Pre-Draft Highlights

Also played right wing during junior career. ... Played for Drummondville in 1968 Memorial Cup tournament, scoring nine goals and 13 points in four tournament games. ... Won Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as OHA's leading scorer with 132 points for St. Catharines in 1969-70. ... Led OHA in goals (55) and assists (77) in 1969-70. ... Named to OHA All-Star Second Team with St. Catharines in 1969-70. ... St. Catharines captain in 1970-71. ... Won his second straight Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as OHA's leading scorer with 143 points for St. Catharines in 1970-71, becoming award's first back-to-back winner despite having missed 16 games of the 1970-71 season with a double fracture of his collarbone. ... Led OHA playoffs in goals (29), assists (26), and points (55) with St. Catharines in 1971. ... Named to OHA All-Star First Team with St. Catharines in 1970-71. ... Ended his major-junior career with OHA career record (since broken) for combined regular season and playoff points (507).

Career Vitals

Career NHL Statistics

Teams: Detroit, Los Angeles, N.Y. Rangers
Years: 1971-1989. Playoffs: 1976-1987

NHL Awards and Honors

Team Awards and Honors

Milestones

Team Records

Transaction History

June 17, 1975 -- Signed with Los Angeles as a restricted free agent. The signing required compensation to Detroit, and on June 23, 1975, the NHL approved the teams' agreed-upon compensation package in which Detroit sent Dionne's rights and Bart Crashley to Los Angeles in exchange for Terry Harper, Dan Maloney, and 1976 second-round pick (later traded). March 10, 1987 -- Traded by Los Angeles with Jeff Crossman and 1989 third-round pick (later traded) to N.Y. Rangers in exchange for Bobby Carpenter and Tom Laidlaw. Oct. 3, 1989 -- Released by N.Y. Rangers but initially refused to retire prior to the release because it would have meant forfeiting half of his salary for 1989-90. On Oct. 16, he instead agreed to collect the full value of the money over the next three years in exchange for signing his retirement papers.

Life Outside the NHL

Full Name: Marcel Elphege Dionne
Nicknames: "Beaver", "Little Beaver", "Lou"

Other Post-Draft Teams: Denver (IHL)

Career Beyond Hockey: Opened a dry-cleaning business in Mount Kisco, N.Y., upon his retirement from hockey, then ran a Mount Kisco plumbing and heating business before eventually founding his own sports marketing company, Marcel Dionne Enterprises, in the Buffalo, N.Y., area in the 1990s. The company, now known as Marcel Dionne Inc. and based in Niagara Falls, Ontario, specializes in the sale of authentic, signed sports memorabilia. It is the leading retailer of all memorabilia related to Dionne's own career. He later began running a Fantasy Camp for Kings fans and remained active in Old-timers/Legends charity hockey for years after retirement. He also served as an ambassador for the Los Angeles Kings and worked as a public speaker at corporate events.
• Hockey Hall of Fame profile

Family: Older brother of former NHL player Gilbert Dionne. ... Father of former minor-leaguer Garrett Dionne.

The Departure from Detroit

Although he was a great player for the Red Wings, Dionne's time in Detroit was very rocky. The problems first surfaced early in the 1973-74 season when the Wings got off to a terrible, 2-8-1 start under head coach Ted Garvin, who had taken over the reins from Johnny Wilson. Garvin was a demanding coach who rubbed some players the wrong way, and he developed a particularly bad relationship with Dionne. On Nov. 3, with everything going badly for the team, Garvin announced that Dionne had been suspended indefinitely but refused to tell reporters why he took the action. Garvin said Dionne was very unhappy and wasn't producing. There were rumors that he had, in fact, told Garvin he had quit the team two days earlier, and it was widely known that he had been asking general manager Ned Harkness for a trade to Montreal. On Nov. 7, following a loss to Philadelphia, the Red Wings fired Garvin and replaced him with veteran captain Alex Delvecchio, who retired to become the team's head coach. The move immediately helped lure Dionne back to the team, since he and Delvecchio had played together for two seasons. With Delvecchio behind the bench, the suspension was lifted, and Dionne returned to the Wings for their Nov. 11, 1973, game vs. Toronto. Talk of his being traded to Montreal eventually died down, and he seemed to be happy with his situation again. By the following fall, he had every reason to be excited about his future in Detroit. Shortly before the start of the 1974-75 season, Delvecchio, who had also been appointed as the team's general manager, named Dionne the team captain and insisted he wear No. 12 in his leadership role, because that number had been worn by longtime Detroit captain Sid Abel during the team's glory years. Dionne, who had just gotten married in the summer of 1974, would end up flourishing in 1974-75, as he enjoyed a breakout, 121-point season with the Wings that included breaking Gordie Howe's team records for points and assists. He even made linemate Danny Grant a 50-goal scorer -- 16 more goals than his previous career high. One matter, however, remained unresolved. Dionne was playing out the option year of his contract and had not agreed to terms on a new deal. As the season progressed, and Dionne's play got better and better, his unsettled contract status made it obvious that he didn't plan to stay with the team. And while Dionne was having a tremendous season, the Wings as a team were struggling. During the season, Dionne jokingly suggested to reporters that the team did not have enough talent to win, as it became clear that he was very unhappy with the overall play of a team about to miss the playoffs for the eighth time in nine years. Detroit ended the season at 23-45-12. Only the California Golden Seals and expansion Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts had fewer points than the Red Wings. Nobody in Detroit was particularly happy, including Dionne. when the season ended, he was free to talk to other teams since he was no longer under contract. The teams most eager to sign him were Los Angeles, Toronto, and Chicago, and Dionne just wanted out of Detroit. Kings owner Jack Kent Cooke decided to scare off the other bidders by offering Dionne a reported five-year, $1.5 million contract that included a $250,000 signing bonus. The Kings had also worked out the compensation with Detroit, and the whole deal was completed by June 23, 1975. Dionne, whose agent was R. Alan Eagleson, became the second-highest paid player in the NHL, ranking just behind fellow Eagleson client Bobby Orr. Orr was said to be earning $300,000 per year, while Dionne would made $275,000 per season

Leaving Los Angeles

On March 10, 1987, Los Angeles sports fans were stunned to learn that Dionne had been traded to the New York Rangers. The deal, however, fulfilled Dionne's own wishes to leave a team that was struggling for one that had a better chance to win the Stanley Cup. Even though he wanted to be dealt at the traded deadline, Dionne said "I feel sad. I feel empty" when the trade finally took place. Dionne had only requested the trade one day earlier, recognizing his desire to play for a better team in the waning years of his career. He and his agent, R. Alan Eagleson, also recognized they were just a year away from what would be a difficult contract negotiation, and the Kings did not seem too eager to keep him around for big money. Dionne was certain he would not be getting a good offer from Los Angeles. "I knew something was written on the wall," he told reporters. "They were hesitant to renegotiate. I wanted to know where I was going in this organization and they made it clear. They made it clear. I didn't fit into their plans." Kings general manager Rogie Vachon said that was not the case, and Dionne had simply asked to be traded to a better team. "He wanted a chance to win a Cup before he retires," Vachon said. "And I thought we owed him that chance." As part of the trade, the Rangers agreed to extend Dionne's contract for two years at a salaray of $600,000 per season -- the same amount he was due to earn under the final year of his Kings contract. Dionne left Los Angeles with 689 career goals, 984 career assists, and 1,673 career points. At the time, only Gordie Howe had more career points and assists, and only Howe and Phil Esposito had more career goals. Dionne also left with Kings records for career games played (921, record since broken), career points (1,307, record still stands), career goals (550, record since broken), career power-play goals (172, record since broken), career assists (757, record still stands), career game-winning goals (59, record since broken), career playoff points (43, record since broken), career playoff goals (20, record since broken), career playoff power-play goals (10, record since broken), and career playoff assists (23, record since broken).

Career Highlights

Also played right wing during his NHL career. ... Scored his first NHL goal in his third NHL game on Oct. 16, 1971, at St. Louis. Blues goaltender Ernie Wakely allowed the goal. ... Recorded his first NHL hat trick in Detroit's March 19, 1972, game vs. Montreal. ... Finished 13th in NHL scoring race with 77 points as a rookie with Detroit in 1971-72. ... Set NHL record (since broken) for points by a rookie with 77 for Detroit in 1971-72. ... Had 13 shots on goal in Detroit's Nov. 24, 1974, game vs. Los Angeles. ... Set NHL single-season record (since broken) for shorthanded goals with 10 for Detroit in 1974-75. ... Set Detroit single-season records (since broken) for points (121) and assists (74) in 1974-75. ... Scored more points in his first four NHL seasons than any other player in NHL history up to that time (366 points, record since broken). ... Began playing right wing with Los Angeles in 1975-76. ... Set Los Angeles single-season records (since broken) for goals (40) and points (94), while tying team record for assists (54) in 1975-76. ... Assisted on Darryl Sittler's goal at 11:33 of overtime to beat Czechoslovakia and win the inaugural Canada Cup for Canada on Sept. 15, 1976, at Montreal. ... Became first Los Angeles Kings player to score 100 points in a season when he registered point No. 100 with a game-tying goal at 19:53 of the third period on March 5, 1977, vs. Pittsburgh. ... Became first Los Angeles Kings player to score 50 goals in a season when he scored No. 50 at 9:16 of the second period on April 2, 1977, vs. Minnesota goaltender Pete LoPresti. ... Played 30 games at right wing for Los Angeles in 1976-77. ... Set Los Angeles single-season records (since broken) for goals (53), assists (69), and points (122) in 1976-77. ... Served as captain of Team Canada at 1978 IIHF World Championship tournament in Prague, Czechoslovakia. ... Won IIHF Directorate Award as the best forward at the 1978 World Championship tournament after scoring nine goals and 12 points in 10 games for Team Canada. ... Named Team Canada MVP at the 1978 IIHF World Championship tournament. ... Scored his 300th career NHL goal against Detroit goaltender Rogie Vachon as part of his first career four-goal game on Jan. 13, 1979. ... Set Los Angeles single-season records (since broken) for goals (59), assists (71), points (130), power-play goals (19), consecutive games with at least one goal (7 from Nov. 20, 1978, to Dec. 4, 1978), and game-tying goals (5) in 1978-79. ... Was runner-up to Bob MacMillan in voting for 1978-79 Lady Byng Trophy. ... Set Los Angeles single-season records (since broken) for points (137), assists (84), and consecutive games with at least one point (18 from Oct. 10, 1979, to Nov. 15, 1979) in 1979-80. ... Played on line with Charlie Simmer and Dave Taylor that set Los Angeles records with 146 total goals, 182 total assists, and 328 total points in 1979-80. ... Was runner-up to Wayne Gretzky in voting for 1979-80 Lady Byng Trophy. ... Reached 1,000 points faster than any player in NHL history at the time when he registered his 1,000th point in his 740th NHL game (record since broken). He became the 12th player in NHL history to register 1,000 points. ... Tied Los Angeles single-season record (since broken) with 23 power-play goals in 1980-81. ... Passed Butch Goring to become Los Angeles' career leader in goals, assists, and points during 1980-81 season. ... Recorded first playoff "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" in Los Angeles Kings history on April 9, 1981, vs. N.Y. Rangers. ... Recorded first regular-season "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" in Los Angeles Kings history on Nov. 4, 1981, at Chicago. ... Became seventh player in NHL history to score 500 goals when he reached the milestone at 3:00 of the first period on Dec. 14, 1982, at Washington. The goal came against Capitals goalie Al Jensen. ... Tied Los Angeles record (since broken) for points in one game with six (3 goals, 3 assists) on Jan. 11, 1983, at Washington. ... Scored at least one goal in 11 consecutive games for Los Angeles from Feb. 26, 1983, to March 22, 1983. ... Became the first player in NHL history to score 40 goals in nine seasons and 100 points in seven seasons after registering 56 goals and 107 points in 1982-83. He scored the milestone 100th point on March 26, 1983, vs. Edmonton. ... Tied NHL record (since broken) for most 50-goal seasons with his seventh 50-goal season in 1982-83, scoring No. 50 on March 17, 1983, vs. Quebec. ... Scored the first regular-season overtime goal in Los Angeles Kings history on Dec. 26, 1983, at Vancouver. ... Became fourth player in NHL history to score 600 career goals with goal against Calgary netminder Don Edwards on Dec. 15, 1984. ... Named NHL Player of Week for week ending Jan. 27, 1985, after getting three goals and 13 points in four games. ... Passed Phil Esposito's career mark of 1,590 points to become No. 2 on the NHL's all-time scoring list behind Gordie Howe with an assist on March 20, 1986, at Boston. ... Became only the second player in NHL history to score 700 career goals when he beat N.Y. Islanders goaltender kelly Hrudey on a power play at 19:27 of the third period in N.Y. Ranges' 8-2 road loss. ... Became only the second player in NHL history to record 1,000 career assists when he had the primary assist on Jari Gronstrand's goal at 15:54 of the first period in N.Y. Rnagers' Nov. 7, 1987, game at Los Angeles. The game was Dionne's first in Los Angeles after being traded to the Rangers the previous season. ... Passed Phil Esposito's career mark of 717 goals to become the No. 2 goal-scorer in NHL history at the time by scoring No. 718 on Feb. 14, 1988, vs. N.Y. Islanders. ... Led N.Y. Rangers with 22 power-play goals in 1987-88. ... Had 13 assists in nine games for Denver (IHL) during the lone minor-league stint of his career -- a conditioning assignment from Feb. 7, 1989, to March 4, 1989. ... Retired from NHL in 1989 at No. 3 on list of all-time NHL points leaders, trailing only Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky. He was also No. 2 on the all-time goals list, trailing only Howe, and No. 3 on the all-time assists list, trailing ony Wayne Gretzky and Howe. ... Inducted into the Los Angeles Kings Hall of Fame in 1997. ... Inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. ... Appears on a Canadian 49-cent postage stamp that was issued in 2004. ... Honored with the NHL's Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to U.S. hockey in 2006.
 

Retired Sweater Number

On Nov. 8, 1990, the Los Angeles Kings made Dionne the second player in team history to see his uniform number go to the rafters of the Great Western Forum. Dionne's No. 16 joined Rogie Vachon's No. 30 in a special ceremony before the Kings' game against Detroit, the team with which Dionne had entered the league. At the time, the Kings had Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille on their roster and were enjoying a great rebirth. "From what I've seen, it won't be long before a Stanley Cup banner is hanging up there, too," said Dionne after his number was retired. Dionne was right about the Stanley Cup banner, but the Kings would have to wait nearly 22 years from the time of his statement to see it -- and by then they were playing in a different arena. The Kings celebrated Dionne's night by routing the Wings 5-1.
 

The 1972 Summit Series

At the same time he was turning 21, Dionne was honored with a spot on the Team Canada squad that competed against the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summit Series. The youngest player chosen to the team, Dionne was coming off a phenomenal rookie season that made him a candidate for the honor. He traveled with the team throughout the series and was there when the Canadians came from behind to clinch the series with a dramatic victory in the eighth and final game. Unfortunately, he did not get a chance to play in any of the series' games because there were many more experienced NHL stars on the roster. Nevertheless, as a member of Team Canada, Dionne was honored with induction into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame alongside his Summit Series teammates in 2005.
 

The Greatest Cup-less Star

When Ray Bourque won his first and only Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001, it became evident that Marcel Dionne would be the first name mentioned whenever fans began to consider the greatest NHL player who never won a Stanley Cup championship during his playing career. It is very hard to argue against Dionne deserving this somewhat dubious honor, even though decades have passed an a generation of other stars has come and gone since he retired from the game. A look at the all-time NHL leaders in multiple offensive categories shows just how much never winning a title affected Dionne's legacy. Among the top 10 NHL point-scorers of all time, Dionne is the only player who never won the Cup. The next-highest player on the scoring list is Adam Oates, who scored less than half as many goals as Dionne. Among the top 10 goal-scorers of all time, Dionne and Mike Gartner are the only players who never won the Cup. But Gartner played 84 more games than Dionne, scored 23 fewer goals, and had more than 400 fewer points. What made all this even more frustrating was that Dionne never advanced beyond the playoffs' second round. His teams' career record in playoffs series in which he participated was a mere 3-9. His only wins came in series played in 1976, 1977, and 1982.

International Tournaments

Significant Injuries

Missed part of 1970-71 season with double fracture of collarbone, an injury suffered during St. Catharines' Dec. 11, 1970, game at Toronto. He did not return until St. Catharines' Jan. 24, 1971, game vs. Hamilton and recorded four points in that game. ... Missed part of 1977-78 season with separated shoulder, an injury suffered during Los Angeles' Nov. 23, 1977, game vs. Chicago. He did not return until Los Angeles' Dec. 15, 1977, game vs. Buffalo. ... Missed part of 1983-84 season with sprained left ankle, suffered when he was checked by Larry Murphy and slid into the boards during Los Angeles' Jan. 11, 1984, game vs. Washington. He did not return until Los Angeles' Feb. 2, 1984, game vs. Vancouver. ... Missed part of 1983-84 season with re-aggravation of left ankle injury, suffered during Los Angeles' Feb. 14, 1984, game at New Jersey. He did not return until Los Angeles' Feb. 26, 1984, game vs. Calgary. ... Missed part of 1987-88 season with arthritic inflammation of left knee, an injury diagnosed on Dec. 27, 1987. He appeared in one game after the diagnosis, but did not return after that until N.Y. Rangers' Jan. 22, 1988, game at Vancouver.

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