Winnipeg Jets planning a classy tributes for the late Dale Hawerchuk

The Jets are going all out to honor one of the great players from their past.

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Published 2 years ago
Winnipeg Jets planning a classy tributes for the late Dale Hawerchuk
Jets Nation

The Winnipeg Jets are planning a series of tributes to honor the late Dale Hawerchuk, arguably the greatest player in the history of the 1st edition of the franchise. 

Hawerchuk, who succumbed to stomach cancer on August 18, 2020 at the age of 57, will have a statue of his likeness unveiled in his honor by the Jets and True North Sports and Entertainment. It will be completed by August of 2022 and will be placed in True North Square plaza, not far from the newly renamed Canada Life Centre.

"I'm confident in saying that Dale was, in all respects, the greatest Jet that ever played in this city," TNSE chairman Mark Chipman said. "He was our Wayne Gretzky or Bobby Orr, and there was just something so powerful about that."

And prior to Hawerchuk's passing, he was made aware of the planned honor.

"I felt really blessed to tell him before he passed that his likeness would be cemented in the history of this city," said Chipman, who had to pause to fight back tears during Friday's announcement.

The statue will be commissioned by Erik Blome of Figurative Art Studio, who also created the statue of Wayne Gretzky outside of Staples Center in Los Angeles, as well as additional work with the Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs. 

True North Sports and Entertainment has also applied to the city to designate a two-block stretch of Graham Avenue as Dale Hawerchuk Way. Additionally, an annual Ducky Pond Hockey Classic is being established, appropriately named after Hawerchuk's nickname. 

He was selected first overall in the 1981 NHL Draft, and went on to lead the Jets to the greatest single-season improvement in NHL history at 48-points. He also became the youngest NHL player in history to reach 100 points with 45 goals and 58 assists (a record since broken by none other than Penguins star Sidney Crosby in 2006), finishing with 103, and winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year. And of course, he appeared in the NHL All-Star game that season as well. 

Source: CBC