Dale Hunter
Hunter (top) with the London Knights in 2010
Born (1960-07-31) July 31, 1960
Petrolia, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Quebec Nordiques
Washington Capitals
Colorado Avalanche
NHL Draft 41st overall, 1979
Quebec Nordiques
Playing career 1980–1999

Dale Robert Hunter (born July 31, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and the former head coach of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League and current co-owner, president, and head coach of the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. He was born in Petrolia, Ontario, but grew up in nearby (13 km) Oil Springs, Ontario. He is the middle of three Hunter brothers, with older brother Dave and younger brother Mark, to play in the NHL.

NHL career

Quebec Nordiques

He was selected 41st overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. He would begin his NHL career a year later in 1980 and played seven years with the Nordiques.

According to his former Quebec Nordiques coach Michel Bergeron, even though Hunter was nicknamed the "Nuisance" on ice (La Petite Peste in French), he was known to be "humble" in the dressing room and a sort of "gentleman", close to all the players. He was the "perfect player", always the first to arrive at practice and ready to do all his best for the team. Thanks to his charisma, Hunter was a fan favourite in both Quebec and Washington. His leaving Quebec was seen as an obvious "mistake" linked to the team's future decline.[1]

At the end of the 1986–87 season, Hunter was traded to the Washington Capitals along with Clint Malarchuk in return for Gaetan Duchesne, Alan Haworth, and a 1987 first-round draft pick the Nordiques then used to select future Hall of Famer Joe Sakic.

Washington Capitals

Hunter played for 12 seasons with the Washington Capitals, serving as team captain from 1994 to 1999.

In the 1988 Patrick Division Semifinals between the Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers, Hunter scored one of the biggest goal in Caps history. That goal was scored on a breakaway at 5:57, beating Ron Hextall and gave Washington the 5–4 win.[2]

During the 1991–92 Washington Capitals season, younger brother Mark briefly joined Hunter with the Capitals, playing seven games with the club.

In the 1993 Patrick Division Semifinals between the Capitals and New York Islanders, Hunter led his team with seven postseason goals. That performance was marred by an illegal and potentially career-ending check on Islanders' star Pierre Turgeon.[3] This illegal check occurred after Turgeon had stolen an errant pass of Hunter's and subsequently scored. As Turgeon was celebrating, Hunter came up from behind and checked the unaware Turgeon into the boards, leading to a concussion and a separated right shoulder. As a result of the incident, Hunter was suspended for the first 21 games of the 1993–94 season as part of new commissioner Gary Bettman's effort to crack down on violent play.

He played in the 1997 NHL All-Star Game.

Hunter broke the 1,000 points barrier during the 1997–98 season, becoming the NHL record holder for requiring the most games to do so by a forward, at 1,308; the record stood until Patrick Marleau achieved the feat in his 1,349th game, during the 2015–16 season. Hunter holds the record for the player with the most penalty minutes to have scored 1,000 or more points.[4]

In 1998, he led the fourth-seeded Capitals to their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, defeating the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, and Buffalo Sabres in the earlier rounds. In the finals, the Capitals were swept by the defending Cup champion Detroit Red Wings, with the first three games being decided by one goal.

In March 1999, at the trade deadline for the 1998–99 season, Hunter was traded back to his original franchise, albeit since relocated and renamed the Colorado Avalanche.

Colorado Avalanche

Hunter finished the 1998–99 season with the Colorado Avalanche, the successor to the Nordiques. He helped the team reach that season's Western Conference finals, losing in seven games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars. On that team, he often played on the same line as two other renowned pest role players – Claude Lemieux and Theoren Fleury.

Hunter retired at the end of that playoff run, after 19 full seasons in the NHL.

Post-NHL

The Capitals retired Hunter's number in 2000.

Hunter's sweater number (#32) was retired by the Capitals on March 11, 2000. During the ceremony, the Capitals presented Hunter with one of the penalty boxes from the Capital Centre (the Capitals former home arena), symbolic of his exceptional amount of time served for penalties.

In 2000, Hunter and his brother, Mark—also a former NHL player—teamed up with Dale's former teammate on the Nordiques, Basil McRae, to buy the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. Dale became team president and head coach. He led the Knights to the 2005 and 2016 Memorial Cup. On January 1, 2006, the Hunter brothers were named to the 2006 Mayor's New Year's Honours List for Sports by the City of London, Ontario. Hunter's older brother Dave Hunter is also a former NHLer. His son Dylan Hunter is an assistant coach for the Knights and his other son Tucker also played for the London Knights before pursuing his education at the University of Western Ontario.

On November 28, 2011, Hunter resigned his position as head coach of the Knights to take the same position with the Washington Capitals, succeeding Bruce Boudreau.[5] His brother Mark then took over as Knights coach. Hunter's defense oriented system caused some conflict with star Alexander Ovechkin but it helped the struggling Capitals make the playoffs, where they upset the defending Stanley Cup champions Boston Bruins in the first round before being eliminated by the New York Rangers, both postseason series going to seven games. On May 14, 2012, Hunter announced he was not returning to coach the Capitals in the 2012-2013 season, choosing instead to return to the London Knights.[6]

On May 14, 2019, Hockey Canada named Hunter as the head coach for Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship.[7] Hunter guided the team to the gold medal with a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Russia in the final game.[8]

Accolades and controversy

With amassing a staggering 3565 penalty minutes, Hunter currently has the second-most penalty minutes in NHL history, after Dave "Tiger" Williams (although Hunter played 1,407 games to Williams' 962). He also holds the NHL record for most penalty minutes in the playoffs, at 731. The Capitals retired his No. 32 jersey. Hunter is the only NHL player ever to score over 1,000 points and rack up over 3,000 penalty minutes (1,020 points and 3,565 PIMs over 1,407 NHL games).

He scored in overtime for Quebec in Game 5 of their 1982 opening round best-of-five series vs. the Montreal Canadiens, and in 1988 scoring against Ron Hextall on a breakaway in overtime for Washington in Game 7 of their opening round best-of-7 series vs. the Philadelphia Flyers, making Hunter the first player in NHL history to score two overtime series-clinching goals in the playoffs.

In July 2006, Hunter was arrested and charged with DUI.[9] The charges were dropped when the presiding judge ruled that his rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms were violated for unlawful detention and being denied his right to his lawyer.

In September 2005, Hunter was suspended by the Ontario Hockey League for four games after a player left the bench to initiate a fight in an exhibition game.

On January 20, 2006, Hunter was suspended for two games and his team was fined $5,000 for Hunter's off ice abuse of the officials. In May 2006, Hunter was fined $5,000 by the OHL for criticizing officials after the Knights were eliminated from the playoffs in four straight games. In September 2006, Hunter was suspended by the OHL for two games after forward Matt Davis left the bench to engage in a fight during a game; OHL rules state that there is an automatic suspension for both the player and the coach if a player leaves the bench to become involved in an altercation.

Pierre Turgeon incident

Late in the deciding Game 6 of the 1993 Patrick Division Semifinals between the Capitals and New York Islanders, Pierre Turgeon stole the puck from Hunter and scored, putting the game out of reach. Hunter, who was trailing Turgeon on the play, checked Turgeon from behind well after the goal as he started to celebrate. Turgeon sustained a separated shoulder from the hit, causing him to miss all but Game 7 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round, as well as most of the series against the Montreal Canadiens in the conference finals. New NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who had earlier promised to crack down on violence, suspended Hunter for the first 21 games of the 1993–94 season—at the time, the longest suspension in league history for an on-ice incident (in terms of games missed).

Career statistics

Bold italics indicates NHL record

Playing career

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1977–78 Kitchener Rangers OMJHL 68 22 42 64 115 9 1 0 1 32
1978–79 Sudbury Wolves OMJHL 59 42 68 110 188 10 4 12 16 47
1979–80 Sudbury Wolves OMJHL 61 34 51 85 189 9 6 9 15 45
1980–81 Quebec Nordiques NHL 80 19 44 63 226 5 4 2 6 34
1981–82 Quebec Nordiques NHL 80 22 50 72 272 16 3 7 10 52
1982–83 Quebec Nordiques NHL 80 17 46 63 206 4 2 1 3 24
1983–84 Quebec Nordiques NHL 77 24 55 79 232 9 2 3 5 41
1984–85 Quebec Nordiques NHL 80 20 52 72 209 17 4 6 10 99
1985–86 Quebec Nordiques NHL 80 28 42 70 265 3 0 0 0 15
1986–87 Quebec Nordiques NHL 46 10 29 39 135 13 1 7 8 56
1987–88 Washington Capitals NHL 79 22 37 59 240 14 7 5 12 98
1988–89 Washington Capitals NHL 80 20 37 57 219 6 0 4 4 29
1989–90 Washington Capitals NHL 80 23 39 62 233 15 4 8 12 61
1990–91 Washington Capitals NHL 76 16 30 46 234 11 1 9 10 41
1991–92 Washington Capitals NHL 80 28 50 78 205 7 1 4 5 16
1992–93 Washington Capitals NHL 84 20 59 79 198 6 7 1 8 35
1993–94 Washington Capitals NHL 52 9 29 38 131 7 0 3 3 14
1994–95 Washington Capitals NHL 45 8 15 23 101 7 4 4 8 24
1995–96 Washington Capitals NHL 82 13 24 37 112 6 1 5 6 24
1996–97 Washington Capitals NHL 82 14 32 46 125 — — — — —
1997–98 Washington Capitals NHL 82 8 18 26 103 21 0 4 4 30
1998–99 Washington Capitals NHL 50 0 5 5 102 — — — — —
1998–99 Colorado Avalanche NHL 12 2 4 6 17 19 1 3 4 38
NHL totals 1,407 323 697 1,020 3,565 186 42 76 118 731

Coaching career

NHL

TeamYearRegular seasonPost season
GWLOTLPtsDivision rankResult
Washington Capitals2011-12 6030237(92)2nd in SoutheastWon in conference quarter-finals (4-3 vs. BOS)
Lost in conference semi-finals (3-4 vs. NYR)
NHL totals6030237677-7 (0.500)

OHL

TeamYearRegular seasonPost season
GWLTOTLPtsFinishResult
London Knights2001–02 50191966505th in WestWon in conference quarter-finals (4-2 vs. PLY)
Lost in conference semi-finals (2-4 vs. ERI)
London Knights2002–03 68312773722nd in MidwestWon in conference quarter-finals (4-3 vs. WSR)
Lost in conference semi-finals (3-4 vs. PLY)
London Knights2003–04 685311221101st in MidwestWon in conference quarter-finals (4-0 vs. WSR)
Won in conference semi-finals (4-0 vs. ERI)
Lost in conference finals (3-4 vs. GUE)
London Knights2004–05 68597201201st in MidwestWon in conference quarter-finals (4-0 vs. GUE)
Won in conference semi-finals (4-0 vs. WSR)
Won in conference finals (4-1 vs. KIT)
Won J. Ross Robertson Cup (4-1 vs. OTT)
Finished first in round-robin at Memorial Cup (3-0)
Won Memorial Cup (4-0 vs. RIM)
London Knights2005–06 684915-41021st in MidwestWon in conference quarter-finals (4-0 vs. SSM)
Won in conference semi-finals (4-2 vs. OS)
Won in conference finals (4-1 vs. GUE)
Lost in J. Ross Robertson Cup finals (0-4 vs. PBO)
London Knights2006–07 685014-41041st in MidwestWon in conference quarter-finals (4-0 vs. OS)
Won in conference semi-finals (4-3 vs. SSM)
Lost in conference finals (1-4 vs. PLY)
London Knights2007–08 683824-6822nd in MidwestLost in conference quarter-finals (1-4 vs. GUE)
London Knights2008–09 684916-31011st in MidwestWon in conference quarter-finals (4-1 vs. ERI)
Won in conference semi-finals (4-0 vs. SAG)
Lost in conference finals (1-4 vs. WSR)
London Knights2009–10 684916-31011st in MidwestWon in conference quarter-finals (4-1 vs. GUE)
Lost in conference semi-finals (3-4 vs. KIT)
London Knights2010–11 683429-5735th in MidwestLost in conference quarter-finals (2-4 vs. OS)
London Knights2011–12 26205-1(99)1st in Midwest(left to take Capitals coaching job)
London Knights2012–13 685013-51051st in MidwestWon in conference quarter-finals (4-0 vs. SAG)
Won in conference semi-finals (4-1 vs. KIT)
Won in conference finals (4-1 vs. PLY)
Won J. Ross Robertson Cup (4-3 vs. BAR)
Finished third in round-robin at Memorial Cup (1-2)
Won Memorial Cup tie-breaker game (6-1 vs. SAS)
Lost Memorial Cup semi-finals (1-2 vs. POR)
London Knights2013–14 684914-51033rd in MidwestWon in conference semi-finals (4-0 vs. WSR)
Lost in conference semi-finals (1-4 vs. GUE)
Finished fourth in round-robin at Memorial Cup (0-3)
London Knights2014–15 684024-4843rd in MidwestWon in conference quarter-finals (4-2 vs. KIT)
Lost in conference semi-finals (0-4 vs. ERI)
London Knights2015–16 685114-31052nd in MidwestWon in conference quarter-finals (4-2 vs. OS)
Won in conference semi-finals (4-0 vs. KIT)
Won in conference finals (4-0 vs. ERI)
Won J. Ross Robertson Cup (4-0 vs. NIA)
Finished first in round-robin at Memorial Cup (3-0)
Won Memorial Cup (3-2 vs. ROU)
London Knights2016–17 684615-7993rd in MidwestWon in conference quarter-finals (4-3 vs. WSR)
Lost in conference semi-finals (3-4 vs. ERI)
London Knights2017–18 683925-4823rd in MidwestLost in conference quarter-finals (0-4 vs. OS)
London Knights2018–19 684615-7991st in MidwestWon in conference quarter-finals (4-0 vs. WSR)
Lost in conference semi-finals (3-4 vs. GUE)
London Knights2019–20 624515-2921st in MidwestPost-season cancelled due to COVID-19
London Knights2021–22 683922-7851st in MidwestLost in conference quarter-finals (3-4 vs. KIT)
London Knights2022–23 684521-2921st in MidwestWon in conference quarter-finals (4-0 vs. OS)
Won in conference semi-finals (4-1 vs. KIT)
Won in conference finals (4-2 vs. SAR)
Lost in J. Ross Robertson Cup finals (2-4 vs. PBO)
Total13629013611783190212 Division Titles3 J. Ross Robertson Cups (152-94, 0.618)
2 Memorial Cups (10-6, 0.625)

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Les Nordiques, notre équipe", video documentary (French), Imavision, 1998 (see also DVD reed. 2006).
  2. ↑ Steinberg, Dan (November 28, 2011). "Dale Hunter and the biggest goal in Caps history". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  3. ↑ Crothers, Tim (December 6, 1993). "Sports People | Dale Hunter". Sports Illustrated. Vol. 79, no. 23. p. 50. Archived from the original on June 22, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  4. ↑ Oliver, Nathaniel (July 31, 2022). "Dale Hunter's Unbreakable Record". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Capitals Name Dale Hunter Head Coach". November 28, 2011. Archived from the original on November 30, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Hunter won't return as Capitals coach". The Washington Times. May 14, 2012.
  7. ↑ Canada’s National Junior Team and Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship
  8. ↑ "Game Summary".
  9. ↑ Kemick, April (July 29, 2006). "Knights coach charged with drunk driving". The London Free Press. Archived from the original on September 5, 2006. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
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