Dale McCourt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dale McCourt |
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| Born | January 26, 1957 Falconbridge, Ontario, Canada |
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| 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 |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| NHL Draft | 1st overall, 1977 Detroit Red Wings |
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| WHA Draft | 35th overall, 1977 Indianapolis Racers |
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| Playing career | 1977–1991 | ||
Dale Allen McCourt (born January 26, 1957) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a forward, mainly as a centre. Dale played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, and Toronto Maple Leafs from 1977 to 1984. After his time in the NHL, he played for HC Ambrì–Piotta in the top Swiss league, Nationalliga A, from 1985 to 1992. He was chosen as the very first player in the 1977 NHL amateur draft by the Red Wings. Dale also represented the Canadian national team at the 1979 and 1981 World Championships.
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Dale McCourt's Junior Hockey Journey
Dale McCourt started playing major junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). This league is now known as the OHL. When he was just 15 years old, he joined the Sudbury Wolves for part of the 1972–73 OHA season.
Becoming a Champion in Junior Hockey
In the 1973–74 OHA season, Dale joined the Hamilton Red Wings. He quickly became a leader. By the time the team was renamed the Hamilton Fincups, he was their captain. In the 1975–76 OMJHL season, his team won the OMJHL Championship. They then went on to win the national 1976 Memorial Cup championship. This is a huge achievement in Canadian junior hockey.
Awards and Records in Junior Hockey
In the 1976–77 OMJHL season, McCourt led the St. Catharines Fincups to win the OMJHL Regular Season Championship. That year, he received the Red Tilson Trophy as the league's Most Outstanding Player. He was also named the nationwide CHL Player of the Year. Dale also won the William Hanley Trophy twice. This award is for the OMJHL's Most Sportsmanlike Player. He won it in both 1975–76 and 1976–77.
Dale also set a Canadian record at the 1977 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He scored 18 points, a record he shares with Brayden Schenn. This was even one point more than hockey legends Eric Lindros and Wayne Gretzky scored in their World Junior tournaments.
His amazing junior career led to him being drafted 1st overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1977 NHL amateur draft. He made a great start in the NHL, scoring 33 goals in his first year with the team.
Dale McCourt's Professional Career
Dale McCourt quickly made an impact in the NHL. In his rookie season (1977-78), he was the top scorer for the Red Wings. He finished second in rookie scoring across the entire NHL that year. Only Calder Memorial Trophy winner Mike Bossy scored more points as a rookie.
A Big Challenge: The Trade Dispute
Before the 1978–79 season, something unusual happened. The Red Wings signed a goalie from the Los Angeles Kings. This goalie was a "restricted free agent." This meant the Kings were owed something in return. An NHL decision said that Dale McCourt should be sent to the Kings as compensation.
However, Dale did not want to go to Los Angeles. He decided to take legal action to stay with the Red Wings. This was a very important case in sports. It was one of the first times a player challenged the rules about trades. While the case was ongoing, Dale continued to play for the Red Wings. He finished the season as the team's second-highest scorer. Eventually, the issue was resolved, and Dale remained in Detroit. This event helped change how player trades and rights were handled in professional sports.
Moving Teams and Playing Abroad
Dale continued to be a top scorer for the Red Wings in his third (1979–80) and fourth (1980–81) seasons. Even though he was scoring many points, the team decided to trade him. In December 1981, he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres.
He played with Buffalo for a while. Then, in October 1983, the Toronto Maple Leafs picked him up. Dale finished his NHL career at the end of the 1983–84 NHL season. He played 532 games in the NHL and scored 478 points.
After his NHL career, Dale McCourt moved to Switzerland. He played eight seasons for HC Ambrì-Piotta in the top Swiss league. His impact on the team was so great that HC Ambrì-Piotta retired his number 15 jersey. This means no other player on that team will wear number 15.
A Hockey Family Connection
Dale McCourt comes from a family with strong hockey ties. His brother, Dan McCourt, was an NHL linesman. A linesman is an official who helps call offsides and icing in a hockey game.
Dale's uncle is Hockey Hall of Fame member George Armstrong. George Armstrong was also a very famous hockey player. He won the Red Tilson Trophy twice, just like Dale did. George won the Memorial Cup championship as a coach in 1973 and 1975. Dale won the same championship as a player in 1976. It's clear that hockey talent runs in their family!
Career Statistics
Regular Season and Playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1972–73 | Welland Sabres | SOJHL | 34 | 35 | 28 | 63 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972–73 | Sudbury Wolves | OHA | 26 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1973–74 | Hamilton Red Wings | OHA | 69 | 20 | 38 | 58 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Hamilton Fincups | OMJHL | 69 | 52 | 74 | 126 | 57 | 17 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 0 | ||
| 1975–76 | Hamilton Fincups | OMJHL | 66 | 55 | 84 | 139 | 19 | 14 | 20 | 8 | 28 | 12 | ||
| 1975–76 | Hamilton Fincups | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1976–77 | St. Catharines Fincups | OMJHL | 66 | 60 | 79 | 139 | 26 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 6 | ||
| 1977–78 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 76 | 33 | 39 | 72 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 1978–79 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 79 | 28 | 43 | 71 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 80 | 30 | 51 | 81 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 80 | 30 | 56 | 86 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 26 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 52 | 20 | 22 | 42 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1982–83 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 62 | 20 | 32 | 52 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 1983–84 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 72 | 19 | 24 | 43 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | HC Ambrì–Piotta | NLB | 40 | 33 | 26 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1985–86 | HC Ambrì–Piotta | NDA | 32 | 42 | 17 | 59 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | HC Ambrì–Piotta | NDA | 36 | 25 | 28 | 53 | 42 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 20 | ||
| 1987–88 | HC Ambrì–Piotta | NDA | 36 | 29 | 20 | 49 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 4 | ||
| 1988–89 | HC Ambrì–Piotta | NDA | 36 | 41 | 24 | 65 | 39 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1989–90 | HC Ambrì–Piotta | NDA | 28 | 18 | 26 | 44 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1990–91 | HC Ambrì–Piotta | NDA | 35 | 19 | 14 | 33 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | HC Ambrì–Piotta | NDA | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NDA totals | 208 | 178 | 130 | 308 | 211 | 19 | 12 | 12 | 24 | 24 | ||||
| NHL totals | 532 | 194 | 284 | 478 | 124 | 21 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 6 | ||||
International Play
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Canada | WJC | 7 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 14 | |
| 1979 | Canada | WC | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 1981 | Canada | WC | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 7 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 14 | |||
| Senior totals | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |||
Awards and Honours
- Directorate Award, Best Forward, 1977 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
