Doug Wickenheiser
Douglas Peter Wickenheiser ( born March 30, 1961 in Regina, Saskatchewan, † January 12, 1999 in St. Louis, Missouri) was a Canadian professional ice hockey in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks and Washington Capitals played.
Career
Doug Wickenheiser began his career in 1977 in the Junior League WCHL that a little later the Western Hockey League ( WHL) was. There he played for the Regina Pats and grew to become a star. In 1980 he reached the finals with the Pats at the Memorial Cup and was named the best player in the Canadian Hockey League. The press hailed him as the next NHL star.
He was then selected in the NHL Entry Draft in 1980 by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round in the first place. Many critics thought a few years later that Wickenheiser one of the biggest blunders in the history of the NHL Entry Draft was. Especially the French Canadians complained in retrospect, because with Denis Savard, a player from the French-speaking Quebec City of Chicago was drafted in third place, which evolved into a superstar.
After Wickenheiser had scored in his first three and a half years in Montreal in 202 games 115 points, which is below the expectations of the fans and coaches, he was transferred to the St. Louis Blues. There he gained in importance. He could not reach his achievements from his youth as a scorer, but he played an important role in St. Louis on the defensive and Bullies.
In his second year he came up with 43 points, the second best value of his NHL career. But a serious injury cost him nearly a year and he was only 36 games in the regular season 1985/86 contest. In the ensuing playoffs Wickenheiser became a star overnight. The Blues had advanced to the Conference Finals and were after five games back with 2-3. In the sixth game, it was Wickenheiser, who scored the winning goal in extra time to 6-5. After the nerve-wracking game but could not win the seventh game and retired. In the following season, Wickenheiser was all games for St. Louis deny his contract was not renewed.
The next few years did not Wickenheiser to rest. After he finished the 1987/88 season complete for the Vancouver Canucks. He played 1988/89 a game for the New York Rangers, then in the IHL for the Flint Spirits and for a while, before he again received for the Canadian national team in the Washington Capitals in February 1989 in the NHL a contract. In addition to intervening in the NHL, he played at the Capitals farm team in the AHL for the Baltimore Skipjacks.
In the summer of 1990, but his time in Washington was over and went to Italy to play there for the HC Asiago. There he came up with 57 points in 32 games back in its values from the time when he played in the WHL, zoom. However, the Italian league was not to compare with the level of major North American leagues. 1991/92 he played briefly in Germany for the SV Bayreuth, before he ended up in Austria at the Klagenfurt AC. But even here, he only stayed until the summer of 1992.
At the beginning of the 1992/93 season he was back in the U.S. to there in the unterklassigen IHL for the Peoria Rivermen with 75 points in 80 games, he did very well and in 1993/94 he played his final season of his career for the IHL team Fort Wayne Komets.
After the End of career
After the end of his career Wickenheiser returned to St. Louis to work and live with his wife and three children. In August 1994 he had to undergo surgery as a cyst from his wrist had to be removed. It turned out that it was a rare form of cancer.
Three years later, it was found that had spread in Wickenburg Heisers lung cancer. As the tumor could not be removed by surgery, Wickenheiser struggled against the disease before he died on 12 January 1999.
The St. Louis Blues opened then the " Fourteen Found" in memory of Wickenheiser, who had worn in his time in St. Louis, the number 14. In addition, the Blues hung in her ice rink a banner with changing Heisers number and his number is unofficially no longer awarded.
The WHL has named in memory of Doug Wickenheiser a price that Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy, which is awarded for fairness and human behavior for him.
Wicke Heisers cousin Hayley Wickenheiser won in 2002 and 2006 with the Team Canada Olympic Hockey Tournament and is considered one of the best players in the world.