CORNWALL, Ontario – In a statement on his Twitter account, son Eric Hawerchuk announced that his father and former Cornwall Royal Dale Hawerchuk had passed away after a battle with cancer on Tuesday, Aug. 18. He was 57.
Hawerchuk was selected sixth overall in 1979 by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), the Cornwall Royals. With the Royals he was named (QMJHL) Rookie of the year, and led the Royals to a Memorial Cup victory in 1980 and again in 1981.
In 1981 he was drafted first overall into the NHL by the Winnipeg Jets.
Until 2006, Hawerchuk held the NHL record for youngest player to reach 100 points, a record broken by Sidney Crosby. Hawerchuk retired from play in 1997 and was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 2001.
Since June 2010 he was the head coach of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) team the Barrie Colts. In October 2019 Hawerchuk was diagnosed with stomach cancer and took a leave of absence to fight the disease.
“After an incredibly brave and difficult battle with cancer, our dad has passed away. My family is so proud of him and the way he fought. #HawerchukStrong,” reads a statement from his son Eric on Twitter.
