12-15-2023, 06:48 AM
William Douglas has actually been creating The Color of Hockey blog because 2012. Douglas joined NHL. com in 2019 and blogs about individuals of color in the sport. Today, he profiles Nigel Dawes, a former NHL ahead that retired from professional hockey in April as the all-time factors leader in the KHL among import players. Nigel Dawes is doing something he hasn't done in 22 offseasons. Kick back Guy Lapointe Jersey. "I'm enjoying the nice summer," Dawes said recently from his Winnipeg home. "I've had the ability to golf a little a lot more. When you do not have to go to the health club every day you make various other choices-- hang out with the household, opt for suppers and enjoy not having actually a set schedule. " The 38-year-old, that played 5 NHL periods with five teams from 2006-11 prior to ending up being a superstar in Russia and Germany for 12 periods, retired as a gamer in April and returned to the city where he matured. He has actually had time to assess a genuinely distinct playing career on a journey he never imagined when the New York Rangers chose him in the fifth round of the 2003 NHL Draft. Dawes ended his career as the KHL all-time factors leader amongst import players. He had 505 factors in 543 games for Astana, Yekaterinburg and Kazan from 2011-21. He led the KHL with 35 objectives for Astana in 2017-18 and played in the KHL all-star video game six times. "It's kind of insane to hear that now, now that it's ended," Dawes stated. "I believe it's a testimony to the gamers I had the ability to have fun with. Your desire is always to play in the NHL. Yet the chance that league offered me, not simply hockey-wise however to see an entire repair of the globe. " New york city Islanders goalkeeper Ilya Sorokin, who played in the KHL from 2012-20, said Dawes was known throughout the league for having "great hands and a high hockey intelligence. " Dawes completed his occupation with Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in Germany, where he had 66 factors in 90 video games from 2021-23. As a young adult, Dawes seemed predestined for NHL success. He led Kootenay of the Western Hockey Organization in points from 2003-05 and scored a team-high 50 objectives in 63 video games in 2004-05. Dawes played for Canada in the 2004 and 2005 IIHF Globe Junior Champion. He was the tournament's top goal scorer on Canada's 2004 silver medal team that consisted of Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Brent Burns, Ryan Getzlaf, Brent Seabrook and Dion Phaneuf. He was tied for 7th in scoring on Canada's gold-medal team the following year; amongst his teammates were Crosby, Getzlaf, Stewart, Patrice Bergeron, Corey Perry, Andrew Ladd and Shea Weber. "You review it and check out the variety of gamers that are going to remain in the Hall of Popularity from that group, it's impressive, truly," he claimed. "It's definitely one of the highlights of my job. " Though a lot of Dawes' Globe Juniors teammates achieved NHL stardom, he ended up being a journeyman in the League with 84 factors in 212 video games with the Rangers, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Atlanta Thrashers and Montreal Canadiens from 2006-11. "Coming up in the period that I did, a smaller player was never truly intended to make the NHL, there wasn't a lot of room on rosters for players like that," he claimed. "I assume in my mind I completed something that no person ever believed I would certainly do, making the NHL as a smaller player. Kirk Muller Jersey. But at the exact same time, when I left, I was a bubble player. I was spending time in the minors, a long time in the NHL. "At some time, there are times that you need to make challenging decisions. I was a little irritated and intended to offer something else an opportunity. Thankfully for me, it turned out truly well. I knew leaving that I could never play one more video game in the NHL, and I was okay with that. " Justin K. Aller/Getty ImagesEnough that Dawes turned into one of the couple of gamers who have represented 2 nations worldwide. He got qualification to play for Kazakhstan's national group in 2016-17 and 2019-20 in not successful efforts to assist it receive the Winter Olympics. "It was a fantastic experience for me," he stated. "I recognized at that time that I would never play for Canada again with the amount of talent and skill, so it provided me a possibility to play worldwide champions and to try to qualify for the Olympics. " Dawes said he cherishes his worldwide experiences, but he also has fond memories from his NHL days, particularly his first goal in the League, scored in the very first duration of the Rangers' 5-4 shootout win at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 21, 2006, at Air Canada Centre on a "Hockey Night in Canada" broadcast. "My father's side of the family, and my grandpa, my relatives and my aunties, were all at the video game," he claimed. "That was pretty special for me, specifically since they weren't able to see me play a lot growing up being out West. " Scott Levy/Getty ImagesDawes claimed he also prizes being colleagues with Jaromir Jagr with the Rangers and with Jarome Iginla in Calgary, playing wit the Coyotes when Wayne Gretzky was instructor and briefly being just one of 5 Black players on the Thrashers in 2010-11 with Evander Kane, Anthony Stewart, Dustin Byfuglien and Johnny Oduya. "It was fun," he said. "It was a different feeling originating from Calgary Michael Pezzetta Jersey. I saw different expectations, but it was a more youthful group. " Dawes claimed he does not yet understand what's following for him in retired life, however he 'd enjoy to stay associated with hockey in some capacity. "Hockey has actually given me a lot and I assume there are a great deal of different chances around," he said. "It's almost finding the appropriate fit. We'll see what the future has right here. "