Dale McCourt
| Dale McCourt | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
January 26, 1957 Falconbridge, ON, CAN |
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| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for |
Detroit Red Wings Buffalo Sabres Toronto Maple Leafs HC Ambrì-Piotta |
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| National team |
 Canada
|
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| NHL Draft | 1st overall, 1977 Detroit Red Wings |
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| WHA Draft | 35th overall, 1977 Indianapolis Racers |
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| Playing career | 1977–1991 | ||
Dale Allen McCourt, a native of Falconbridge, Ontario (born January 26, 1957), is a former NHL ice hockey forward. Dale began his junior hockey career with the Hamilton Red Wings in 1972–73. Two years later he was the team captain of the 1976 Memorial Cup champion Hamilton Fincups. In 1977 he led the team to the Hamilton Spectator Trophy. He was awarded the Red Tilson Trophy as Most Outstanding Player in the OHA, and voted CHL Player of the Year for his efforts. Dale was also awarded the William Hanley Trophy as the OHA's Most Sportsmanlike Player two consecutive years (1975–76, 1976–77). In the 1977 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, McCourt scored 18 points, a Canadian record he shares with Brayden Schenn and one point more than Eric Lindros and Wayne Gretzky.
He was drafted 1st overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft. When Red Wings general manager Ted Lindsay signed Los Angeles Kings goaltender Rogatien Vachon, an NHL arbitrator ruled that McCourt should be the compensation paid the Kings for Vachon's loss, but McCourt refused to report to the Kings. Ultimately, this led to McCourt suing the NHL, NHLPA, the Red Wings and Kings in order to prohibit McCourt from being sent to the Los Angeles Kings as a part of any compensation package. During this lawsuit, McCourt remained playing for the Red Wings, spending the 1978-79 season in Detroit. The matter was resolved and McCourt remained in Detroit. After the legal battle, Dale never really seemed to progress as a player, he was just an average player and wasn't able to live up to his expectations. In later seasons, he played for the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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