The Barrie Colts are pleased to announce that Dale Hawerchuk has been signed to a new three year contract as Head Coach of the OHL Barrie Colts.

“We’re pleased to continue our relationship with Dale. Having a head coach of his caliber is such an asset to our organization”, said Colts President Howie Campbell. “Both behind the bench and off the ice, he is a total professional. His knowledge of the sport, and his ability to improve each of our players and our team as a whole, makes it an easy decision. His experience at the professional level is something that is so valuable to an OHL Team. If you look at the number of our players who have been drafted and have signed pro contracts since he’s been here, that speaks to just how valuable that is. Not only is our goal to win a Memorial Cup, it’s also to help further the careers of each of our players. And there’s no better coach than Dale to do that”, added Mr. Campbell.

“I’m happy to be continuing my role here with Barrie. It’s a great community and I can’t believe how fast my first six years has gone by. The management and ownership of the team is totally committed to winning a memorial cup, as I am, and when you’re in a job like mine, it’s good to know that the commitment and the support is there to win. I love the city of Barrie too. The people here have been great and our fans are some of the most loyal in the league. I want to be a big part of bringing the Cup to Barrie”, said Dale Hawerchuk.

Hawerchuk was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. As a junior in his rookie year, Hawerchuk was the playoff MVP and led the Cornwall Royals to a Memorial Cup championship. In his second year in junior, he scored 81 goals and 183 points and led the Royals to their second consecutive Memorial Cup title. He was named a QMJHL First Team All-Star, the Canadian Major Junior Player of the Year, and Memorial Cup MVP.

He was drafted 1st overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 1981. In his first year in the NHL, he became the youngest NHL player in history to reach 100 points (a record since broken by Sidney Crosby in 2006), and won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year. He went on to play 17 years in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers.

Dale played for Team Canada in the 1987 Canada Cup tournament, and had a goal and two assists in the decisive third game of the Finals against the Soviets. He was named Canada’s MVP for that decisive game.