Dale Hawerchuk Appreciation Thread

[Jets4Life]

This thread is meant to talk and reminisce about Ducky's time with the Jets. For 9 seasons, he was the face of the franchise, and one of the top ten forwards of the 80s. What is your favorite memory of Ducky?

Personally, my favorite memory is Ducky going on a lone man rush, and beating Bill Ranford with less than 2:00 to go in the 3rd period, to give the Jets a 2-1 series lead in 1990 vs the Oilers. He also has never got the credit he deserves for his role in the 1987 Canada Cup.

To honor him, I will personally be listening to this song tonight:

Click to read more...

 

[Bob E]

I still remember his 6 point night in Toronto on HNIC.

In hindsight the Jets should have done more to surround him with a championship team. Flames loaded up for two runs and a cup during the Oiler reign.

 

[Jets4Life]

I still remember his 6 point night in Toronto on HNIC.

In hindsight the Jets should have done more to surround him with a championship team. Flames loaded up for two runs and a cup during the Oiler reign.

Don't quote me on this, but I have heard that Fergie was go obsessed with beating the Oilers (or at least giving them a run for their money), that he often jumped the gun in trades, and rushed certain prospects up the pipeline. If only we had kept Babych, and drafted better in the mid 80s.

When Mike Smith took over, Ducky was no longer the franchise Golden boy. Hawerchuk has stated numerous times that he would have loved to retire a Jet, but Smith was hell bent on going in another direction.

 

[Jets 31]

Don't quote me on this, but I have heard that Fergie was go obsessed with beating the Oilers (or at least giving them a run for their money), that he often jumped the gun in trades, and rushed certain prospects up the pipeline. If only we had kept Babych, and drafted better in the mid 80s.

When Mike Smith took over, Ducky was no longer the franchise Golden boy. Hawerchuk has stated numerous times that he would have loved to retire a Jet, but Smith was hell bent on going in another direction.

Ya that direction was Russia and it didn't work other than Zamnov and Habby . Mike Smith was a horrible GM , Ducky was a joy to watch though and i consider myself lucky to have grown-up watching him .

 

[Wolf357]

Anyone know if the Hawerchuck banner will be for sale at any of The Jets Stores? Need one for my man cave

 

[BellMTSPlace]

geez TRUE NORTH. You could have allowed Ducky to speak at centre ice. Classless.

 

[sipowicz]

geez TRUE NORTH. You could have allowed Ducky to speak at centre ice. Classless.

Whole presentation was pretty lame, aside from Dale's sweater raising and Ulf and Anders presence.

 

[nobody important]

Whole presentation was pretty lame, aside from Dale's sweater raising and Ulf and Anders presence.

And I thought I read somewhere that Ellett and Babych were going to be at the ceremony. It all looked pretty rushed. As if they didn't get started on time for some reason, and were told to cut it short because the game had to start by 7:xx for TV reasons.

 

[RitzFoods]

Agree about duckys role in the 87 Canada Cup.

The odd man rush that led to Lemieux's winning goal was created by a hook ducky put on the Russian player who would have got back to make it two on two. His name escapes me now. In an interview some years later, maybe it was in his book, I don't recall, Gretz credited ducky for creating that chance, because of the hook!

He was all class and a joy to watch. We just didn't surround him with the right talent.

There's a whole string of dumb moves in Jets 1.0 history but consider the common denominator through it all was Shenkarow.

 

[cbcwpg]

Agree about duckys role in the 87 Canada Cup.

The odd man rush that led to Lemieux's winning goal was created by a hook ducky put on the Russian player who would have got back to make it two on two. His name escapes me now. In an interview some years later, maybe it was in his book, I don't recall, Gretz credited ducky for creating that chance, because of the hook!

He was all class and a joy to watch. We just didn't surround him with the right talent.

There's a whole string of dumb moves in Jets 1.0 history but consider the common denominator through it all was Shenkarow.

Hawerchuk swears and says he will claim until he is dead, that the Russian dove. But in today's NHL, Canada never would have scored that goal. That was a penalty all day long and would be called today.

Regardless of that play, Hawerchuk had a great tourney.

 

[BellMTSPlace]

There is a gala this afternoon and I believe Babych and Ellett will be in attendance. The presentation video was fine. The unveiling was the best part. They should have had given Hawerchuk and a chance to speak at centre ice and not in a luxury suite in the 3rd period.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Don't know where to start on him, he's like the best player to play for and in Winnipeg. Who cares about the resume, he was unreal. If we had the Oilers roster minus Gretzky on our team he'd be probably be known as The Great One.

 

[10Ducky10]

The best player to ever play for the Jets. There are so many fond memories of him in a Jets' uni that I won't pick one. I do remember that if it weren't for Gretzky, Hawerchuk would have been the best player in the league for a few years.

Smith was a joke as GM and he got raped in the Hawerchuk deal...Hawerchuk and a 14th overall for Housley, Arniel and the 19th overall???? Really?

 

[Skidooboy]

I was a kid when he arrived.
He was just everything to us. He was OUR hockey hero. I can't say anything to describe how in awe we were of him.

 

[BellMTSPlace]

The best player to ever play for the Jets. There are so many fond memories of him in a Jets' uni that I won't pick one. I do remember that if it weren't for Gretzky, Hawerchuk would have been the best player in the league for a few years.

Smith was a joke as GM and he got raped in the Hawerchuk deal...Hawerchuk and a 14th overall for Housley, Arniel and the 19th overall???? Really?

It wasn't a bad trade at all. Hawerchuk demanded a trade and when that happens teams usually get the bad end of the deal. Housley was in his prime and we all know how he helped the Jets make the playoffs and helped Teemu Selanne in '92-'93. Arniel was a former Jet who added quite a bit of leadership and skill. And we got Tkachuk out of the draft selection so it worked out very well.

Also what you might not know is Hawerchuk was dealing with lots of back issues which ended his career really 3-4 seasons later, even though he played another 1-2 seasons but just wasn't the same player.

Ending his career in the Stanley Cup Finals.

 

[Gm0ney]

To honor him, I will personally be listening to this song tonight:

THAT should be our goal song!

 

[10Ducky10]

It wasn't a bad trade at all. Hawerchuk demanded a trade and when that happens teams usually get the bad end of the deal. Housley was in his prime and we all know how he helped the Jets make the playoffs and helped Teemu Selanne in '92-'93. Arniel was a former Jet who added quite a bit of leadership and skill. And we got Tkachuk out of the draft selection so it worked out very well.

Also what you might not know is Hawerchuk was dealing with lots of back issues which ended his career really 3-4 seasons later, even though he played another 1-2 seasons but just wasn't the same player.

Ending his career in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Ducky asked for a trade?... where are you getting your info from?
He was an elite center and Smith got hosed in the deal. If Fergie was still GM, Ducky would have had Teemu on his wing. Think about that for a minute.
His point totals with that sore "back" (his hip made him retire) over his first 4 years after the Jets were points totals of 89 98 86 and 96.

 

[cbcwpg]

Ducky asked for a trade?... where are you getting your info from?
He was an elite center and Smith got hosed in the deal. If Fergie was still GM, Ducky would have had Teemu on his wing. Think about that for a minute.
His point totals with that sore "back" (his hip made him retire) over his first 4 years after the Jets were points totals of 89 98 86 and 96.

Top 5 demands to get the heck out of Winnipeg

But in 1990, when Ducky grew tired of Jets general manager Mike Smith, he asked for a trade.

Dale Hawerchuk Q&A: Jets vs. Leafs, solving McDavid, dangers of speed - Sportsnet.ca

So how did it feel to get traded to Buffalo in that 1990 blockbuster?
I was fine with it at that point. It was a different regime. There were a lot of things going on that weren’t the same when Ferguson was there, so it was a good change for me.

Mike Smith (ice hockey, born 1945) - Wikipedia

Smith was largely responsible for forcing Dale Hawerchuk, the Jets franchise player, out of Winnipeg. Years later, Hawerchuk would state "In my era there were two Winnipegs. There was the John Ferguson era, which was positive, upbeat, a really community-driven team. And then the Mike Smith era, which was negative and pessimistic. That ran through the media. I thought I'd be a Winnipeg Jet forever, but at the end Mike pretty much made it impossible for me to really push forward with my career there

***

Ducky wanted out.

 

[LucianoBorsato]

Mike Smith (ice hockey, born 1945) - Wikipedia

Smith was largely responsible for forcing Dale Hawerchuk, the Jets franchise player, out of Winnipeg. Years later, Hawerchuk would state "In my era there were two Winnipegs. There was the John Ferguson era, which was positive, upbeat, a really community-driven team. And then the Mike Smith era, which was negative and pessimistic. That ran through the media. I thought I'd be a Winnipeg Jet forever, but at the end Mike pretty much made it impossible for me to really push forward with my career there

***

Ducky wanted out.

History repeats itself, courtesy of HFBoards

 

[BellMTSPlace]

Selanne would never had Hawerchuk as a centre. Unless Selanne would have jumped into the NHL earlier. Hawerchuk had back problems in the late '80s and during the Canada Cup he was rumored to be out of at least 2 games due to his back which was causing strain on his skating ability.



1990 I think it was February Hawerchuk sat out a period and there was talk he was going to sit out a month. I remember listening to Vic Grant Prime Time Sports and it was such a big issue. The Jets kept him in the lineup but his minutes were down. Then the trade deadline came and I remember the Hawerchuk to Toronto rumors, then the Hawerchuk to Hartford rumors. It was sure fun listening to those shows on CJOB.

The Whalers trade rumors I can't recall but I am quite certain it didn't have any eventual big name players. And no star players going to be traded in return.

The Leaf rumors were always around Al Iafrate.




Hawerchuk played very well the last few weeks in the season and then the playoffs he was terrific.

Once the season ended. Rumors of Hawerchuk to the Leafs started again. Jets were looking for a defenseman. Then somehow that weekend the Jets pulled off the trade with the Sabres w/ Housley being the focal point.

And what was strange. The trade never really upset people because it wasn't a surprise. The Jets were going in a different direction and Hawerchuk didn't want to be part of it.

 

[LucianoBorsato]

I was a kid when he arrived.
He was just everything to us. He was OUR hockey hero. I can't say anything to describe how in awe we were of him.

Hawerchuk made me a Jets fan

 

[HannuJ]

There's a whole string of dumb moves in Jets 1.0 history but consider the common denominator through it all was Shenkarow.

So...you wanted to have a meddling owner?

 

[pictman]

Smith and Shenkarow.I still turn my head and spit when I say those names

 

[pictman]

I loved the hot line,Selanne,Sheif and so on but nobody wowed me like Ducky did.The the guy did stuff that just dropped your jaw.Best Jet ever.

 

[RitzFoods]

No HannuJ. I was not implying I wanted a meddling owner. Truth is though, Shenkarow was. He was a tight-wad all about the bottom line not the game or product on the ice.

That’s just fact. Just as ducky was/is the greatest Jet for now.