Dave Balon
A swift and tenacious left-winger whose NHL career was tragically shortened by multiple sclerosis, yet defined by his gritty scoring touch.
1938–2007 (age 69)·Ice hockey player·Birthday: August 2·The Silent Generation
Biography
Dave Balon played hockey with a hard-nosed elegance, a winger who could score goals and agitate opponents in equal measure. Breaking into the NHL with the New York Rangers, his speed and work ethic made him a valuable asset on a journey that took him to Montreal, Minnesota, Vancouver, and back to New York. His peak came with the Rangers in the early 1970s, where he formed part of a potent line and posted consecutive 30-goal seasons, proving himself as a legitimate offensive threat. Balon's career, however, is shadowed by the onset of multiple sclerosis, which began affecting his play and forced his retirement in 1973. His later years were spent battling the disease with the same determination he showed on the ice, making his athletic achievements a poignant prelude to a lifelong personal struggle.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Dave was born in 1938, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dave Was Born
The biggest hits of 1938
#1 Movie
You Can't Take It with You
Best Picture
You Can't Take It with You
Dave's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1938Born
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1943Started school
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1951Became a teenager
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Could drive
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1956Could vote
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Turned 21
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1968Turned 30
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 40
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
1988Turned 50
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 60
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Died at 69
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
Key Achievements
- Recorded back-to-back 30-goal seasons for the New York Rangers in 1970-71 and 1971-72.
- Won the Stanley Cup twice as a member of the Montreal Canadiens in 1965 and 1966.
- Played over 800 games in the National Hockey League across 14 seasons.
Did You Know?
He was originally drafted by the New York Rangers but won his Stanley Cups with Montreal before returning to New York.
After his diagnosis, he became a vocal advocate for multiple sclerosis research.
Balon was known for his exceptional skating speed early in his career.
He served as a playing coach for the Vancouver Blazers in the WHA after leaving the NHL.
“You don't get many clean looks, so you shoot from wherever you can.”
