Dale Hunter
A fiercely competitive center who became one of hockey's most punishing players, accumulating more penalty minutes than any other in NHL history.
Born 1960 (age 66)·Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1960)·Birthday: July 31·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dale Hunter carved out a 19-season NHL career not with flashy scoring, but with a brand of relentless, abrasive hockey that made him both feared and respected. Drafted by the Quebec Nordiques, he became the engine of their tough, skilled teams in the 1980s before a franchise-altering trade sent him to the Washington Capitals. In Washington, he was the undeniable heart and soul, captaining the team and leading its deepest playoff run to date in 1990. His style had a notorious edge, culminating in a suspension for a vicious hit that remains one of the league's most infamous moments. After retiring as the NHL's all-time leader in penalty minutes, he seamlessly transitioned to coaching, building the London Knights into a perennial powerhouse in junior hockey and shaping the next generation of NHL talent with the same demanding, detail-oriented approach he played with.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Dale was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dale Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Dale's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Retired as the NHL's all-time leader in penalty minutes with 3,565.
- Captained the Washington Capitals and is one of only two players to have his number (32) retired by the franchise.
- Led the Quebec Nordiques to the Wales Conference Finals in 1985 and the Washington Capitals to the Wales Conference Finals in 1990.
- As head coach of the London Knights, won the Memorial Cup in 2016 and has developed dozens of NHL players.
Did You Know?
He and his brothers Dave and Mark are the only trio of brothers to each accumulate over 1,000 penalty minutes in their NHL careers.
He scored one of the most famous goals in Capitals history, an overtime winner in Game 7 of the 1988 Patrick Division Semifinals against the Philadelphia Flyers.
He is the only player in NHL history with over 1,000 points (1,020) and over 3,000 penalty minutes.
After his playing career, he purchased the London Knights OHL team with his brother Mark.
“You show up, you work, you make it hard for them every single shift.”
