Jets pay tribute to franchise legend Hawerchuk
On the 40th anniversary of the day they first signed Dale Hawerchuk at Portage and Main, the Winnipeg Jets took to the streets to honour the late hockey legend again on Friday.
True North Sports and Entertainment chair Mark Chipman announced details of a statue commemorating No. 10, a renamed section of a downtown street and an annual pond-hockey tournament.
The statue will be designed by the same sculptor who created the Wayne Gretzky statue outside the home of the Los Angeles Kings and the “Legends Row” of 14 sculptures outside the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“Dale, quite simply, is part of the fabric of this city and of the Winnipeg Jets organization,” Chipman said in a statement.
“Beyond that, he has contributed so much to the sport of hockey. We are so proud to give Dale these much-deserved honours to showcase his extraordinary career and the remarkable person he was, and ensure his legacy lives well beyond the fans who followed his career and who were lucky enough to see him play.”
Honorary Dale Hawerchuk Way, if approved by the city, will rename a two-block section of Graham Avenue in time for the Jets home opener next season.
The first Ducky Pond Hockey Classic will take place in January on a new custom-made lake at Camp Manitou.
“Dale has always been proud to be a part of the community in Winnipeg and felt very much at home in Manitoba,” Hawerchuk's son, Eric, said in the statement. “It meant so much to him during his battle with cancer to see all the love and support from his fans. The Ducky Pond Hockey Classic is a perfect way to remember Dale. Some of our most cherished memories with him are playing pond hockey on Lake Winnipeg during the holidays with friends and family. There is something truly special about being on skates outside in Canada.”
The Jets drafted Hawerchuk first overall in 1981, and over the next nine seasons in Winnipeg he was one of the top players in the NHL.
Hawerchuk died a year ago this month after a long battle with cancer.