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Marcel Dionne

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This article is about the NHL player. For the Quebec politician, see Marcel Dionne (politician).

Marcel Dionne
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1992
Dionne in 1987
Born (1951-08-03) August 3, 1951 (age 73)
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 medal – first place 1976 Canada
Silver medal – second place 1981 Canada
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1978 Czechoslovakia
Bronze medal – third place 1983 West Germany
Bronze medal – third place 1986 Soviet Union

Marcel Elphège Dionne (born August 3, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers between 1971 and 1989. A prolific scorer, he won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer in 1979–80, and recorded 50 goals or more in a season six times, and 100 points or more in a season 8 times during his career. Internationally Dionne played for the Canadian national team at two Canada Cups and three World Championships. Dionne was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992. In 2017 Dionne was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.[1]

Playing career

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Junior career

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Marcel Dionne with Canada national team in 1979

Dionne played in the 1962, 1963 and 1964 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with his Drummondville youth team.[2] Dionne's first junior season was in 1968 for the Drummondville Rangers of the former Quebec Junior Hockey League, in which he scored over two goals a game in Drummondville's losing effort in the Memorial Cup playoffs.

When the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League formed in 1969, Dionne departed to play in the Ontario Hockey Association, then regarded as a higher-calibre level of competition, spending the next three seasons with the St. Catharines Black Hawks. He became the league's preeminent star, winning scoring titles in 1970 and 1971 and adding a record 122 points in 43 playoff games. He attended St. Catharines Collegiate during this time.[3]

Dionne's scoring feats were marred by one of the most infamous events in Canadian junior hockey during the 1971 Richardson Cup finals against the Quebec Remparts. Following a riot in Quebec City after the penalty-filled fourth game of the series in which Dionne's Black Hawks' team bus was attacked by the mob,[4] the fifth game was played at a neutral site, and the remainder of the series was not played due to fears of further violence.[5]

Dionne finished his junior career by shattering the OHA's career scoring record, which was not broken until Dale McCourt did so in the 1977 season.[6] He was subsequently drafted in the first round, second overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1971 NHL amateur draft.[7]

Professional career

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Detroit Red Wings (1971–1975)

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Following the draft, Dionne signed a rookie contract with the Red Wings for a record-breaking amount with various bonuses.[8] While the exact terms were not released, his bargaining agent Alan Eagleson said: "If Marcel gets as many goals as I think he can, he'll be paid like a super-star...No matter what he does, he's got the best contract in the history of the league for a rookie."[9] It was speculated that the amount was $50,000 with incentive clauses which could add another $15,000 to $20,000.[8][10] Despite having a self-proclaimed "poor training camp,"[11] Dionne was named to the Red Wings opening roster for the 1971–72 season. He made his NHL debut on October 9, 1971, in the teams season opener against the Minnesota North Stars.[12] He recorded his first career NHL goal on October 16, 1971, in a 9–2 loss to the St. Louis Blues.[13] While the Red Wings began the season with a losing 2–5-0 record, Dionne scored three goals and two assists.[14] Dionne spent the majority of his rookie season playing on a line with Bill Collins and Nick Libett.[15] By January, Dionne earned more on ice responsibility and was part of the Red Wings' power-play and penalty kill unit.[11][16] While playing in this dual role, Dionne ranked third on the team in scoring and 22nd in the league.[11] Dionne set numerous personal and league-wide milestones in March. He recorded his first career NHL hat-trick on March 19, 1972, in a 7–6 win over the Montreal Canadiens.[17] He then assisted on four goals the following game to tie with Rick Martin of Buffalo Sabres for 13th place on the NHL scoring list.[18] Dionne added two goals and two assists the next day to break the NHL record for most points by a rookie.[19] He finished the regular season as the Red Wings' leading scorer with 28 goals and 49 assists and finished third in Calder Memorial Trophy voting as the NHL's top rookie.[15] During the offseason, Dionne signed a three-year contract extension with the Red Wings[20] and was the youngest player on team Canada at the Summit Series.[15]

Dionne on Gordie Howe Night at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit in 2012

Due to the Summit Series, Dionne missed the entire training camp and returned to Detroit three days before the 1972–73 season opener.[21] The Red Wings began the season with a six-game win streak[22] before losing four straight games.[23] Following the fourth consecutive loss, head coach Johnny Wilson mandated a two-hour bag skate.[21] However, both Wilson and general manager Ned Harkness felt that Dionne was not giving enough effort.[21][24] Following the skate, Harkness told the media, "If he keeps it up and doesn't start working, he might find himself playing in the minors."[24] While Harkness later said he was misquoted,[25] Dionne expressed his frustration that he spoke to the media instead of having a conversation with him.[26] On December 2, Dionne scored one goal and three assists in his 100th career NHL game.[27] This tied him with Richard Martin and Fred Stanfield for seventh place in league scoring.[28] However, his earlier conflicts with management continued into December and resulted in a suspension.[26] Following a 7–0 loss to the Minnesota North Stars on December 9, Wilson mandated a morning practice before their game against the Vancouver Canucks. After Wilson called out Dionne for a perceived lack of effort, he told him to "go home and stay there until he felt he could come back and make a contribution to the team."[29] Due to a miscommunication as to the meaning of that order, Dionne assumed he had been suspended and missed their game that night.[30] However, the Red Wings claimed he had not been suspended until he failed to show for that evening's game.[31][32] Immediately following their game against the Canucks, Harkness handed out a press released that said that Dionne was “suspended indefinitely (without pay) for failing to report for the game.”[29] Despite this statement, Dionne was reinstated the following day after a discussion with the coaching staff.[31][33] After rejoining the team, Dionne scored his second career hat-trick against the Canadiens on 22 February 1973.[34]

Los Angeles Kings (1975–1987)

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Despite having teammates such as Alex Delvecchio and Mickey Redmond, Dionne's frustrations with losing were evident. His agent pushed for more money. The owner of the Los Angeles Kings, Jack Kent Cooke, offered Dionne $300,000 per year. A deal was struck with the Red Wings and Dionne was traded for Terry Harper, Dan Maloney, cash, and draft picks; Dionne then signed with the Kings on June 23, 1975, and became their franchise player. At the time, it was the richest deal in hockey history.[35]

Dionne playing for the New York Rangers in 1987

During Dionne's time with the Los Angeles Kings, he played eleven and a half seasons and formed the famed "Triple Crown Line", centring Charlie Simmer and Dave Taylor. Despite Dionne's production during the regular season, he was frustrated with the Kings' lack of playoff success; they made the postseason from 1976 to 1982 but only advanced to the second round three times for a total of 43 playoff games. During the 1986–87 season, Dionne mentored the rookies of the Kings as Mickey Redmond had mentored him during his rookie years in Detroit. He took eventual Calder Trophy winner Luc Robitaille, Jimmy Carson and Steve Duchesne under his wing. As a fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in 1979, Dionne, Simmer, and Taylor recorded a song written by Alan Thicke, "Please Forgive My Misconduct Last Night," which appeared as the B side of "Hockey Sock Rock" by Phil Esposito and some of the New York Rangers.

Despite the rapport with the rookies, there was also a falling out with coach Pat Quinn; moreover, the aging Kings were on track to miss the playoffs. Dionne did not want to be part of a rebuilding project and either wanted an immediate upgrade to the roster or a trade to a contender. He was traded to the New York Rangers on March 10, 1987; the Kings did reach the playoffs in the season he was traded.

New York Rangers (1986–1989)

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Dionne played his remaining two and a half seasons there, where the Rangers lost in the first round of the playoffs twice and missed the playoffs once. He retired in 1989.[36]

Retirement and legacy

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In January 2004, Dionne was featured on a Canadian postage stamp. As part of the NHL All-Stars Collection, Dionne was immortalized along with five other All-Stars.[37]

Dionne has homes in Niagara Falls, Ontario and Clarence Center, New York.[38] He has maintained a large business and investment portfolio since his playing days, owning the Blue Line Diner in Niagara Falls, operating a sports memorabilia store in Buffalo and buying and selling real estate.[39]

Dionne was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992.[40] In 1998, he was ranked number 38 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players, the highest-ranking player to have not won a Stanley Cup since 2001 when No. 14-ranked Ray Bourque won with the Colorado Avalanche.

The former Centre Civique arena in Drummondville was renamed Centre Marcel Dionne in his honour after his retirement.

Prior to the start of the 1993–94 season, Dionne helped to create local interest in the ECHL's newest franchise, the South Carolina Stingrays. With the help of some young players, Dionne gave an on-ice demonstration of the rules of hockey to the southern audience.[41]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1967–68 Drummondville Rangers QJHL 48 34 35 69 45 10 14 7 21 4
1967–68 Drummondville Rangers M-Cup — — — — — 4 9 4 13 5
1968–69 St. Catharines Black Hawks OHA 48 37 63 100 38 18 15 20 35 8
1969–70 St. Catharines Black Hawks OHA 54 55 77 132 46 10 12 20 32 10
1970–71 St. Catharines Black Hawks OHA 46 62 81 143 20 15 29 26 55 11
1971–72 Detroit Red Wings NHL 78 28 49 77 14 — — — — —
1972–73 Detroit Red Wings NHL 77 40 50 90 21 — — — — —
1973–74 Detroit Red Wings NHL 74 24 54 78 10 — — — — —
1974–75 Detroit Red Wings NHL 80 47 74 121 14 — — — — —
1975–76 Los Angeles Kings NHL 80 40 54 94 38 9 6 1 7 0
1976–77 Los Angeles Kings NHL 80 53 69 122 12 9 5 9 14 2
1977–78 Los Angeles Kings NHL 70 36 43 79 37 2 0 0 0 0
1978–79 Los Angeles Kings NHL 80 59 71 130 30 2 0 1 1 0
1979–80 Los Angeles Kings NHL 80 53 84 137 32 4 0 3 3 4
1980–81 Los Angeles Kings NHL 80 58 77 135 70 4 1 3 4 7
1981–82 Los Angeles Kings NHL 78 50 67 117 50 10 7 4 11 0
1982–83 Los Angeles Kings NHL 80 56 51 107 22 — — — — —
1983–84 Los Angeles Kings NHL 66 39 53 92 28 — — — — —
1984–85 Los Angeles Kings NHL 80 46 80 126 46 3 1 2 3 2
1985–86 Los Angeles Kings NHL 80 36 58 94 42 — — — — —
1986–87 Los Angeles Kings NHL 67 24 50 74 54 — — — — —
1986–87 New York Rangers NHL 14 4 6 10 6 6 1 1 2 2
1987–88 New York Rangers NHL 67 31 34 65 54 — — — — —
1988–89 New York Rangers NHL 37 7 16 23 20 — — — — —
1988–89 Denver Rangers IHL 9 0 13 13 0 — — — — —
NHL totals 1,348 731 1,040 1,771 600 49 21 24 45 17

International

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Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM
1976 Canada CC 7 1 5 6 4
1978 Canada WC 10 9 3 12 2
1979 Canada WC 7 2 1 3 4
1981 Canada CC 6 4 1 5 4
1983 Canada WC 10 6 3 9 2
1986 Canada WC 10 4 4 8 8
Senior totals 50 26 17 43 24

[42]

Awards and honours

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OHA

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NHL

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "100 Greatest NHL Players". National Hockey League. January 27, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  2. ^ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  3. ^ Barker, Matthew. "St. Catharines Collegiate to celebrate 100th anniversary". Niagara Falls Review. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  4. ^ "Quebec Fans Pelt St. Catharines Club". Calgary Herald. May 10, 1971. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  5. ^ "St. Kitts' Choice: Play Or Forfeit". Calgary Herald. May 13, 1971. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  6. ^ Ralph Slate. "Top 25 OHL Career Scorers". Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  7. ^ Gatecliff, Jack (June 10, 1971). "Marcel Dionne Drafted By Detroit Red Wings". St. Catharines Standard. Retrieved April 5, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b Gatecliff, Jake (September 15, 1971). "Dionne Signs Record Contract With Detroit". St. Catharines Standard. Retrieved April 6, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Erickson, Howard (September 16, 1971). "Dionne Knocks Talk He's the 'Next Howe'". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 6, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Marcel Closes In On $70,000". St. Catharines Standard. March 1, 1972. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b c Gatecliff, Jack (January 14, 1972). "Notes". St. Catharines Standard. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Wings Drop Ppener to Stars, 4-2". Detroit Free Press. October 10, 1971. Retrieved April 5, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Blues' 51 Shots Riddle Wings, 9-2". Jackson Citizen Patriot. October 17, 1971. Retrieved April 6, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Verigan, Bill (October 27, 1971). "Pains Persist, Stemmer Out For Checkup". Daily News. Retrieved April 6, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  15. ^ a b c Hackel, Stu (January 1, 2017). "Marcel Dionne: 100 Greatest NHL Players". National Hockey League. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  16. ^ McKay, Jim (January 10, 1972). "Dionne sparks Red Wings to 4-2 romp over Penguins". The Windsor Star. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Erickson, Howard (March 20, 1972). "Dionne's 3-Goal 'Trick' Nips Habs, 7-6". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  18. ^ MacLaine, Ian (March 22, 1972). "Wings Close In On Maple Leafs". St. Catharines Standard. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Dionne Sets Rookie Record With 75 Points". St. Catharines Standard. March 23, 1972. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Detroit signs Marcel Dionne". Montreal Gazette. August 7, 1972. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  21. ^ a b c Erickson, Howard (November 3, 1972). "Wings Unhappy Over Long, Grueling Skating Drills?". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Unbeaten Wings Lace Leafs, 6-2". The Morning Union. October 23, 1972. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Flames 4, Wings 2". Record-Journal. November 2, 1972. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  24. ^ a b Erickson, Howard (November 3, 1972). "Do Wings Resent Tough Skating Drill?". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  25. ^ Dunn, Bob (November 4, 1972). "Harknesses 'slip' doesn't concern Marcel Dionne". The Montreal Star. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  26. ^ a b Hafner, Dan (December 17, 1974). "Marcel Dionne: Man With a Past and a Future". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  27. ^ Cassidy, Jerry (December 3, 1972). "Wings Whip Islanders As Dionne Stars, 4-1". Daily News. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "Doing their thing". The Province. December 5, 1972. Retrieved April 7, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  29. ^ a b "Wings get tough, drop Dionne". The Toronto Star. December 11, 1972. Retrieved April 9, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  30. ^ Proudfoot, Jim (December 18, 1972). "Dionne begs to differ". The Toronto Star. Retrieved April 9, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  31. ^ a b "Dionne Reinstated". Telegraph-Journal. December 13, 1972. Retrieved April 9, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  32. ^ Gatecliff, Jack (December 13, 1972). "Through the sports gate". St. Catharines Standard. Retrieved April 9, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  33. ^ Erickson, Howard (December 12, 1972). "Dionne, Wings Huddle ...'Kiss And Make Up'". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 10, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  34. ^ "Dionne hasn't disappointed Red Wings". The Kingston Whig-Standard. February 23, 1973. Retrieved April 10, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  35. ^ Triple Crown, Ted Mahovlich, ISBN 978-0-00-639134-0
  36. ^ "CNNSI.com – NHL Hockey – Say It Ain't So: Los Angeles Kings – Tuesday February 27, 2001 06:14 PM". CNN. Archived from the original on May 26, 2001.
  37. ^ Canada's Stamp Details, January to March 2004, Volume XIII, No. 1
  38. ^ "Best of WNY Royal Resident Marcel Dionne".
  39. ^ Shoalts, David (February 21, 2004). "Dionne keeps his edge after NHL career - The Globe and Mail". The Globe and Mail.
  40. ^ "Hockey". Chicago Tribune. September 22, 1992. Retrieved April 10, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  41. ^ Scott, Jon C. (2006). Hockey Night in Dixie: Minor Pro Hockey in the American South. Heritage House Publishing Company Ltd. p. 70. ISBN 1-894974-21-2.
  42. ^ Triple Crown, Ted Mahovlich, p.209, ISBN 978-0-00-639134-0
[edit]
Preceded by Detroit Red Wings first round draft pick
1971 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Larry Johnston
rotating captaincy ends
 Detroit Red Wings captain
1974–75 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the Lady Byng Trophy
1975
1977 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the Lester B. Pearson Award
1979, 1980 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the Art Ross Trophy
1980 		Succeeded by
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