Dave Babych
First NHL player to permanently wear number 44.
Last updated
Dave Babych is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who spent 19 seasons in the NHL between 1980 and 1999. He currently works as an assistant director of player personnel for the Vancouver Canucks. Over his career, he suited up for the Winnipeg Jets, Hartford Whalers, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, and Los Angeles Kings, and was selected to two NHL All-Star Games. He is the younger brother of former NHLer Wayne Babych, and he made history as the first player to permanently wear jersey number 44.
Winnipeg Jets
Drafted second overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 1980 after a standout junior career with the Portland Winter Hawks, Babych and his brother Wayne—taken third overall in 1978—were the highest-drafted pair of brothers in NHL history at the time, a mark later matched by the Sedin twins and broken by Pierre and Sylvain Turgeon. As a teenager in his rookie season, Babych finished second on the Jets with 38 assists and led all team defencemen with 44 points. He would go on to lead Winnipeg blueliners in scoring for each of his first ten NHL seasons.
In 1981–82, with rookie Dale Hawerchuk joining the team, the Jets improved by 48 points and made their first playoff appearance. Babych set franchise records for defencemen with 19 goals and 68 points, aided by veteran partner Serge Savard. The next season, he broke his own club record with 74 points and led the team with 61 assists, earning a starting spot in the 1983 All-Star Game.
He played in the All-Star Game again in 1984, despite missing 14 games due to injury. In 1984–85, the Jets finished with 96 points, fourth in the league, and Babych—now paired with former Norris Trophy winner Randy Carlyle—led the team’s defencemen in scoring for the fifth straight year with 62 points. He led the Jets in playoff scoring as they won their first-ever series before falling to the Edmonton Oilers.
Hartford Whalers
Despite 16 points in his first 19 games of 1985–86, Babych was traded to the Hartford Whalers for Ray Neufeld. The move was unpopular in Winnipeg, as Neufeld became a depth player and was out of the NHL by 1989, while Babych continued to excel for nearly 15 more seasons. He finished that year with 69 points, the second-highest of his career, and was named Hartford’s top defenceman.
Lore & Background
Selected second overall in the 1980 NHL entry draft by the Winnipeg Jets, Babych stepped into the lineup as a teenager and led all Winnipeg blueliners with 44 points in his rookie season. He went on to lead all defenders on his team in scoring in each of his first 10 NHL seasons. In 1981–82, with the addition of rookie Dale Hawerchuk, Babych set franchise records for defencemen with 19 goals and 68 points, helping the Jets to their first-ever playoff berth. He was voted a starter for the Campbell Conference at the 1983 NHL All-Star Game and played in the All-Star Game again in 1984.
Traded to the Hartford Whalers early in the 1985–86 season, Babych finished the year with 69 points, the second-highest total of his career, and was named the team's top defender. He suffered a serious wrist injury in 1990–91 requiring surgery, then broke his thumb soon after returning, appearing in only eight games that season. Exposed in the 1991 NHL Expansion Draft, he was selected by the Minnesota North Stars and immediately traded to the Vancouver Canucks.
In Vancouver, he became the only defender in Canucks history to record a regular-season hat trick, on November 22, 1991, against the Calgary Flames. He played a key role in the Canucks' run to the 1994 Stanley Cup Final, scoring the game-winning goal in game five of the Final against the New York Rangers. He was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers late in the 1997–98 season and later to the Los Angeles Kings at the 1999 trade deadline, finishing his career with two goals and eight points in 41 games between the two clubs.
Reader's Guide
Dave Babych's career spanned nearly two decades and five NHL teams, marked by consistent offensive production from the blueline. He led his team's defencemen in scoring for his first 10 seasons, a testament to his durability and skill. His time in Winnipeg established him as a franchise talent, and his partnership with Hall of Famer Serge Savard and later Norris Trophy winner Randy Carlyle highlighted his ability to complement elite defenders. The trade from Winnipeg to Hartford was unpopular with fans and proved lopsided, as Babych continued to excel for nearly 15 more years while the return, Ray Neufeld, was out of the NHL by 1989.
In Vancouver, Babych transitioned from a front-line defender to a steady contributor, and his game-winning goal in the 1994 Stanley Cup Final remains a notable moment in Canucks history. His lawsuit against the Philadelphia Flyers and team orthopedist Dr. Arthur Bartolozzi, alleging improper medical care for a broken foot that shortened his career, resulted in a jury award of US$1.02 million in lost wages and US$350,000 for pain and suffering. After retiring, Babych worked as an assistant director of player personnel with the Vancouver Canucks.
Career statistics and honours
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1977–78 | Fort Saskatchewan Traders | AJHL | 56 | 31 | 69 | 100 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1977–78 | Portland Winter Hawks | WCHL | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1978–79 | Portland Winter Hawks | WHL | 67 | 20 | 59 | 79 | 63 | 25 | 7 | 22 | 29 | 22 |
| 1979–80 | Portland Winter Hawks | WHL | 50 | 22 | 60 | 82 | 71 | 8 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 2 |
| 1980–81 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 69 | 6 | 38 | 44 | 90 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1981–82 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 79 | 19 | 49 | 68 | 92 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 29 |
| 1982–83 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 79 | 13 | 61 | 74 | 56 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983–84 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 66 | 18 | 39 | 57 | 62 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1984–85 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 78 | 13 | 49 | 62 | 78 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 6 |
| 1985–86 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 19 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1985–86 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 62 | 10 | 43 | 53 | 36 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 14 |
| 1986–87 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 66 | 8 | 33 | 41 | 44 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
| 1987–88 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 71 | 14 | 36 | 50 | 54 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| 1988–89 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 70 | 6 | 41 | 47 | 54 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| 1989–90 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 72 | 6 | 37 | 43 | 62 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1990–91 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 8 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 75 | 5 | 24 | 29 | 63 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| 1992–93 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 43 | 3 | 16 | 19 | 44 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
| 1993–94 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 73 | 4 | 28 | 32 | 52 | 24 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 12 |
| 1994–95 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 40 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 14 |
| 1995–96 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 53 | 3 | 21 | 24 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1996–97 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 78 | 5 | 22 | 27 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997–98 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 47 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997–98 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 1998–99 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 33 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999–2000 | Ambrì-Piotta | NLA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NHL totals | 1,195 | 142 | 581 | 723 | 970 | 114 | 21 | 41 | 62 | 113 | ||
International
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Dave Babych (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Dave Babych (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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