The hockey world was saddened to learn about the passing of Dale Hawerchuk. He lost his battle with cancer.
St. Louis Blues fans, and hockey fans all over, were saddened to hear the news of Dale Hawerchuk‘s passing. Hawerchuk passed away at the age of 57 after a battle with stomach cancer.
Hawerchuk was not with the Blues for long, but he still made an impact. He managed to leave a mark on every team he played for up until the end of his playing career.
The Blues signed Hawerchuk just prior to the 1995-96 season. He would go on to score 13 goals and 41 points in 66 games with St. Louis.
Despite having a good amount of playoff experience, Mike Keenan did what Keenan does and traded Hawerchuk away. The Blues got Craig MacTavish in return.
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MacTavish would endear himself to Blues fans due to his instigator style and being the last man to not wear a helmet in the NHL. As a team, the Blues could have benefited from Hawerchuk’s three goals and nine points he had with the Philadelphia Flyers in the playoffs that year. MacTavish had two assists.
As far as being a hockey player, Hawerchuk will be remembered better in Winnipeg and Buffalo. He was the all-time leading scorer of the original Winnipeg Jets prior to them moving to Arizona.
He had 379 goals and 929 points with the Jets. He would add another 110 goals and 385 points with Buffalo.
Hawerchuk had six 100-plus point seasons. He had an additional four 90-plus point seasons.
The Sabres let Hawerchuk go after injury kept his 1994-95 season to 23 games, when the Blues signed him.
Hawerchuk would score a milestone goal with the Blues as he got his 500th. Coincidentally, the Toronto native would score that goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Maple Leaf Garden
He would end his career with the Philadelphia Flyers, whom the Blues traded him to. He would advance to the Stanley Cup Final with the Flyers in 1997, his only trip.
Hawerchuk had gotten into coaching after his career. He was the head coach of the Barrie Colts when he received his diagnosis in September of 2019 and took a leave of absence.
“The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Dale Hawerchuk, an instant and enduring star who captured the hearts of two hockey-loving cities, represented his country with class and distinction, and is one of the most decorated players in our game’s history,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement, reported by Emily Kaplan of ESPN.
The condolences of the staff at Bleedin’ Blue and all Blues fans go out to the Hawerchuk family.