MONTREAL — His legacy will live on in the form of a statue set to be unveiled this fall outside Canada Life Centre.
The family of the late, great Dale Hawerchuk has no doubt he’d love what’s going down inside the rink these days with the hockey club with which his Hall of Fame career began.
New head coach Rick Bowness and new associate coach Scott Arniel have a rich and storied history with “Ducky,” who died of stomach cancer in August 2020 at the age of 57.
“I know Dale would be really happy to see these guys running the show together,” Eric Hawerchuk told me on Tuesday. “Not only do they have such a strong connection to the city, they’re clearly among the best in the world at what they do.”
Bowness, 67, was near the end of his playing career in 1981 when the Jets made Hawerchuk the first overall pick in that summer’s draft. Bowness returned to the organization to coach Hawerchuk, first as an assistant for three years (1984-87) and briefly as interim head coach in 1989.
JUSTIN SAMANSKI-LANGILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES
Eric Hawerchuk (right) and his father, the late Winnipeg Jets star Dale, at Elmhurst Golf and Country Club in 2017.
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JUSTIN SAMANSKI-LANGILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES
Eric Hawerchuk (right) and his father, the late Winnipeg Jets star Dale, at Elmhurst Golf and Country Club in 2017.
The working relationship blossomed into a deep friendship and mutual admiration spanning four decades.
“He and my dad used to talk often. Dale always only had great things to say,” said Eric Hawerchuk, who got to spend some quality time with Bowness this past February in Arizona.
“I didn’t know Rick personally very well until the past couple years. We played some golf together during the All-Star break. It was great to catch up with him,” Eric Hawerchuk said.
No doubt plenty of hockey observers recall the sight of Bowness, coaching the Dallas Stars inside the Edmonton bubble, standing on the bench in tears as a video tribute played to Hawerchuk on the day of his passing.
“He (Rick Bowness) and my dad used to talk often. Dale always only had great things to say.” – Eric Hawerchuk
“I wasn’t much of a player so I always had great admiration for his skills,” Bowness said at the time. “The year we drafted him, back in ’81, I was just a journeyman hockey player. But when he stepped on the ice with us prior to the (season), during those scrimmages during training camp, he was 18 and I said, ‘Wow, this kid is the real deal, and he’s going to turn that franchise around.’ Which he did. Then, you get to know him as a person. There are elite athletes and elite people, and Dale was both.”
Bowness’s club ultimately made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now, after stepping down after three seasons with the Stars, Bowness is back in the city where his decorated NHL coaching journey began.
“I was really happy to hear Rick got the job. He’s a great guy and a great leader. The players seem to love him everywhere he goes,” said Eric Hawerchuk.
“I’m ready to dive right in, work really hard and see where these roads lead,” said Hawerchuk, who has been the leading force behind the Hawerchuk Strong fundraising movement in his father’s name, along with his mother, Crystal, sister, Alexis and younger brother, Ben, who is currently playing professional hockey and is signed with a team in Italy for the upcoming season after playing last year with Jacksonville of the ECHL.
“I’m ready to dive right in, work really hard and see where these roads lead.” – Eric Hawerchuk
No matter where their careers take them, Hawerchuk said a major part of their world remains in Winnipeg. And this week’s developments have only strengthened that connection.
“With the Jets, I think the future is very bright,” he said. “A coaching change midway through the season last year put everyone in a tough spot but you go through those growing pains to get to times like now. I think there’s a new buzz in the city from talking to friends and family. It’s an exciting time for sure.”
Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg
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