Kirby Dach

Lore & Background

Dach began playing ice hockey around age five, practicing in a backyard rink and on Garner Lake near his family's cabin. He was a childhood fan of the Edmonton Oilers and frequently attended games at Rexall Place with his father. In minor hockey, he often played above his age level and at age 13 recorded 100 points in 33 games, breaking Tyler Benson's 84-point league record. He was selected second overall by the Saskatoon Blades in the 2016 WHL bantam draft and made his major junior debut later that season, scoring his first goal on February 10, 2017 against the Moose Jaw Warriors. Dach was named an alternate captain for the Blades in January 2019 and captained Team Orr at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. He finished the WHL season with 25 goals and 48 assists in 62 games and was ranked third amongst North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting Services for the 2019 draft.

Dach made his NHL debut for the Blackhawks on October 20, 2019 and scored his first NHL goal two days later. In the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, he helped the Blackhawks upset the Edmonton Oilers in the qualifying round and scored his first career playoff goal on August 13 versus the Vegas Golden Knights, becoming the sixth teenaged player to score a playoff goal for the Blackhawks and the first since Jeremy Roenick in 1989. After a wrist injury sustained at the 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships limited his 2020–21 season, Dach struggled in 2021–22 with nine goals and 17 assists in 70 games. He was traded to the Montreal Canadiens during the 2022 NHL entry draft in exchange for the 13th overall pick and a third-round selection. Dach signed a four-year, $13.45 million extension with the Canadiens in September 2022. He scored his first goal with the team on October 17, 2022 in a 3–2 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. After being moved to the wing on the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, the configuration garnered strong initial results. Dach set a new career high of 38 points in 2022–23 despite injuries. In the 2023–24 season, he tore both his ACL and MCL in the second game and required season-ending surgery. He returned in 2024–25 and registered his 100th career NHL point in the season opener, but underwent right knee surgery on February 28, 2025, ending his season. In 2025–26, Dach suffered a fractured foot and later an upper body injury, appearing in 37 games with eight goals and seven assists. He played in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, his first postseason action since 2020, and after errors in game 2 drew social media harassment, he had a goal and an assist in a game 3 victory.

Reader's Guide

Kirby Dach's career illustrates the trajectory of a high draft pick whose early promise was complicated by injuries and organizational changes. Selected third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2019, Dach made an immediate impact as a teenager, scoring his first NHL goal against Marc-André Fleury and becoming the first Blackhawks teen to score a playoff goal since Jeremy Roenick in 1989. His performance in the 2020 playoff upset of the Edmonton Oilers, where he recorded four assists in the first three games, suggested a bright future. However, a wrist injury at the 2021 World Junior Championships and subsequent reaggravation limited his development, and by 2021–22 he struggled despite playing with high-caliber linemates such as Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks' rebuild led to his trade to the Montreal Canadiens during the 2022 draft. In Montreal, Dach initially found success on the wing with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, crediting coach Martin St. Louis for allowing him to enjoy the game again. He set a career high of 38 points in 2022–23 despite missing games due to injuries. However, major knee injuries in 2023–24 and 2024–25, along with a fractured foot and upper body issues in 2025–26, have limited his availability. His 2026 playoff return was marked by both social media harassment after errors in game 2 and a strong response in game 3 with a goal and an assist. Dach's legacy remains that of a talented centre whose career has been significantly shaped by injury interruptions.

Did You Know?

• Dach broke Tyler Benson's 84-point league record at age 13 by recording 100 points in 33 games.
• He scored his first NHL goal against goaltender Marc-André Fleury of the Vegas Golden Knights.
• Dach became the first Blackhawks teenager to score a playoff goal since Jeremy Roenick in 1989.
• He was traded from Chicago to Montreal during the 2022 NHL entry draft for the 13th overall pick and a third-round selection.

Roots in Fort Saskatchewan

Kirby Dach's connection to ice hockey stretches back to his earliest years in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, where he was born on January 21, 2001, to Dale and Hillary Dach. Around the age of five, young Kirby was already lacing up skates, spending hours on a backyard rink and the frozen surface of Garner Lake near his family's cabin. Those formative sessions laid the groundwork for a player who would consistently compete above his age level throughout his minor hockey years. A devoted Edmonton Oilers supporter, he made a tradition of attending games at Rexall Place alongside his father, soaking in the atmosphere of the NHL at a young age. His talent was undeniable even in the Alberta Midget Hockey League, where he suited up for the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers. The defining proof of his early dominance came at just thirteen years old, when he amassed 100 points in only 33 games, shattering Tyler Benson's previous league mark of 84 points and announcing himself as a generational prospect.

Rising Through the WHL

After going second overall in the 2016 bantam draft, Dach committed to the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League. His first season with the Blades was shaped by circumstances beyond his control: a wave of injuries to the team's forward group led to a rare mid-season promotion of the underage teenager for the remainder of 2016–17. On February 10, 2017, he found the back of the net against the Moose Jaw Warriors for his first major-junior goal, finishing that abbreviated stretch with six goals and ten points in nineteen appearances. The following campaign saw him post seven goals and 39 assists across 52 games, showcasing his playmaking instincts. By January 2019, the Blades had elevated him to alternate captain, and he also led Team Orr at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, contributing an assist. His final WHL season produced 25 goals and 48 assists in 62 games, earning a third-ranked grade among North American skaters from NHL Central Scouting. That recognition culminated in the 2019 NHL entry draft, where the Chicago Blackhawks selected him third overall, and he promptly signed a three-year entry-level deal.

The Chicago Years: Promise and Setback

Dach stepped onto the NHL stage on October 20, 2019, facing the Washington Capitals, and just two days later scored his first professional goal against Vegas goaltender Marc-André Fleury. His rookie season, truncated by the pandemic, yielded eight goals and 15 assists in 64 games—output on par with fellow first-rounders Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko. The 2020 bubble playoffs in Edmonton and Toronto became a defining moment: the Blackhawks, underdogs, dismantled the Edmonton Oilers three games to one, with Dach piling up four assists in the first three contests and widely regarded as one of the series' standout performers. He etched his name into franchise history on August 13, becoming only the sixth teenager ever to score a playoff goal for Chicago and the first since Jeremy Roenick in 1989. Yet the trajectory reversed sharply. A wrist injury sustained at the 2021 World Juniors cost him most of the following season, and the 2021–22 campaign brought just nine goals and 17 assists in 70 games, with observers noting the Blackhawks' roster had placed him in a role he was ill-equipped to fill. General manager Kyle Davidson's rebuild made a trade increasingly likely.

A New Chapter in Montreal

During the 2022 NHL draft, the Blackhawks dealt Dach to the Montreal Canadiens in return for a 13th overall selection and a third-round pick—a move the Canadiens facilitated by first sending defenceman Alexander Romanov to the New York Islanders to acquire the higher pick. General manager Kent Hughes publicly expressed confidence that Dach could still reach his ceiling. Shortly after, on September 7, 2022, Dach committed to a four-year, $13.45 million extension. His first goal in a Canadiens uniform came on October 17, a game-winner in a 3–2 overtime victory over Pittsburgh, and he later recalled there being no better feeling than scoring his first on a new team at home. Coach Martin St. Louis gave him the freedom to enjoy the game again, and Dach was experimentally shifted to the wing alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, producing strong early results. In his first return to the United Center, he scored the decisive shootout goal in a 3–2 win over his former club. Though injuries in February and March 2023 limited him to 58 games, Dach still set a career high with 38 points.

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