Dirk Graham
Dirk Graham ( born July 29, 1959 in Regina, Saskatchewan ) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach, who played from 1983 to 1995 for the Minnesota North Stars and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League.
Career
He spent his junior time in his hometown of Regina. There he played for the Regina Pats in the Western Canada Hockey League. After four good years in Regina, the Vancouver Canucks selected him out of the NHL Entry Draft in 1979 in the fifth round as 89. He stayed in the minor leagues, where he played for the Dallas Black Hawks in the CHL and the Fort Wayne Komets and the Toledo Goal Diggers in the International Hockey League. In 1983, after the rights of the Canucks were forfeited pledged him the Minnesota North Stars as a free agent.
In the 1983/84 season he played only once in the CHL, now in the Salt Lake Golden Eagles. But this season he came to Minnesota in his first NHL inserts. In the upcoming season, he still played initially in the American Hockey League with the Springfield Indians, but could now finally prevail in the NHL. His qualities as a scorer were neat, but he was outstanding as a checker and lead players.
During the season 1987/88 the North Stars from Graham gave to the Chicago Blackhawks. From 1989 he was captain of the Blackhawks and led his team to the 1992 finals for the Stanley Cup. After the 1994/95 season he finished, which was regularly used both in the majority and in the outnumbered, his career and was assistant coach Craig Hartsburg at the Blackhawks.
In the season 1998/99 season he took over the team from Chicago as head coach, but was replaced during the season by Lorne Molleken. Temporarily he was with Tampa Bay Lightning as a scout. There he could win the Stanley Cup. In 2004, he spent two years as the coach of the Springfield Falcons in the AHL.
NHL stats
Sporting successes
- Stanley Cup: 2004 (as Scout )
Personal Awards
- Frank J. Selke Trophy: 1991