Dennis Vial

Last updated
Dennis Vial
Born (1969-04-10) April 10, 1969 (age 54)
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for
NHL Draft 110th overall, 1988
New York Rangers
Playing career 1989–2005

Dennis Vial (born April 10, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Vial played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, and Ottawa Senators. He also played in the North American minor leagues and European leagues. He played defence and was known for his toughness.

Contents

Career

After playing with the Hamilton Steelhawks in the OHL for 3 years, Vial was drafted by the New York Rangers in the 6th round, 110th overall in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. That year he went back to the OHL and played with the Niagara Falls Thunder, followed by a year with the Flint Spirits in the IHL for the 1989–1990 season, scoring 35 points in 79 games and registering 351 penalty minutes. Throughout this time Vial established himself as a hard hitting enforcer and defenceman and got the call up midway through the 1990–1991 season to join the Rangers. He played in 21 games before being traded to the Detroit Red Wings that same season, appearing in another 9 games. Vial then split the next two seasons between the Red Wings and the Adirondack Red Wings of the AHL.

Prior to the 1993–1994 season Vial was traded from the Red Wings to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was left unprotected in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft and was picked up by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim a few weeks later. Finally, in Phase II of the Expansion draft Vial was picked up by the Ottawa Senators, with whom he made his greatest NHL impact. With a Senators' lineup scarce in talent, Vial was able to make the team and play full-time, and in 1993-94 he was given the team's Frank Finnigan Award as its most improved player. He led the Senators in penalty minutes, major penalties, and fighting majors. Known as a fearless combatant, Vial's time in Ottawa was highlighted by a long, intense, and often bloody feud with Rob Ray of the divisional rival Buffalo Sabres. [1]

However, Vial's aggressive and all-out playing style resulted in many injuries throughout his career and he played in at least half of the games in a season only twice. His last season in the NHL was 1997–1998.

For the next seven seasons Vial played with a number of minor league teams including two years in England in the BISL. He retired following the 2004–2005 season where he played in the UHL with the Missouri River Otters and Richmond Riverdogs.

Vial remained the Ottawa Senators' all-time penalty minutes leader until being surpassed by Chris Neil. [1]

British Ice Hockey League Brawl/Suspension

In 2001, while a member of the British Ice Hockey League's Sheffield Steelers, Vial incited a much publicized brawl against the Nottingham Panthers which resulted in the league handing out several suspensions totaling 28 games and fines worth £8,400 ($18,750). [2] Vial was suspended for six games and fined £750 ($1,675 Cdn) for numerous offences, including instigating the brawl [3] [4] by cross-checking Nottingham's Greg Hadden, and squirting water at fans in the stands.

Britain's Press Association described the event, which escalated into a 36-man bench clearing brawl, as "one of the worst scenes of violence ever seen at a British ice hockey rink."

Other

Vial currently resides just outside Halifax, Nova Scotia. [1] Vial is the brother-in-law of former player Norm Batherson [5] and the uncle of professional ice hockey player Drake Batherson. [6] He is also the uncle of Carleton University volleyball superstar Laura Vial, girlfriend of Eric Chirila, basketball star at Carleton.

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1985–86 Hamilton Kilty B's GHL 2711718215—————
1985–86 Hamilton Steelhawks OHL 3111266—————
1986–87 Hamilton SteelhawksOHL5318919480008
1987–88 Hamilton SteelhawksOHL52317202291322449
1988–89 Niagara Falls Thunder OHL501027372301517844
1989–90 Flint Spirits IHL 7962935351400010
1990–91 Binghamton Rangers AHL 40279250—————
1990–91 New York Rangers NHL 2100061—————
1990–91 Detroit Red Wings NHL900016—————
1991–92 Adirondack Red Wings AHL202461071713443
1991–92 Detroit Red WingsNHL2710172—————
1992–93 Adirondack Red WingsAHL30211131771111214
1992–93 Detroit Red WingsNHL901120—————
1993–94 Ottawa Senators NHL55257214—————
1994–95 Ottawa SenatorsNHL2704465—————
1995–96 Ottawa SenatorsNHL64145276—————
1996–97 Ottawa SenatorsNHL1101125—————
1997–98 Chicago Wolves IHL241348610002
1997–98 Ottawa SenatorsNHL1900045—————
1998–99 Chicago WolvesIHL55145213—————
1999–00 Sheffield Steelers BISL 2625782701110
2000–01 Sheffield SteelersBISL423710171802220
2001–02 Columbia Inferno ECHL 688111913750004
2002–03 Columbia InfernoECHL69315181581701127
2002–03 Verdun Dragons QSPHL 21017—————
2003–04 Columbia InfernoECHL5451520101400020
2004–05 Missouri River Otters UHL 4604466—————
2004–05 Richmond Riverdogs UHL2917819—————
IHL totals15883644650500012
NHL totals24241519794—————
ECHL totals1911641573962601151

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References

  1. 1 2 3 [usurped] Cheapseats: Out with the Auld!
  2. ↑ "British league suspends Canadian hockey brawlers". CBC News. 2001-02-14.
  3. ↑ "League punishes teams over brawl". BBC News. 2001-02-15. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  4. ↑ "Brawl taints Panthers' victory". BBC News. 2001-02-10. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  5. ↑ "Norm Batherson". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  6. ↑ Garrioch, Bruce (November 16, 2018). "Sens' Batherson makes an impact in NHL debut". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
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