Dave Cameron (ice hockey)

Lore & Background

Cameron played university hockey with the University of Prince Edward Island from 1976 to 1979, recording 27 goals and 62 assists in 49 games. He was drafted by the New York Islanders in the eighth round of the 1978 NHL entry draft.

After university, he played in the IHL and CHL before being traded to the Colorado Rockies in 1981. He spent the 1981–82 season with the Rockies, then moved with the franchise to New Jersey, playing for the Devils from 1982 to 1984. He later played in the AHL and minor leagues before retiring as a player.

Cameron began his coaching career in 1995 with the Detroit Falcons of the Colonial Hockey League. He moved to the OHL as head coach of the Sault Ste.

Marie Greyhounds from 1997 to 1999, then coached the Toronto St. Michael's Majors from 2000 to 2004, leading them to four consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances. He coached the AHL's Binghamton Senators from 2004 to 2007, then returned to the Majors organization after their relocation to Mississauga. He later became an assistant coach for the Ottawa Senators before being named head coach in December 2014.

Playing Career and the Road to the NHL

David William Cameron, born July 29, 1958, built his playing foundation at the University of Prince Edward Island, where he accumulated 89 points across 49 games between 1976 and 1979. His path to the NHL was circuitous, splitting seasons between the Fort Wayne Komets and Indianapolis Checkers before a breakout 1980-81 campaign with Indianapolis, where he tallied 70 points in 78 games. The New York Islanders, who had drafted him in the eighth round of the 1978 entry draft, traded him along with Bob Lorimer to the Colorado Rockies on October 1, 1981, receiving a first-round pick they used on Pat LaFontaine.

Cameron spent the 1981-82 season with Colorado, recording 23 points in 66 games before the franchise relocated to become the New Jersey Devils. Over two seasons with New Jersey, he appeared in 102 games, though his offensive output remained modest. His NHL career spanned from 1981 to 1984, after which he continued in the AHL and returned home to play for the Charlottetown Islanders and Fredericton Alpines, with a brief one-game 1994-95 appearance for the Saint John Flames capping his playing days.

A Coaching Career Spanning Every Level

Cameron's coaching career, stretching from the mid-1990s to the present, covers an extraordinary range of leagues and competitive levels. He began as head coach of the Detroit Falcons in the Colonial Hockey League in 1995, guiding them to a playoff upset over the Muskegon Fury before the franchise relocated to Port Huron. His OHL tenure included stints with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and the Toronto St. Michael's Majors, where he transformed a struggling franchise into a consistent playoff contender.

A brief AHL interlude with the Binghamton Senators and a return to the Majors in Mississauga followed. In 2011, he joined the NHL's Ottawa Senators as an assistant under Paul MacLean, a role he held until December 2014, when he was elevated to head coach. He guided Ottawa through the 2015-16 season before moving to the Vienna Capitals in Austria's EBEL. Currently, he serves as head coach of the Ottawa 67's in the OHL, completing a full circle back to Canadian junior hockey.

Turnaround Stories and International Gold

Few episodes in Cameron's coaching résumé illustrate his ability to reshape a franchise better than his tenure with the Toronto St. Michael's Majors beginning in 2000. In his first season, the team improved by a remarkable 38 points, reaching the playoffs for the first time since the franchise's 1997 rebirth. They survived two grueling seven-game series against Peterborough and Sudbury before falling to the Ottawa 67's in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The following year, the Majors posted an Eastern Conference-best 89 points, sweeping North Bay and then defeating Ottawa in seven games before their conference final exit. Beyond North America, Cameron led Canada's men's national under-18 team to gold at the 2004 U-18 Junior World Cup, a testament to his skill in developing young talent on the international stage. These moments—turning around a struggling OHL club and delivering a world championship to a junior national squad—anchor his reputation as a coach who thrives under pressure and maximizes the potential of his players.

Legacy, Roots, and a Life in Hockey

Cameron's legacy is woven into the fabric of Canadian junior hockey and the broader coaching community. His playing career, though brief in the NHL, included the notable trade that sent Pat LaFontaine to New York, a transaction that reshaped two franchises. As a coach, he has touched nearly every tier of North American hockey, from the Colonial Hockey League to the NHL, and extended his influence to Europe with the Vienna Capitals in Austria's top professional league.

His current role heading the Ottawa 67's in the OHL represents a return to the developmental level where so many of Canada's future stars are shaped. The 2004 U-18 World Cup gold medal he coached stands as a permanent mark on international hockey history. A Canadian who played his university ball at Prince Edward Island and later returned to the Maritimes for the Charlottetown Islanders and Fredericton Alpines, Cameron's story is one of steady, multi-decade commitment to the game he has dedicated his professional life to.

Reader's Guide

Dave Cameron's significance lies in his long coaching career across multiple leagues, including the OHL, AHL, and NHL. He led the Toronto St. Michael's Majors to four straight Eastern Conference Finals appearances in the OHL, a notable achievement for a team that had not made the playoffs before his arrival. His tenure with the Binghamton Senators included a first-place division finish in 2004–05, though the team later struggled.

Cameron's NHL head coaching stint with the Ottawa Senators lasted from December 2014 through the 2015–16 season. He also coached internationally, leading Canada's under-18 team to a gold medal at the 2004 U-18 Junior World Cup. His playing career, though brief, included being part of the Colorado Rockies franchise that relocated to become the New Jersey Devils.