| Dave Semenko | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Semenko in 2016 | |||
| Born | (1957-07-12)July 12, 1957 | ||
| Died | June 29, 2017(2017-06-29) (aged 59) | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Edmonton Oilers Hartford Whalers Toronto Maple Leafs | ||
| NHL draft | 25th overall,1977 Minnesota North Stars | ||
| WHA draft | 21st overall,1977 Houston Aeros | ||
| Playing career | 1977–1988 | ||
David John Semenko (July 12, 1957 – June 29, 2017) was a Canadian professionalice hockey player, coach, scout, andcolour commentator. During hisNational Hockey League (NHL) career, Semenko played for theEdmonton Oilers,Hartford Whalers andToronto Maple Leafs as anenforcer. During his tenure with Edmonton, he notably protectedWayne Gretzky as an "on-ice bodyguard" during Gretzky's early career. Semenko won twoStanley Cups with the Oilers in1984 and1985. He was also the last player to score a goal in theWorld Hockey Association (WHA) before itfolded and merged with the NHL.
Following his retirement as a player, he became a radio commentator of Oilers' games. Semenko died on June 29, 2017, fromliver andpancreatic cancer.
Semenko played junior hockey for theBrandon Wheat Kings.[1] He was originally selected 25th overall in 1977 by theMinnesota North Stars of the NHL and theHouston Aeros of theWorld Hockey Association (WHA).[2]
The Aeros traded Semenko to the Oilers just before their1977–78 season.[2] He spent his first two professional years as a member of the Oilers in the WHA before theNHL–WHA merger.[3] He scored the final goal in WHA history in Game 6 of the 1979Avco Cup finals, which the Oilers lost to theWinnipeg Jets.[4][2]
When the Oilers joined the NHL, Semenko's rights were retained by the North Stars. The Oilers traded their second- and third-round draft picks in the1979 NHL Entry Draft to acquire his rights from the North Stars, who then drafted futureUnited States Hockey Hall of FamerNeal Broten. The trade also gave the Oilers a third-round pick, which was used to select future Oilers superstar and Hockey Hall of FamerMark Messier.[2]
An acknowledgedenforcer, Semenko wasWayne Gretzky's "on-ice bodyguard" early in Gretzky's career in Edmonton, beginning in the WHA in 1978 and ending when Semenko was traded to theHartford Whalers in1986.[2] Semenko is considered one of the toughest players ever in the NHL.[5][6][7][8] After Gretzky won a car for being chosen as the MVP of the 1983 NHL All-Star game, he gifted the car to Semenko to show his appreciation for his on-ice work.[2]
Semenko fought boxing legendMuhammad Ali in an exhibition on June 12, 1983.[9] The match was officially a draw after going three rounds, but theAssociated Press reported Ali was not seriously trying and was just toying with Semenko.[2]
After brief stops with the Hartford Whalers andToronto Maple Leafs, Semenko retired following the1987–88 season. He finished his 575-game NHL career with 65 goals, 153 points, and 1,175 penalty minutes.[10] Semenko also recorded 70 fights over his career.[2]
After retiring, Semenko became acolour commentator on Oilers radio broadcasts and was an assistant coach with the Oilers during the1996–97 season.[11] He also served as a professional scout for the team from 1997 until 2015.[3]
Semenko died on June 29, 2017, at the age of 59, shortly after being diagnosed withliver andpancreatic cancer.[12][2] His funeral was held atRogers Place in Edmonton, which was open for the public to attend.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1974–75 | Brandon Travellers | MJHL | 42 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Brandon Wheat Kings | WCHL | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1975–76 | Brandon Wheat Kings | WCHL | 72 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 194 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1976–77 | Brandon Wheat Kings | WCHL | 61 | 27 | 33 | 60 | 265 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 61 | ||
| 1977–78 | Brandon Wheat Kings | WCHL | 7 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Edmonton Oilers | WHA | 65 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 140 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 1978–79 | Edmonton Oilers | WHA | 77 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 158 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 29 | ||
| 1979–80 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 67 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 135 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1980–81 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 58 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 80 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 1980–81 | Wichita Wind | CHL | 14 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 59 | 12 | 12 | 24 | 194 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1982–83 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 75 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 141 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 69 | ||
| 1983–84 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 52 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 118 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 44 | ||
| 1984–85 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 69 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 172 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | ||
| 1985–86 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 69 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 141 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | ||
| 1986–87 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 51 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 87 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | ||
| 1987–88 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 70 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 107 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| WHA totals | 142 | 16 | 20 | 36 | 298 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 37 | ||||
| NHL totals | 575 | 65 | 88 | 153 | 1175 | 73 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 208 | ||||
| 1 fight | 0 wins | 0 losses |
|---|---|---|
| Draws | 1 | |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Draw | 0–0–1 |  Muhammad Ali | PTS | 3 | Jun 12, 1983 |  Northlands Coliseum,Edmonton,Alberta, Canada |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
