Introduction
Dale Allen McCourt (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. The matter was resolved and McCourt remained in Detroit. In later seasons, he played for the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
He finished his career playing in Switzerland for HC Ambrì-Piotta, where his jersey (number 15) was retired.
McCourt's brother Dan was an NHL linesman during the 1980s and early 1990s, and his uncle is Hockey Hall of Fame member, George Armstrong.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1972–73 | Welland Sabres | SOJHL | 34 | 35 | 28 | 63 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972–73 | Sudbury Wolves | OHA-Jr. | 26 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1973–74 | Hamilton Red Wings | OHA-Jr. | 69 | 20 | 38 | 58 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Hamilton Fincups | OMJHL | 69 | 52 | 74 | 126 | 57 | 17 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 0 | ||
| 1975–76 | Hamilton Fincups | OMJHL | 66 | 55 | 84 | 139 | 19 | 14 | 20 | 8 | 28 | 12 | ||
| 1975–76 | Hamilton Fincups | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1976–77 | St. Catharines Fincups | OMJHL | 66 | 60 | 79 | 139 | 26 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 6 | ||
| 1977–78 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 76 | 33 | 39 | 72 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 1978–79 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 79 | 28 | 43 | 71 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 80 | 30 | 51 | 81 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 80 | 30 | 56 | 86 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 26 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 52 | 20 | 22 | 42 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1982–83 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 62 | 20 | 32 | 52 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 1983–84 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 72 | 19 | 24 | 43 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | HC Ambrì-Piotta | NDB | 26 | 22 | 14 | 36 | — | 14 | 12 | 11 | 23 | — | ||
| 1985–86 | HC Ambrì-Piotta | NDA | 35 | 41 | 15 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | HC Ambrì-Piotta | NDA | 35 | 25 | 28 | 53 | — | 3 | 5 | 2 | 7 | — | ||
| 1987–88 | HC Ambrì-Piotta | NDA | 35 | 33 | 22 | 55 | — | 4 | 6 | 6 | 12 | — | ||
| 1988–89 | HC Ambrì-Piotta | NDA | 38 | 42 | 24 | 66 | — | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | — | ||
| 1989–90 | HC Ambrì-Piotta | NDA | 38 | 18 | 26 | 44 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1990–91 | HC Ambrì-Piotta | NDA | 35 | 10 | 12 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | HC Ambrì-Piotta | NDA | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 532 | 194 | 284 | 478 | 124 | 21 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 6 | ||||
| NDA totals | 221 | 173 | 128 | 301 | — | 15 | 12 | 12 | 24 | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Canada | WJC | 7 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 14 | |
| 1979 | Canada | WC | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 1981 | Canada | WC | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 7 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 14 | |||
| Senior totals | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |||
Awards and honors
- Directorate Award, Best Forward, 1977 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
- Collins gem Hockey Facts and Stats 2009–10, p.510, Andrew Podnieks, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, Toronto, Canada, ISBN 978-1-55468-621-6