Rick Vaive

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Vaive was born in Ottawa, Ontario, and lived in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island after he turned 11. As a youth, he played in the 1970 and 1971 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from Amherst, Nova Scotia. After a junior career with the Sherbrooke Castors, he began his professional career in 1978-79 in the WHA with the Birmingham Bulls. He was selected fifth overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1979 NHL entry draft. In 1980, the Canucks traded Vaive, along with Bill Derlago, to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Vaive became the first player in the team's history to score 50 goals in a season. His 54 goals in 1981–82 stood as a franchise record for 40 years. Vaive served as captain of the Maple Leafs from 1982 to 1986; he was stripped of the captaincy during the 1985–86 NHL season for missing a morning practice. In 1987, Vaive was traded, along with Steve Thomas and Bob McGill, to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Al Secord and Ed Olczyk. Vaive netted 43 goals in his first season in Chicago. He was traded from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Buffalo Sabres on December 26, 1988, in exchange for center Adam Creighton. He spent four seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, then retired as a member of the American Hockey League's Hamilton Canucks in 1993. He later played for the Dundee Real McCoys at the age of 42. In May 2000, Vaive was inducted into the PEI Sports Hall of Fame.

In Their Own Story

Vaive's time in Buffalo came after a career that saw him play in the final season of the World Hockey Association (WHA) with the Birmingham Bulls, then for the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Chicago Blackhawks. While with the Maple Leafs, he served as captain from 1982 to 1986, was stripped of the captaincy during the 1985–86 season for missing a morning practice, and scored three 50-goal seasons on teams that lost over 40 games each time. He is the only skater with three 50-goal seasons on teams that failed to win 30 games. Vaive was invited to the Canada Cup team in 1984 but was cut in training camp.

Reader's Guide

Vaive's 43-goal season came in his first season with Chicago (1987–88), not with Toronto. He scored 32 goals in 1986–87 with Toronto before being traded to Chicago during that season. The trade to Buffalo occurred on December 26, 1988, not 1987.

Did You Know?

• Vaive is the only skater with three 50-goal seasons on teams that failed to win 30 games.
• He was invited to the Canada Cup team in 1984 but was cut in training camp.
• Vaive battled anxiety and a fear of flying during his playing career.
• He was charged with impaired driving in 2009 but was cleared of the charges in 2012.