| 1985 NHL DRAFT PICK |
 |
Ulf Dahlen
Selected in first round
No.
7 overall by New York Rangers
Born January
12, 1967
 | Position:
Center
Height: 6-3 Weight: 195
|
|
| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Ostersund (Sweden)
Birthplace:
Ostersund, Sweden
Hometown: Ostersund, Sweden |
 |
 |
|
| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1983-84 |
Ostersund | Sweden |
36 | 15 |
11 | 26 |
10 | | 1984-85 |
Ostersund | Sweden |
31 | 27 |
26 | 53 |
20 |
|
PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
European Junior Championships: 1985 (gold medal)
European
Junior Championships Best Forward: 1985
Swedish Junior
Player of Year: 1984-85 (Ostersund)
European Junior Championships
All-Star First Team: 1985
Sweden European Junior Championships
Captain: 1985
European Junior Championships Points Leader: 1985 (7)
Sweden Division II Points Leader: 1984-85 (Ostersund) (53 points)
Sweden Division II Assists Leader: 1984-85 (Ostersund (26 assists)
Miscellaneous: Led Sweden to 1985 European Junior Championships gold medal
with 11 points and seven goals in five games. ... Grew up in Ostersund,
Sweden, where his father managed a bank and his mother worked for the local
phone company. |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: October 8, 1987 (Pittsburgh at N.Y.
Rangers)
Numbers: 9, 16 (N.Y. Rangers); 22, 11
(Minnesota/Dallas); 22 (S.J.);
22 (Chicago); 10 (Washington)
Stanley Cup: Never won.
Status:
Retired September 21, 2003 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | | 1987-2003 |
NYR, Minnesota/Dallas,
S.J., Chicago, Wash. | 966 |
301 | 354 |
655 | 230 |
|
| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS |
| Years | Teams |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1989-2003 |
NYR, Minnesota/Dallas,
S.J., Chicago, Wash. | 85 |
15 | 25 |
40 | 12 |
|
NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Stanley Cup Finals (Lost): 1991 (Minnesota)
San Jose Most Valuable Player: 1995
Minnesota Most Popular Player: 1991-92 (co-winner)
Minnesota
Most Improved Player: 1991-92
Minnesota Goals
Leader: 1991-92 (36)
San Jose Points
Leader: 1995 (34)
San Jose Assists Leader: 1995 (23)
San
Jose Playoffs Points Leader
Leader: 1995 (9, tie)
San Jose Playoffs Goals
Leader: 1995 (5, tie)
Coaching Career: Named Dallas assistant
coach on June 16, 2006, and remained in that position through 2006-07
season.
Scouting Career: Named Dallas European pro scout, based in
Sweden, on Aug. 25, 2005, and held that position until June 16, 2006.
Miscellaneous: Signed first NHL contract with N.Y. Rangers in May 1987
after winning Swedish championship with Umea and winning bronze medal with
Sweden in World Championships. ... Scored three goals in his third NHL game
for N.Y. Rangers on Oct. 23, 1987, vs. Chicago. The performance, in the
team's eighth game of the season, earned him a permanent spot in the N.Y.
Rangers' lineup and was the only hat trick by a N.Y. Rangers player in
1987-88. ... Missed part of 1987-88 season with bruised shin, an injury
suffered during N.Y. Rangers' Nov. 28, 1987, game at N.Y. Islanders. He did
not return to action until N.Y. Rangers' Dec. 5, 1987, game at St. Louis.
... Shifted from his natural position of center to right wing while playing
for N.Y. Rangers during second half of 1987-88 season. He would remain
primarily a right wing for the balance of his NHL career. ... Finished
fourth among all NHL rookies with 52 points, 29 goals, 11 power-play goals
and 159 shots on goal in 1987-88. ... Began playing left wing, in addition
to right wing, for N.Y. Rangers in 1988-89. ... Missed part of 1988-89
season with bruised left shoulder, an injury suffered during N.Y. Rangers'
Nov. 26, 1988, game at N.Y. Islanders. He did not return to action until
N.Y. Rangers' Dec. 4, 1988, game at Edmonton. ... Missed part of 1988-89
season with separated left shoulder, an injury suffered during N.Y. Rangers'
Jan. 14, 1989, game at Pittsburgh. He did not return to action until N.Y.
Rangers' Feb. 12, 1989, game vs. Edmonton. ... Missed part of 1988-89 season
with bruised right shoulder, an injury suffered during N.Y. Rangers' Feb.
25, 1989, game at Quebec. He did not return to action until N.Y. Rangers'
March 18, 1989, game at Quebec. ... Scored five points on three goals and
two assists in Minnesota's March 9, 1991, game vs. Detroit. ... Led
Minnesota with 16.3% shooting percentage in 1991-92. ... Was on Minnesota
team that relocated to Dallas on June 9, 1993. ... Scored first playoff hat
trick in San Jose Sharks history when he achieved feat in Game 3 of San
Jose's second-round playoff series vs. Toronto on May 6, 1994. ... Missed
part of 1995 season with the flu, an illness contracted in February 1995.
... Named San Jose assistant captain on Feb. 28, 1995, and served in that
role until he was traded to Chicago on Jan. 25, 1997. ... Scored first
playoff overtime goal in San Jose Sharks history in Game 2 of team's
first-round series at Calgary on May 9, 1995. ... Missed part of 1995-96
season with groin injury, suffered during San Jose's Oct. 28, 1995, game vs.
Dallas. He did not return to action until San Jose's Nov. 4, 1995, game vs.
St. Louis. ... Missed part of 1995-96 season with broken right toe, an injury
suffered while blocking a shot during San Jose's Jan. 11, 1996, game at New
Jersey. He did not return to
action until San Jose's March 3, 1996, game vs. Calgary. ... Scored
game-winning goal for Chicago in his first game in Blackhawks uniform on
Jan. 27, 1997, at N.Y. Rangers. ... Missed part of 1996-97 season with back
spasms, an injury suffered during Chicago's March 23, 1997, game vs.
Detroit. ... Opted to return to Sweden rather than play in minor leagues
after Chicago assigned him to Indianapolis (IHL) on Sept. 29, 1997. Dahlen
had failed to win a spot on Chicago's 1997-98 roster. In order to go back to
Sweden, he accepted a buyout of the final two seasons of his contract, which
would have paid him a total of $3 million for the 1997-98 and 1998-99
seasons. Under terms of the buyout he was not allowed to return to the NHL
until the 1999-00 season. ... Signed with Washington as a Group III
unrestricted free agent on July 21, 1999. ... Missed part of 1999-00 season
with neck injury, suffered during Washington's March 15, 2000, game vs. N.Y.
Islanders. ... Missed part of 2000-01 season with back injury, suffered
during Washington's Dec. 14, 2000, game vs. Minnesota. He did not return to
action until Washington's Dec. 23, 2000, game vs. Florida. ... Missed part
of 2000-01 season with flu, an illness contracted in February 2001. ...
Missed part of 2000-01 season with stiff neck, an injury suffered in
Washington's March 1, 2001, game vs. Toronto. ... Missed part of 2000-01
season with re-aggravation of neck injury, suffered in Washington's March 6,
2001, game at N.Y. Islanders. He did not return until Washington's March 11,
2001, game vs. Ottawa. ... Missed part of 2000-01 season with bruised foot,
an injury suffered during Washington's March 30, 2001, game at Carolina. ...
Missed part of 2001-02 season with bruised foot, an injury suffered during
Washington's Dec. 19, 2001, game at Florida. He did not return to action
until Washington's Dec. 30, 2001, game vs. Carolina. ... Missed part of
2001-02 season with re-aggravation of foot injury, suffered during
Washington's Dec. 30, 2001, game vs. Carolina. He did not return to action
until Washington's Jan. 18, 2001, game at Detroit. ... Signed with Dallas as
a Group III unrestricted free agent on Aug. 13, 2002. ... Missed part of
2002-03 season with high ankle sprain, an injury suffered during Dallas'
Dec. 6, 2002, vs. Detroit. He did not return to action until Dallas' Jan. 7,
2003, game vs. Los Angeles. ... Scored his 300th career NHL goal for Dallas
on March 29, 2003, at San Jose. ... Was Dallas' nominee for 2002-03
Masterton Trophy.
A Year of Uncertainty: Due
to a special arrangement between the Minnesota North Stars and the
soon-to-be San Jose Sharks, Dahlen was forced to spend the 1990-91 season
wondering if it would be his last in Minnesota. The issue stemmed from
brothers George and Gordon Gund's preseason sale of the North Stars to a
group run by Howard Baldwin. The deal was contingent on the NHL's having
given the Gund brothers rights to an expansion team in the San Francisco Bay
Area for the 1991-92 season. The Gunds retained Minnesota general manager
Jack Ferreira to run their new team, and as part of this arrangement, the
Bay Area team would be allowed to take players with less than 50 games of
NHL experience from the Minnesota roster in the 1991 NHL Expansion Draft.
The Bay Area team could also take veteran players off the North Stars
roster, although Minnesota would be allowed to protect 16 of them. This
technically put all Minnesota players on alert that they could be playing in
the Bay area one year later. But prior to the 1990-91 season, Ferreira made
a deal that put additional pressure on Dahlen. Because he was eager to get
Dahlen for his new team, Ferreira told North Stars general manager Bob
Clarke that if the North Stars let him to take Dahlen, he would return the
favor by letting them keep one player with under 50 games of experience and
expand their protected list from 16 to 17. Ferreira told Clarke he would not
have to make this decision until after the 1990-91 season and could keep
Dahlen if he wanted. Clarke accepted the offer but admitted it was tough on
Dahlen, who was essentially being asked to play well enough to avoid being
traded. But Dahlen handled the pressure well and responded with a strong
1990-91 performance. As a result, Clarke turned down the offer and kept
Dahlen in Minnesota. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams:
Umea (Sweden); Colorado (IHL); Jonkoping (Sweden)
Olympics: 1998
(5-8 place)
Canada Cup: 1991 (fourth place)
World Cup of Hockey: 1996
(third), 2004 (fifth) (assistant coach)
World Championships: 1989
(fourth place), 1993 (silver medal),
1998 (gold medal), 2004 (silver medal) (assistant coach)
World Jr. Championships: 1986 (fifth place), 1987
(bronze medal)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Sweden Championship:
1987 (Umea)
World Championships All-Star First Team:
1993
World Junior Championships All-Star
First Team: 1987
Sweden World
All-Star Team: 1992-93 (Minnesota)
Sweden World Junior Championships MVP: 1987
World Jr. Championships Points Leader: 1987 (15 points)
World
Jr. Championships Goals Leader: 1987 (7, tie)
Coaching Career:
Named Swedish national team assistant coach following his retirement in
September 2003 and remained in that position through September 2004 season.
Miscellaneous: Became
second-highest drafted Swedish player in NHL history at the time he was
chosen by N.Y. Rangers. ... Was not allowed to
enter NHL for first two years after he was drafted because he had to
fulfill military commitment to the Swedish army. ... Shared apartment with
N.Y. Rangers teammate Jan Erixon as rookie in 1987. ... Played on line with
Tomas Sandstrom and Anders Carlsson for host country Sweden during the 1989
World Championships in Stockholm. ... Was on Minnesota
team that joined Montreal to compete in the 1990 NHL Friendship Tour in
Soviet Union. ... Ran hockey camp in his hometown of Ostersund, Sweden,
during off-seasons of his playing days in San Jose. ... Was active in local
charitable causes during his playing days in San Jose, including work with
the Adult and Child Guidance Center and New Children's Shelter.
Personal: Full name is Ulf R.
Dahlen. |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| TRADE:
N.Y. Rangers traded Dahlen, 1990 fourth-round pick (Los Angeles) (Cal
McGowan) and 1991 conditional draft pick to Minnesota in exchange for Mike Gartner
on March 6, 1990. |
|
