Dennis Vial
Born (1969-04-10) April 10, 1969
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 19892005

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.

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]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1985–86 Hamilton Kilty B's GHL 2711718215
1985–86 Hamilton Steelhawks OHL 3111266
1986–87 Hamilton Steelhawks OHL 53189194 80008
1987–88 Hamilton Steelhawks OHL 5231720229 1322449
1988–89 Niagara Falls Thunder OHL 50102737230 1517844
1989–90 Flint Spirits IHL 7962935351 400010
1990–91 Binghamton Rangers AHL 40279250
1990–91 New York Rangers NHL 2100061
1990–91 Detroit Red Wings NHL 900016
1991–92 Adirondack Red Wings AHL 20246107 1713443
1991–92 Detroit Red Wings NHL 2710172
1992–93 Adirondack Red Wings AHL 3021113177 1111214
1992–93 Detroit Red Wings NHL 901120
1993–94 Ottawa Senators NHL 55257214
1994–95 Ottawa Senators NHL 2704465
1995–96 Ottawa Senators NHL 64145276
1996–97 Ottawa Senators NHL 1101125
1997–98 Chicago Wolves IHL 2413486 10002
1997–98 Ottawa Senators NHL 1900045
1998–99 Chicago Wolves IHL 55145213
1999–00 Sheffield Steelers BISL 2625782 701110
2000–01 Sheffield Steelers BISL 423710171 802220
2001–02 Columbia Inferno ECHL 6881119137 50004
2002–03 Columbia Inferno ECHL 6931518158 1701127
2002–03 Verdun Dragons QSPHL 21017
2003–04 Columbia Inferno ECHL 5451520101 400020
2004–05 Missouri River Otters UHL 4604466
2004–05 Richmond Riverdogs UHL 2917819
IHL totals 15883644650 500012
NHL totals 24241519794
ECHL totals 191164157396 2601151

References

  1. 1 2 3 http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Ottawa/2011/10/19/18845651.html 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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