Douglas Peter Wickenheiser (March 30, 1961 – January 12, 1999) was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
player, who was drafted
first overall by the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
in the
1980 NHL Entry Draft
The 1980 NHL Entry Draft was the 18th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Montreal Forum. This was the first time that an NHL arena hosted the draft.The Montreal Canadiens:100 Years of Glory, D'Arcy Jenish, p.241, Published in Canada by Doubleda ...
.
Career
Wickenheiser was born in
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina () is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 C ...
. A superstar in Major Junior hockey with the
Regina Pats
Regina (Latin for "queen") may refer to:
Places Canada
* Regina, Saskatchewan, the capital city of the province
** Regina (electoral district)
** Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina
France
* Régina, French Guiana, a commune
United States
* R ...
, he led the
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...
in goal scoring (89) during the
1979–80 WHL season The 1979–80 WHL season was the 14th season for the Western Hockey League. Eleven teams completed a 72-game season. The Regina Pats won the President's Cup.
League notes
*The Edmonton Oil Kings relocated to Great Falls, Montana to become the Gre ...
, captained the Pats to a berth in the
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played between t ...
, and was the
CHL Player of the Year
The CHL Player of the Year award is given out annually to the player judged to be the most outstanding in the Canadian Hockey League. It is selected from three most valuable players of the respective leagues; the Red Tilson Trophy of Ontario Hock ...
. Wickenheiser was rated by ''
The Hockey News
''The Hockey News'' (''THN'') is a Canadian-based ice hockey magazine. ''The Hockey News'' was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Will Cote and has since become the most recognized hockey publication in North America. The magazine has a readers ...
'' as the top draft prospect in 1980 and was subsequently selected first overall by the Montreal Canadiens. Many Canadiens' fans, particularly
French Canadian
French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fren ...
fans who desperately wanted the club to select francophone star
Denis Savard
Denis Joseph Savard (born February 4, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2017 Savard was named one of ...
, were unhappy with the selection, and Montreal media attention soon turned negative. While Wickenheiser struggled to adjust to the NHL game, Savard (drafted third overall) would quickly become a superstar with the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
, further angering some Montreal fans.
In his fourth season with the Canadiens, the club lost patience with Wickenheiser's slow development and traded him to the
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the s ...
. Probably his most famous moment with the Blues was during the
1985–86 playoffs in a game dubbed the "
Monday Night Miracle" on May 12, 1986, when after St. Louis made a large comeback against the
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
, Wickenheiser scored the overtime winner to force a Game 7 in the
Campbell Conference Campbell may refer to:
People Surname
* Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell
Given name
* Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer
* Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television ne ...
Finals. The Blues would however, lose the deciding game 2–1.
During his NHL career, Wickenheiser also played for the
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce B ...
,
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
and
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL) ...
, but did not play in the NHL after the 1989-90 season, spending his last four professional seasons in the minors and overseas. In 556 games, he scored 111 goals and 165 assists.
Cancer
In August 1994, Wickenheiser had an
epithelioid sarcoma
Epithelioid sarcoma is a rare soft tissue sarcoma arising from mesenchymal tissue and characterized by epithelioid-like features. It accounts for less than 1% of all soft tissue sarcomas. It was first clearly characterized by F.M. Enzinger in 197 ...
(a rare form of cancer),
which he had first noticed four years earlier, removed from his wrist. Three years later, in October 1997, the cancer came back and had spread to his lungs, at which point it was inoperable. He died on January 12, 1999, at the age of 37 in
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
. He is survived by his wife and three daughters. His life story was remembered in the book ''The Last Face Off: The Doug Wickenheiser Story'' written in March 2000 by Ted Pepple, Wickenheiser's father-in-law. The
Mid-States Club Hockey Association
High school hockey in Missouri consists of two leagues centered in the two largest cities in the state, St. Louis, Missouri and Kansas City, Missouri. The majority of the schools are located in the St. Louis metro area, those teams are members o ...
, the governing body for
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
hockey in St. Louis, named their championship trophy for small school/second division teams in his honor.
Legacy
An arena in his hometown of
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina () is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 C ...
, has been named Doug Wickenheiser Arena in his honor. The arena is located at the corner of Arnason St. and Rochdale Blvd. in the city's northwest corner.
The
Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy
The Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the Western Hockey League humanitarian of the year. The winner is the player who best shows a commitment to his community and to humanitarian values. The award received its current ...
which is awarded annually by the
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...
to its humanitarian of the year was renamed in 2001 in honour of Wickenheiser.
The Blues have not reissued Wickenheiser's #14 since his death, though it has not been formally retired. Blues' players wore a special helmet decal with the wick of a candle and the number 14 during parts of the 1997–98 and 1998–99 seasons. In 1999, a banner with that logo, which became the symbol of The Fourteen Fund, the official Blues
charity
Charity may refer to:
Giving
* Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons
* Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing
* Ch ...
established in his memory, was permanently placed in the rafters at the Blues' home arena, the Kiel Center (now the
Enterprise Center
The Enterprise Center is an 18,096-seat arena located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Its primary tenant is the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League, but it is also used for other functions, such as NCAA basketball, NC ...
). The emblem was worn by all NHL players in the
1999 NHL All-Star Game
The 1999 National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on January 24, 1999, at Ice Palace (Tampa arena), Ice Palace in Tampa, Florida, Tampa, home to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"North America" and the World
The major criticism of the North Americ ...
, and was also sold to the public for a small donation and became a popular trend among youth hockey players in St. Louis. One of the two high school state championships played at Enterprise Center is named after him.
Personal life
Wickenheiser was the cousin of former
Canadian national team player and
Hockey Hall of Fame
, logo = Hockey Hall of Fame Logo.svg
, logo_upright = 0.5
, image = Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto.jpg
, caption = The Hall's present location on Yonge Street since 1992
, map_type =
, former_name =
, established = 1943
, location = 30 Y ...
inductee
Hayley Wickenheiser
Hayley Wickenheiser (born August 12, 1978) is a Canadian former ice hockey player, resident physician and assistant general manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs. She was the first woman to play full-time professional men’s hockey in a positio ...
.
Career statistics
Awards
*
Bob Brownridge Memorial Trophy
The Bob Clarke Trophy is awarded annually to the player who leads the Western Hockey League in points scoring during the regular season. In both years Bob Clarke played in the WHL, he captured the League scoring title. In 1968-69, Clarke’s Flin ...
(WHL leading scorer) - 1980
* WHL First All-Star Team – 1980
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wickenheiser, Doug
1961 births
1999 deaths
Asiago Hockey 1935 players
Baltimore Skipjacks players
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
Canadian ice hockey centres
Deaths from cancer in Missouri
EV Zug players
Flint Spirits players
Fort Wayne Komets players
Ice hockey people from Saskatchewan
EC KAC players
Montreal Canadiens draft picks
Montreal Canadiens players
National Hockey League first-overall draft picks
National Hockey League first-round draft picks
New York Rangers players
Peoria Rivermen (IHL) players
Regina Blues players
Regina Pats players
St. Louis Blues players
Sportspeople from Regina, Saskatchewan
Vancouver Canucks players
Washington Capitals players