• 1st draft choice - 2nd overall Detroit 1971
• Scored 731 goals, recorded 1771 points
• Third highest scorer in NHL history
• Won two Lady Byng Trophies, 2 Pearson Awards
• Won Art Ross Trophy in 1980
• Played in eight Allstar Games
• Inducted into the HHOF 1992

A naturally gifted goal scorer and playmaker, center Marcel Dionne was one of the most productive offensive performers in NHL history. His consistency at such a high level earned him respect and accolades throughout the league. And Dionne's accomplishments would have been more widely recognized had he not spent the bulk of his career in the relative hockey obscurity of Los Angeles. Hockey was never a top sport in that city, and his yearly excellence was rarely seen on television in the larger markets of the east.

The native of Drummondville, Quebec, was a junior superstar with the St. Catharines Black Hawks of the OHA. He accumulated 375 points in three junior seasons and helped his team reach the Memorial Cup finals in 1971. Dionne led the OHA in scoring in 1970 and was selected to the league's Second All-Star Team. He defended his scoring title in 1971 and was elevated to the First All-Star roster.

Despite his brilliance as an amateur, Dionne was overshadowed by Quebec Remparts phenomenon Guy Lafleur. In most years, Dionne would have been the top choice in the NHL Amateur Draft, but not in 1971. After Montreal snagged Lafleur first overall, the Detroit Red Wings happily selected Dionne second.

The young Detroit rookie shone with 77 points in 1971-72 and earned an invitation to Team Canada for the 1972 Summit Series versus the USSR. His 49 assists that year had set a new NHL standard for first-year players that was broken by Bryan Trottier in 1975-76. In all, Dionne enjoyed four productive years in Detroit, especially 1974-75, when he recorded 121 points. That year he also set an NHL record with 10 shorthanded goals, a mark that stood until Wayne Gretzky established a new standard in 1983-84. According to Detroit general manager Ned Harkness, Dionne gave the fans some excitement to compensate for the loss of Gordie Howe.

A contract squabble with the Wings brought about Dionne's trade to the Los Angeles Kings prior to the 1975-76 season and he went on to play the prime of his career on the West Coast. Over nearly a dozen full seasons with the Kings, Marcel topped the 100-point mark seven times, was a two-time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson Award and was selected to the NHL First and Second All-Star Teams twice each. In 1979-80, he was declared the winner of the Art Ross Trophy after he tied young superstar Wayne Gretzky with 137 points but edged him in goals scored. Between 1975 and 1983, he was the top point-getter on the Kings every year.

Beginning in the 1979-80 season, Dionne formed the lethal Triple Crown Line with Charlie Simmer and Dave Taylor. They became one of the highest-scoring trios in league history before a serious injury to Simmer split the line up for a lengthy period. The trio was machine-like in its efficiency. The crafty pivot, Dionne, feathered passes to his linemates, who worked the corners and the slot to perfection.

The only element lacking in Dionne's career was playoff success. His best post-season came in 1981-82 when he scored 11 points in 10 games to help the Kings stun the record-setting Edmonton Oilers in the first round before losing to Vancouver.

During the early 1980s, Dionne began establishing a number of personal milestones. On January 7, 1981, he recorded his 1,000th point in his 740th game. This represented the fastest trip to that scoring plateau in NHL history until Guy Lafleur set a new record a short time later. On December 14, 1982, Dionne scored his 500th NHL goal when he beat Al Jensen of the Washington Capitals.

Dionne joined the playoffs-bound New York Rangers just prior to the March trading deadline in 1987, but the Blueshirts didn't fare any better in the post-season and were eliminated in the first round. During his first full year in New York, Dionne recorded the 14th 30-goal season of his career. On October 31, 1987, he registered his 700th goal when he beat Kelly Hrudey of the New York Islanders. Later that season, on February 14, 1988, he passed Phil Esposito to become the second-highest goal scorer in NHL history.

He retired after 37 games in 1988-89 with 731 goals and 1,771 points. At the time of his retirement, those totals placed him third on the NHL all-time scoring list behind only Gretzky and Howe.

The popular and gregarious Dionne was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992.

Interview with a Legend by Ken Newans

He never played on a Stanley Cup winner in 18 NHL seasons but Marcel Dionne is one of the greatest players ever to play the game. He is the third highest scorer in the history of the game just behind Gretzky and Howe. His statistics are more remarkable when you realize he racked all of those points with the L.A. Kings, a team that had a very limited supporting cast. The only real Allstar on the team was Dionne. Marcel played on the L.A. triple crown line with Dave Taylor and Charlie Simmer and they had success but Dionne was the talent and still owns all the L.A. Kings’ scoring records.

Prolific describes Marcel; six times he scored 50 or more goals, four times forty or more and 14 times he scored thirty or more goals. These stats will shock a lot of people but if he could have won a Stanley Cup it would help him get the credit he deserves.

There are those that say Dionne was a selfish player, there was no pressure playing in L.A.. Dionne was quick to react, “That's a bunch of crap, I was focussed and committed to perform to the best of my ability. I'm the third highest scorer in the NHL and they can't take that away from me.” Dionne points to his two Lester B. Pearson awards in 1979 and 1980 that he won, “The players voted on those awards and twice they voted me as the best player in the NHL. That is an honour I cherish.”

Ironically, the next year when he didn't win the Pearson, he had his best year of 136 points in total.

Marcel feels that he and Perreault, (both Hall of Famers) have something in common—if you didn't win the Cup, you just don't get the credit you deserve. No Cup—you're not a champ. I was with heavyweight boxer George Chuvalo recently and George fought Ali twice, Patterson, Frazier, Forman, Terrel all for the World Title and he didn't win that elusive title. Today, he is considered a fighter, not a champion. A lot of great athletes don't receive the credit they deserve if they haven't won the big one.

Marcel points out that L.A. was turning the franchise around when GM coach Bob Pulford left to go to Chicago. I tried to convince Pully to stay but that was to no avail. The franchise went back into a state of chaos.

When I asked Marcel who was the best player he ever played against, he responded with, “Bobby Orr was in a class by himself.” Dionne is a sharp business man and has his own Sports Marketing Company. His daughter Lisa helps run the business and they set up auctions, corporate golf tournaments, provide speakers, prizes and make certain everybody involved gets a good bang for their buck.

His favorite project is his own Foundation, “The Wise Guys Charity”. It's a fund set up to help with worthwhile causes in the Niagara Peninsula.

Local businessmen are on the board and the President is Chuck Smith.

With his business acumen, I suggested maybe he should be a hockey General Manager. His reply, “I think I'm overqualified and besides the game is out of control and the GM's and coaches have too much pressure on them. I love to sleep at night and enjoy life. You tell me a GM today who is having fun at his job.” Marcel adds, “I would, however, like to do some teaching work at the pro hockey level “one-on-one” with players aged 21-26 to provide them constructive criticism, to help their confidence. I know I could do a good job in that area.”

We asked Marcel about the crisis facing pro hockey in Canada. “Hockey's only hope is the NHL Players’ Association. They have to get involved. It is critical that the NHL maintain its present Canadian base and tradition.”

Dionne was ecstatic about a pre-Christmas tour of Russia by the Legends and their families a few years ago. “It was a great highlight. Games were sold out and it was interesting to see what has happened to some of those great Russian stars and renew old acquaintances.”