Dave Poulin | |||
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Born |
Timmins, ON, CAN |
December 17, 1958 ||
Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
Position | Centre | ||
Shot | Left | ||
Played for |
Rögle Bandyklubb Philadelphia Flyers Boston Bruins Washington Capitals |
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NHL Draft | Undrafted | ||
Playing career | 1982–1995 |
David James Poulin (born December 17, 1958) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals.
Poulin began his hockey career with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the University of Notre Dame. He played with the Fighting Irish from 1978–1982 and he was named to the Second All-Star Team in 1982. His small size got him overlooked in the NHL Entry Draft so instead he went to Sweden to play for Rögle BK. Poulin's head coach was Ted Sator, who was also a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League. Sator was impressed with Poulin's abilities and called for him to be put on board the Flyers' roster. In 1982-83, he made the leap to the NHL after a brief stint with the Maine Mariners of the American Hockey League. On the second-to-last day of the season, Poulin made his debut at Maple Leaf Gardens, netting two goals in a 6-3 Philadelphia victory.
The following season, Poulin was put on a line with superstar Brian Propp and Tim Kerr. The line became a dangerous offensive line in the league for the bulk of the next three seasons, and in his first full NHL campaign, helped him set a club record (now since passed) for most points by a Flyers rookie with 76. Poulin quickly established himself as a strong leader and a player that could play at both ends of the ice, owing to the fact that he was 25 years old before taking a regular shift in the pros. Those attributes aided in his being named team captain on the eve of the 1984-85 replacing Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke, who had dealt former teammate Darryl Sittler to Detroit on the day he was to take the captaincy.