Greats of the Game: Marcel Dionne

Greats of the Game: Marcel Dionne
by Chris Foreman, Correspondent

Rarely does a superstar slip through the cracks of prestige and recognition as inconspicuously as Marcel Dionne.

Despite a resume which reflects his standing as third all-time in goals (731), assists (1040), and points (1771), the spotlight seemed to shun the steady centerman over his 18 National Hockey League seasons. Depreciated throughout his proficient career, Dionne was a member of only four season-ending All-Star squads (two first-team and two second-team selections).

However, as fans dispute who the greatest players were, Dionne's name infrequently comes up in discussions, in spite of the brilliance he displayed from 1971-72 to 1988-89.

Part of the blame for the oversight, whether intentional or unintentional, may be tied in with the lack of jewelry on his fingers. Mired on more than a few inept teams, Dionne attended the Lord Stanley's playoff bash only nine times, playing in just 49 games. Regardless, the smooth playmaker maintained a respectable status, recording 45 post-season points (21 goals and 24 assists).

Born Aug. 3, 1951 in Drummondville, Quebec, his hockey prowess was evident as early as in Junior hockey with St. Catharines in the Ottawa Hockey Association. In three seasons, Dionne dominated play, racking up 507 points (including the playoffs).

That superiority encouraged the Detroit Red Wings to tab the five-foot-eight, 190-pounder as the second-overall choice in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft, behind the Montreal Canadiens' Guy Lafleur. The right-handed shooter compiled four stellar seasons in Motown, topping the 40-goal mark twice (1972-73; 1974-75) and the 100-point plateau once (1974-75). In his first campaign he broke Gilbert Perrault's rookie point record (77 points), but the Calder Trophy eluded him for Montreal's goaltending sensation Ken Dryden. Dionne did, however, bring home honors as the Lady Byng Trophy winner, as the league's most gentlemanly player.

In the summer of 1975, Dionne moved on to Hollywood where he would light the lamp 40 times in his initial season and appear in his first playoff series. He spent nearly 12-full years in Los Angeles, reaching 50 goals six times and 100 points on seven occasions.

Dionne finally encountered some fame with the Kings centering the "Triple Crown Line," flanked by left wing Charlie Simmer and right wing Dave Taylor. He collected his lone Art Ross Trophy in 1979-80, a distinction he received for his league-leading 137-point performance.

A mid-season trade in 1986-87 shifted Dionne's magnificent career to Broadway, where he would eventually conclude his career with the "Blue Shirts." Dionne was solid in New York, managing to crack the 30-goal class one final time in 1987-88 as well as a second Lady Byng Trophy. His farewell tour a year later featured a 37-year-old Dionne struggling to compete in a game he once mastered. He played in just 37 contests, scoring 23 points, and actually spent a nine-game stint skating through the motions for Denver of the International Hockey League (no goals and 13 assists).

Laurels largely failed to decorate Marcel Dionne's mantle, despite an illustrious career. His legend, however, is cemented into NHL history in the record books, and in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto through his induction in 1992.