In later seasons, he played for the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He finished his career playing in Switzerland for HC Ambrì-Piotta, where his jersey (number 15) was retired.

McCourt's brother Dan was an NHL linesman during the 1980s and early 1990s, and his uncle is Hockey Hall of Fame member, George Armstrong.

Career statistics

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1972–73Sudbury WolvesOHA26611170
1973–74Sudbury WolvesOHA6920385845
1974–75Hamilton FincupsOMJHL69527412657
1975–76Hamilton FincupsOMJHL66558413919
1976–77St. Catharines FincupsOMJHL66607913926
1977–78Detroit Red WingsNHL763339721074262
1978–79Detroit Red WingsNHL7928437114
1979–80Detroit Red WingsNHL8030518112
1980–81Detroit Red WingsNHL8030568650
1981–82Detroit Red WingsNHL261314276
1981–82Buffalo SabresNHL522022421242350
1982–83Buffalo SabresNHL6220325210103254
1983–84Buffalo SabresNHL51340
1983–84Toronto Maple LeafsNHL7219244310
1984–85Ambri-PiottaNLA26221436
1985–86Ambri-PiottaNLA324217590
1986–87Ambri-PiottaNLA35252853
1987–88Ambri-PiottaNLA35332255
1988–89Ambri-PiottaNLA38422466
1989–90Ambri-PiottaNLA381826440
1990–91Ambri-PiottaNLA351012220
1991–92Ambri-PiottaNLA54152
NHL totals 532 194 284 478 124 21 9 7 16 6

International

Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
1977 Canada WJC 2nd 7 7 11 18 14
1979 Canada WC 4th 7 0 1 1 6
1981 Canada WC 4th 4 1 0 1 2

Awards and honors

References

  1. Collins gem Hockey Facts and Stats 2009–10, p.510, Andrew Podnieks, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, Toronto, Canada, ISBN 978-1-55468-621-6

External links

Preceded by
Fred Williams
Detroit Red Wings first round draft pick
1977
Succeeded by
Willie Huber
Preceded by
Rick Green
NHL first overall draft pick
1977
Succeeded by
Bobby Smith
Preceded by
Peter Lee
CHL Player of the Year
1977
Succeeded by
Bobby Smith
Preceded by
Paul Woods
Detroit Red Wings captain
1979–80
Succeeded by
Errol Thompson
Reed Larson