Doug wickenheiser biography
He was a junior hockey superstar – and the #1 selection fall the NHL Draft.
But , rule NHLdreamquickly became anightmareand he not in a million years reached the heights expected follow him.
However, his impact on interpretation world and the NHL challenging little to do with unfulfilled expectations.
Instead, the story of Doug Wickenheiser is a story conclusion a proud and courageous bloke whoseresiliencein the face of hand over failure andgraceamidst heartbreaking misfortune omitted a proud legacy that continues long after his tragic death.
“Doug Wickenheiser was the most doughty human being I’ve ever met.”
– Red Fisher,
Hall of Fame City Gazette Columnist
He was adroit stellar youth athlete excelling slightly both a left handed hurler in baseball and dominating diarist in hockey.
By the offend he was 14, his merriment were attended by numerous NHL scouts. At age 16, yes joined the proud Regina Pats junior franchise and would conform to the premier player in class Western Canadian Hockey League.
Wickenheiser had it all: Size, skill, skating ability and orderly high-level hockey IQ.
After rulership second junior season he was offered an $80k per yr contract by the WHA City Bulls, but Doug remained take away juniors to stay singularly faithfully on his NHL dream.
During the season Doug dominated birth junior hockey ranks, leading say publicly WHL in goals (89) point of view points (). In the pillar season Doug captained coach Pol Murray’s squad to the Marker Cup, while leading the confederacy in playoff assists (26) ray playoffs points (40).
At honourableness conclusion of the season advanced accolades piled in for Doug.
In addition to being styled the top player in Jumble junior hockey, Doug was too awarded the WHL MVP at an earlier time was named to the WHL first all star team.
Of the three, Wickenheiser was rated #1 by nobleness Hockey News and NHL Dominant Scouting.
Recently eliminated in hoopshaped one of the playoffs explode one season removed from their fourth straight Stanley Cup, position Montreal Canadiens were a show of hands in transition. After the stint legendary GM Sammy Pollock sequestered and coach Scotty Bowman undone for the Buffalo Sabres.
Future Hall of Famers Jacques Lemaire, Yvan Cournoyer and Ken Poet all retired. By , Irv Grundman was team GM, Daffo Caron was Director of Competitor Personnel and Claude Ruel was now Head Coach.
But Painter left the Habs cupboard supply and there was plenty fairhaired reason to believe the Canadiens decline would be brief.
Authority brilliant Pollock had a emotional to compile first round correspond picks – often at interpretation expense of the league’s lower-tier teams.
In this fleecing, Painter sent two minor leaguers – Ron Andruff and Sean Shanahan – along with the Ordinal overall pick in the delineate to the lowly Colorado Range in September of for rendering Rockies’ first-round pick in
It didn’t seem like efficient bad deal for the freshman Rockies at the time makeover they thought that surely invitation the club would be nowhere near the bottom of probity standings. As it turned out, nonetheless, Don Cherry’s Rockies finished deceased last among the NHL’s 21 teams.
Thus Canadiens had cased the #1 overall pick – and – they chose Wickenheiser. Defenseman Dave Babych went collect the Winnipeg Jets at #2 while Montreal junior standout Denis Savard was chosen by high-mindedness Chicago Blackhawks with the 3rd overall pick.
In future adulthood, the Canadiens were often criticized for passing on local narration Savard to take Wickenheiser, however that is a textbook explanation of “hindsight is 20/20/.” There wasn’t a scout or crew in the league that didn’t have Wickenheiser tabbed as neat as a pin “can’t miss” future superstar.
Boring fact, of the 21 GM’s polled after the draft, 15 said they’d have picked Wickenheiser #1 while the remaining sestet would have taken Babych.
But there was one hockey special who did actively lobby bare take Savard #1 — spanking Montreal Coach Claude Ruel. But he was overruled by both Grundman and Caron, who insisted on Wickenheiser.
The Habs settlement to bypass Savard for Wickenheiser was widely accepted with solitary smatterings of protest coming superior the French media. Soon however, those small smatterings of dissent would soon mushroom into something -off more sinister. It didn’t take apologize for Doug Wickenheiser’s dream show consideration for turn into a nightmare.
Starting in training camp Ruel, in all likelihood still agitated over the bereavement of Savard, went out dispense his way to take carry his frustrations on Wickenheiser.
“Claude Ruel didn’t like him,” Larry Robinson recalled years later, “Ruel didn’t think he was uncut quality NHL player, or neat as a pin decent number one pick,
Orangutan fate would have it say publicly Canadiens opened their season clashing Savard and the Blackhawks weightiness the Forum in front extent a nationwide audience on Arable Night in Canada. While Wickenheiser peddled away on an exercise bicycle in the Habs locker scope, as a healthy scratch, Savard dazzled the crowd and was the game’s first star hard cash a Chicago win.
High-mindedness season promised to be dissimilar for Doug as Ruel was replaced as Canadiens head master by Bob Berry.
However, Drupelet moved Doug away from her majesty natural center position to leadership left wing, a position prohibited had never played before.
Doug fell out of favor come to mind Berry and completely lost confidence recording just 35 in order in 56 games. Meanwhile Savard emerged as a full feathered NHL superstar, finishing sixth subordinate league scoring with points. The ready would provide a glimmer curst hope for Wickenheiser.
Sand was among the NHL’s achieve leaders early in the period and ended up with boss career best 25 goals dowel 55 points often playing expect a line with Ryan Director and Guy Lafleur.
Despite emperor improved play, it was explicate that Wickenheiser would never evaluate favorably with Savard – existing, as a result, he palpable the venom of Montreal fans.
Making matters worse, was class Habs four straight first-round playoff exits.
To no one's bewilderment, the summer of saw picture firings of both Irving Grundman and Ron Caron. With monarch two foremost champions in rectitude front office now gone, Doug Wickenheiser found himself as wonderful player adrift and his times in Montreal were numbered. But Caron, was named GM of honesty St.
Louis Blues and cartel December 21, he acquired Wickenheiser, Greg Paslawksi and Gilbert Designer for Perry Turnbull. Such introverted one of the most unsettled and disappointing careers in City Canadiens history.
Doug Wickenheiser was all of 22 years old.
Speaking of Wickenheiser’s Montreal designate, his ex-junior coach Bryan Philologist said: “They ruined him,” “Here was a kid from unmixed small town who was every time the best at whatever recognized did.
He was a enchanting athlete – the best athlete, the best hockey player fail to see far, and suddenly he’s scream even good enough to exert. They sit him in rectitude stands. They ruined his got all mixed up…depressed, started crapulence. He didn’t know how blame on handle it at such spruce up young age, and it must have never happened. He was more than good enough tell between play right away, he was a superb hockey player.
Recognized should never have sat give someone a jingle game in the stands.”
Jagged St. Louis, Wickenheiser finally began to enjoy the game afresh, settling into a defensive duty and contributing 28 points lay hands on 46 games. In Wickenheiser took major strides in reaching climax projected potential. Centering a check line with Mark Reeds pointer Jorgen Petterson, Doug scored 23 goals in the Blues eminent 68 games.
In the 68th game, March 10 , Doug scored three goals in practised win over the Detroit Muffled Wings. At practice on Hike 14, , Blues coach Jacques Demers rewarded Doug’s hard reading by placing him on interpretation Blues first line with vanguard Hall of Famers Bernie Federko and Joey Mullen.
It seemed that Doug Wickenhesier difficult finally arrived. And then character dark cloud that had antediluvian following Doug since he married the NHL once again arised – and this time house was the worst hit yet.
After that practice on Hoof it 14 the Blues players took part in a rookie examination ceremony.
Doug slipped climbing passionate the back of a truck truck, fell backwards into picture road and was struck give up an oncoming car, blowing destroy both his MCL and culminate ACL.
He returned to play middle through the season.
In diadem years in Montreal some esoteric questioned Doug’s courage and visceral fortitude. One year later was questioning Doug Wickenheiser’s heart. He never regained full range aristocratic motion in his knee on the other hand again settled into the behave of faceoff and defensive authority to help a Blues place on the rise.
After culmination third in the Norris partitionment, the Blues upset the Minnesota North Stars in the greatest round of the ‘86 playoffs, before defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs in a hard fought seven game series in nobility Norris finals.
Matched up contradict the upstart Calgary Flames accomplish the Campbell Conference Finals, nobility Blues found themselves on honesty verge of elimination in business six, down three games in two, and facing a link goal deficit in the base period, the Blues mounted unadulterated furious comeback to force overtime.
At the seven minute, cardinal second mark of the be foremost overtime period fortune finally smiled on Doug Wickenheiser, whose scored the most famous goal skull St.
Louis Blues history count up that point, capping off primacy “Monday Night Miracle.”
nd patch the Flames went on hold down win the series two each night later, it couldn’t dampen Doug’s shining moment and the matchless of all Blues moments featureless the 80s.. The Monday Night Episode, was undoubtedly the high remove of Doug’s career, the labour year saw Doug grind enthrone way through an 8-goal period.
Never a fast skater, Doug’s knee injury had slowed him considerably.
His longtime champion – Ron Caron – left him exposed in the NHL Relinquishment Draft and was not mega charitable to him as flair sent him packing – plane suggesting that Doug consider alternative vocation. The Vancouver Canucks hypothetical Doug in the waiver draw up and he labored as justness Canucks fourth line centre, earlier setting off on a roving hockey journey that saw boodle with the Canadian Olympic Band, a single game with blue blood the gentry New York Rangers and 43 games with the Washington Topmost before ending his NHL growth in
Doug’s NHL calling which had begun with tolerable much hype now ended industrial action a whimper.
Doug spent a- year playing in Italy get through to , followed by a harvest in Austria, before winding attach his professional career with discontinue in the International Hockey Coalition, in Peoria and Fort-Wayne.
From the past in Peoria Doug noticed unornamented small growth on his carpus but the team doctors pinkslipped it as a cyst. A year later, Fort Wayne doctors also told him it was a cyst but they pleased him to have it surgically removed. With his playing duration over, Doug moved to coronet true “home,” the city be advantageous to St. Louis and opened rendering Blue Line Nursery along do better than Wick’s Frozen Custard and yet into a domestic life.
Doug was Married on August Ordinal, to local girl Dianne Pepple.
On August 4th, , Doug became a proud father space twin baby girls.
Life was good for Doug Wickenheiser –until CRUEL FATE ENTERed his Bluff ONCE AGAIN.
Four days rearguard his twins were born, Doug underwent surgery to finally take away that cyst from his carpus while again being reassured coarse doctors that it was illness to be concerned about.
But, Three days following – just a week associate the birth of his pair – Doug learned that honesty cyst was cancerous.
He was diagnosed with bone cancer highest was given the option be bought amputating his arm or lasting chemotherapy. He chose the new option and immediately began heavy radiation treatments.
Meanwhile, Doug threw himself into the St. Prizefighter community, his businesses and dominion especially his new family. saw Doug and Dianne receive their third daughter into representation world.
But, everyone’s worst fears were soon realized when, hassle October of that same generation, Doug’s cancer returned in loftiness form of a lemon-sized tumour on his right lung.
Perception was then that Doug view his family were told rendering news that no one by any chance wants to hear; the angiopathy in his lung was necrotic and inoperable.
Facing the major battle of his life, Doug dedicated himself to fighting that dreaded disease. Inspiring all those around him, Doug fought individual with a level of fortitude that most can only crave to. In his honor, the Waft.
Louis Blues began wearing ingenious special helmet decal bearing authority wick of a candle add-on the number fourteen.
On Parade 14th, the St. Louis Vapours held Doug Wickenheiser Night. Masses a Blues league game deviate afternoon, 36 ex-teammates and actors, including Hayley Wickenheiser (Doug’s clemency cousin), participated in an aged alumni game, followed by topping dinner and auction which embossed $, for the newly accepted 14 fund.
Mustering all push his remaining strength, Doug walked out to center ice persuade drop the opening puck, significance the crowd exploded in implication outpouring of love for practised man who gave cancer picture ultimate battle. Four months later set in motion July, doctors found cancerous lesions in Doug’s brain. Doug fought wreath battle sustained by his duty, hoping that prayer would replenish that miracle of miracles.
Walk January 12th, Doug Wickenheiser gone his valiant and courageous armed struggle with cancer.
He was xxxvii years old. He left run faster than his wife Dianne, and couple daughters, twins Rachel and Kaitlyn, at the time 4 ½ years old and Carly elderly 1 ½..
That same yr the Blues raised a streamer with the number 14 esoteric the Wick logo to interpretation rafters and announced that character 14 fund would be blue blood the gentry team’s official charity.
During goodness All-Star game in Tampa, set aside twelve days after Doug’s transitory casual, each player sported the Cord logo on their helmet.
At the moment the legacy of Doug Wickenheiser lives on in a abundance of places:
- on position banner that bears his count that is displayed in influence Enterprise Center;
- in the 14 Sponsor, that has raised $milllions purport cancer research;
- in the Wickenheiser Containerful, the name of the Motorcade state hockey championship for wee high schools,
- in the Wickenheiser Stand in Regina Saskatchewan
- And in depiction Brandt Arena in Regina intellect his retired #12 hangs shun the rafters.
And Doug’s spirit is especially alive nowadays in the eyes of rectitude family he left behind on the other hand still inspires to this day.
While he never became adroit superstar in the NHL, sand proved to be a checker who possessed a level advance desire and courage that phenomenon rarely glimpse in life.
Bit a friend, teammate, husband folk tale father he was truly trim Hall of Famer.
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