Marcel Dionne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marcel Dionne
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1992
Dionne in 1987
Born	(1951-08-03) August 3, 1951 (age 74) Drummondville, Quebec, Canada
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Right
Played for	Detroit Red Wings Los Angeles Kings New York Rangers
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	2nd overall, 1971 Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	1971–1989
Medal record Representing  Canada Canada Cup Gold 1976 Canada World Championships Bronze 1978 Czechoslovakia Bronze 1983 West Germany Bronze 1986 Soviet Union

Marcel Elphège Dionne (born August 3, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a centre for 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Marcel played for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, and New York Rangers from 1971 to 1989.

He was an amazing scorer, winning the Art Ross Trophy in 1979–80 as the NHL's top scorer. Marcel scored 50 goals or more in a season six times. He also reached 100 points or more in a season eight times during his career. Dionne played for the Canadian national team in two Canada Cup tournaments and three World Championships. He was welcomed into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992. In 2017, Marcel Dionne was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' of all time.

Early Life and Hockey Start

Marcel Dionne was born on August 3, 1951, in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada. He was the oldest of eight children. His family worked hard, and his extended family helped pay for his hockey gear. Marcel also played baseball as a kid. However, he decided to focus only on hockey.

Playing in Youth Tournaments

Dionne played in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament in 1962, 1963, and 1964. He became very well-known among hockey fans and teams. People would even put money in his gloves! The Montreal Canadiens sent a letter to his parents, telling them to "take special care of young Marcel." Because he was short, he was nicknamed "little beaver." At 14, he was the top player at a big tournament in 1966. He scored 21 points in just four games.

Joining the Junior League

While playing for the Drummondville Rangers, scouts from the St. Catharines Black Hawks noticed Marcel. He decided to move to St. Catharines in 1968 to play in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and learn English. This caused some upset in his hometown. To make the move possible, his parents pretended to separate. Marcel moved to St. Catharines with his mother and some siblings.

He was allowed to play in the OHA after a special vote. One reason was that Marcel was already in Grade 13, which was not available in Quebec. He played his first OHA game on October 18, 1968. In his first season, he scored 37 goals and 63 assists for 100 points. This set a new record for a rookie, and he won the Rookie of the Year award.

In his second season (1969–70), Marcel won the OHA scoring title. He had 55 goals and 77 assists for 132 points. He was named to the OHA's Second All-Star Team. In his final junior season (1970–71), he became team captain. He scored 62 goals and 81 assists, even though he missed 14 games.

During the 1971 Richardson Cup finals, Marcel's team bus was attacked by a crowd. Bottles were thrown at the bus. Because of this, the next game was played in a different city. His team then gave up the rest of the series due to safety worries.

Marcel Dionne was picked second overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1971 NHL amateur draft.

Professional Hockey Career

Playing for the Detroit Red Wings (1971–1975)

After being drafted, Marcel Dionne signed a record-breaking contract with the Red Wings. He made his NHL debut on October 9, 1971. His first NHL goal came on October 16, 1971. He quickly became a key player for the Red Wings. By January, he was playing on the power-play and penalty kill units.

On March 19, 1972, Marcel scored his first NHL hat-trick (three goals in one game). He then set a new NHL record for most points by a rookie. He finished his first season as the Red Wings' top scorer with 28 goals and 49 assists. He was also third in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie.

In his second season (1972–73), Marcel had some disagreements with the team's management. Despite this, he continued to score. He had his second career hat-trick on February 22, 1973. He finished the season with 90 points. His 167 career points were the most ever by an NHL player in their first two seasons.

For the 1974–75 season, Marcel was named captain of the Red Wings. He was only 23 years old, making him one of the youngest captains in the NHL. He had a great season, leading the league with 12 points in his first five games. He finished the season third in league scoring. He also became the first NHL player to score 10 short-handed goals in one season. Marcel won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1975 for being a very gentlemanly player. He had only 14 penalty minutes all season.

Time with the Los Angeles Kings (1975–1987)

As a free agent, Marcel Dionne had many offers from different teams. He chose to sign a big contract with the Los Angeles Kings. To get him, the Kings traded players and draft picks to the Red Wings. When he arrived in Los Angeles, his coach had him work on losing weight.

Marcel Dionne at Joe Louis Arena in 2008.

Marcel quickly became a star for the Kings. In his first season (1975–76), he scored five goals and six assists in his first six games. By the end of October, he had a goal streak of eight games. He set a Kings record with 11 shots on goal in one game. On March 27, 1976, he tied the Kings' record for most goals in a season. He then broke it with his 38th goal on March 31. He finished the season with 40 goals and 54 assists. In the playoffs, he scored his first two postseason goals in Game 2 against the Boston Bruins. He then scored a hat-trick in Game 3.

In the summer of 1976, Marcel played for Team Canada in the first 1976 Canada Cup. He played as a right winger, which was a new position for him. His Kings coach liked him in this role and kept him there for the 1976–77 season. Marcel and his linemates became one of the highest-scoring lines in the league. He finished the season with a career-high 53 goals and 69 assists for 122 points. He was the first Kings player to be named to the NHL All-Star team. He also won his second Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

Marcel Dionne with Team Canada in 1979.

In the 1978–79 season, Marcel had the best start to his career. He scored five goals and 16 points in his first 10 games. On January 13, 1979, coach Bob Berry put Marcel on a line with Charlie Simmer and Dave Taylor. This trio became known as the "Triple Crown Line" because of their amazing scoring. In their first game together, Marcel scored four goals, reaching his 300th career NHL goal.

Before the 1980–81 season, Marcel signed a big six-year contract with the Kings. On January 7, 1981, he became the fastest NHL player to reach 1,000 points. He did it in 740 games, which was 83 games faster than the previous record holder. On December 7, 1985, Marcel scored his 500th goal for the Kings.

Marcel Dionne was traded to the New York Rangers on March 10, 1987, after he asked for a trade.

Time with the New York Rangers (1987–1989)

Marcel played his last two and a half seasons with the Rangers. In February 1989, he asked to be sent to the Rangers' minor league team to get back into shape. He was later cut from the Rangers' training camp roster before the 1989–90 season.

Life After Hockey

In January 2004, Marcel Dionne was honored on a Canadian postage stamp. He was one of six NHL All-Stars featured in a special collection.

After retiring from hockey, Marcel became a successful businessman. He owned a diner, ran a sports memorabilia store, and bought and sold real estate.

Marcel Dionne was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992. In 1998, The Hockey News ranked him number 38 on their list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players. He was the highest-ranked player who had not won a Stanley Cup at that time.

The arena in his hometown of Drummondville was renamed Centre Marcel-Dionne in his honor in 1980. Marcel also helped promote hockey in new areas. Before the 1993–94 season, he helped create interest in a new team, the South Carolina Stingrays. He even gave an on-ice demonstration of hockey rules to the audience.

Family Life

Marcel Dionne married Carol Gaudet in April 1974. They have three children: two sons and one daughter. After he retired, the Dionnes settled in Buffalo. His sons, Drew and Garrett, played junior hockey.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

International Play

Awards and Special Recognitions

OHA Awards

• 2× Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy winner – 1969–70, 1970–71 (for being the top scorer)
• OHA Second All-Star Team – 1969–70
• OHA First All-Star Team – 1970–71

NHL Awards

• 2× Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner – 1974–75, 1976–77 (for sportsmanship and skill)
• 2× Lester B. Pearson Award winner – 1978–79, 1979–80 (voted best player by his peers)
• Art Ross Trophy winner – 1979–80 (for leading the league in points)
• 8× NHL All-Star – 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1985
• 2× NHL First Team All-Star – 1976–77, 1979–80
• 2× NHL Second Team All-Star – 1978–79, 1980–81
• Named best forward at the Ice Hockey World Championships – 1978
• Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame – 1992

See also

In Spanish: Marcel Dionne para niños

• List of NHL statistical leaders
• Notable families in the NHL
• List of NHL players with 1,000 points
• List of NHL players with 500 goals