Winnipeg Jets Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk is currently undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with stomach cancer earlier this season. Hawerchuk has been the head coach of the Barrie Colts since the 2010-2011 season. Over that time the Colts have captured four division titles. At the beginning of the season, it was announced that Hawerchuk would not be behind the bench to begin the season but there was no reasoning for his leave at the time. Warren Rychel has taken over as head coach this season with Hawerchuk unable to be behind the bench.
NHL legend, Barrie Colts HC Dale Hawerchuk battling stomach cancer. https://t.co/ItkhH2A6ed pic.twitter.com/4EI6Q26FYw
— theScore (@theScore) October 21, 2019
Dale Hawerchuk NHL Stats
Over his 16-year career, Hawerchuk played for the Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and St. Louis Blues. He scored 518 goals along with 891 assists for 1,409 points in 1,188 games. He would appear in 97 career Stanley Cup Playoff games putting up 30 goals and 69 assists for 99 points over the course of those games. Hawerchuck was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.
What This Means for The Future
Hawerchuk has already started to begin feeling the effects of cancer but plans to keep on battling. In an interview with TSN’s Rick Westhead described some of the challenges that he’s been facing over the past few months. “The Chemo has hit me pretty hard”. Some of the challenges he mentions is having trouble eating and his body recovering from chemotherapy. “I do it one week and it breaks the body down and then the next week I take a break and build up my body to do it again”. Hawerchuk says that he’s been dealing with these issues for the past two months. He plans to keep fighting and hopes to win his battle against this terrible disease. Hawerchuk said “I want to live and tell the story” when talking about his illness.
All of us here at LastWordOnHockey wish Dale Hawerchuk the best on his battle with cancer.
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