Dave Christian
Encyclopedia
David William Christian (born May 12, 1959 in Warroad
, Minnesota
) is a retired American
professional ice hockey
forward
, who comes from a family of hockey players. His father Bill
and uncle Roger
were members of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team that won the gold medal. Another uncle, Gordon
, was a member of the 1956 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team that won the silver medal. Bill and Roger also were the founders, with Hal Bakke, of the Christian Brothers Hockey Company based in Warroad, which makes hockey sticks.
, and baseball
, as well as competing on the track and field
team, at Warroad High School. He later attended the University of North Dakota
in Grand Forks
, where he played for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey team
and played in the 1979 national championship
, as North Dakota lost the championship game to the University of Minnesota
and Christian's future Olympic teammate, Neal Broten
.
in an event known as the Miracle on Ice
during the 1980 Winter Olympics
. He also played for the U.S. national team at the 1981 Canada Cup
as well as the 1981 Ice Hockey World Championship tournaments as an NHL rookie. His international career continued in the 1984 Canada Cup
, 1989 Ice Hockey World Championship and 1991 Canada Cup
tournaments.
Christian's professional hockey career started one week after the Miracle on Ice
when he joined the Winnipeg Jets, who drafted him 40th overall in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft
. Christian set and still holds the record for the fastest goal by a player in his first NHL game, scoring just 7 seconds into his first shift, electrifying the crowd. After a roller-coaster career in Winnipeg
, he went on to play in the NHL
with the Washington Capitals
, Chicago Blackhawks
, Boston Bruins
and St. Louis Blues. Between 1980 and 1993, he scored 340 goals and 433 assists in 1,009 NHL regular season games.
Fargo-Moorhead Bears near the end of the 1997–98 season and held the positions through the 1999–2000 season.
TV movie about the gold medal-winning hockey team entitled Miracle on Ice, Christian is played by Thomas F. Duffy.
In the 2004
Disney film Miracle
, he is played by Steve Kovalcik. Kovalcik attended the same high school, Armada High School in Armada, Michigan
, as well-known sports announcer Dick Enberg
.
Warroad, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,722 people, 657 households, and 419 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 766 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.65% White, 0.29% Black or African American, 7.38% Native American,...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
) is a retired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
, who comes from a family of hockey players. His father Bill
Bill Christian
William David Christian is a retired ice hockey player. He led the United States to a gold medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984 and the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 1998. His son, Dave Christian, was a...
and uncle Roger
Roger Christian (ice hockey)
Roger Allen Christian was an ice hockey player. Born in Warroad, Minnesota, Christian played for the American 1960 Winter Olympics and 1964 Winter Olympics ice hockey teams, winning a gold medal in 1960. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989...
were members of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team that won the gold medal. Another uncle, Gordon
Gordon Christian
Gordon Eugene "Gord, Ginny" Christian is a retired ice hockey player. He played with the University of North Dakota from 1947 to 1950, tying for scoring leader on the team in both the 1947-48 and 1948–49 seasons. He was a member of the silver medal winning 1956 United States Olympic ice hockey...
, was a member of the 1956 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team that won the silver medal. Bill and Roger also were the founders, with Hal Bakke, of the Christian Brothers Hockey Company based in Warroad, which makes hockey sticks.
Amateur career
Christian grew up playing hockey, gridiron footballGridiron football
Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...
, and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, as well as competing on the track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
team, at Warroad High School. He later attended the University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
in Grand Forks
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
, where he played for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey team
North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey
The North Dakota Fighting Sioux men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Grand Forks campus of the University of North Dakota. They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey...
and played in the 1979 national championship
1979 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament
The 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Hockey Tournament involved in playing single-elimination play to determine the national championship of NCAA Division 1 . The tournament began on March 18, 1979. The semifinals began on March 22, 1979 and March 23, 1979. The National Championship Game was...
, as North Dakota lost the championship game to the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
and Christian's future Olympic teammate, Neal Broten
Neal Broten
Neal LaMoy Broten is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played on the gold medal-winning "Miracle on Ice" hockey team in 1980, and in 1,099 NHL regular season games from 1981 – 1997 with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings...
.
Professional and international career
Christian is best known for being a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that won the gold medalGold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in an event known as the Miracle on Ice
Miracle on Ice
The "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...
during the 1980 Winter Olympics
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
. He also played for the U.S. national team at the 1981 Canada Cup
1981 Canada Cup
The 1981 Canada Cup was the second best-on-best ice hockey world championship and involved the world's top six hockey nations. Tournament games were held in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal and Ottawa. The Soviet Union defeated Canada in a single game final to win its first title, while Soviet...
as well as the 1981 Ice Hockey World Championship tournaments as an NHL rookie. His international career continued in the 1984 Canada Cup
1984 Canada Cup
The 1984 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played during the first three weeks of September 1984. The best-of-three final took place between Canada and Sweden, with Canada winning two games to nil...
, 1989 Ice Hockey World Championship and 1991 Canada Cup
1991 Canada Cup
The 1991 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played in September 1991. The finals took place in Montreal on September 14 and Hamilton, Ontario on September 16, and were won by Canada. The Canadians defeated the USA in a two game sweep, to win the fifth and final Canada...
tournaments.
Christian's professional hockey career started one week after the Miracle on Ice
Miracle on Ice
The "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...
when he joined the Winnipeg Jets, who drafted him 40th overall in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft
1979 NHL Entry Draft
The 1979 NHL Entry Draft took place on August 9, 1979, at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 126 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1978–79 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those...
. Christian set and still holds the record for the fastest goal by a player in his first NHL game, scoring just 7 seconds into his first shift, electrifying the crowd. After a roller-coaster career in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, he went on to play in the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
with the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
, Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
and St. Louis Blues. Between 1980 and 1993, he scored 340 goals and 433 assists in 1,009 NHL regular season games.
Post career
Christian was named head coach and general manager of the United States Hockey LeagueUnited States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
Fargo-Moorhead Bears near the end of the 1997–98 season and held the positions through the 1999–2000 season.
Awards and achievements
- Christian was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of FameUnited States Hockey Hall of FameThe United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the rich history of the game in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and teams....
in 2001. - Christian played in the 1991 NHL All-Star Game42nd National Hockey League All-Star GameThe 42nd National Hockey League All-Star Game took place in Chicago Stadium, home of the Chicago Blackhawks, on January 19, 1991.-Commissioner's Choice:...
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1977–78 | University of North Dakota University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ... |
NCAA | 38 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | University of North Dakota | NCAA | 40 | 22 | 24 | 46 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
15 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 80 | 28 | 43 | 71 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 80 | 25 | 51 | 76 | 28 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1982–83 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 55 | 18 | 26 | 44 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1983–84 | Washington Capitals Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup... |
NHL | 80 | 29 | 52 | 81 | 28 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 5 | ||
| 1984–85 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 80 | 26 | 43 | 69 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1985–86 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 80 | 41 | 42 | 83 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 1986–87 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 76 | 23 | 27 | 50 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 1987–88 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 80 | 37 | 21 | 58 | 26 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 6 | ||
| 1988–89 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 80 | 34 | 31 | 65 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1989–90 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 28 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Boston Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
NHL | 50 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 8 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 1990–91 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 78 | 32 | 21 | 53 | 41 | 19 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 4 | ||
| 1991–92 | St. Louis Blues St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade... |
NHL | 78 | 20 | 24 | 44 | 41 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1992–93 | Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10... |
NHL | 60 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1993–94 | Indianapolis Ice Indianapolis Ice The Indianapolis Ice is the name of a former hockey team in Indianapolis, Indiana, that played in the International Hockey League from 1988–99 and in the Central Hockey League from 1999–2004. Their original home arena was the Indiana State Fairgrounds Pepsi Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds... |
IHL | 40 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1994–95 | Minnesota Moose Minnesota Moose The Minnesota Moose was an ice hockey team in the International Hockey League. They played in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, at the Saint Paul Civic Center. The team also played some home games at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The Moose were a representative of professional hockey in Minnesota at... |
IHL | 81 | 38 | 42 | 80 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1995–96 | Minnesota Moose | IHL | 69 | 21 | 25 | 46 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 1009 | 340 | 433 | 773 | 284 | 102 | 32 | 25 | 57 | 27 | ||||
In popular culture
In the 19811981 in film
-Events:*January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it....
TV movie about the gold medal-winning hockey team entitled Miracle on Ice, Christian is played by Thomas F. Duffy.
In the 2004
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
Disney film Miracle
Miracle (film)
Miracle is a 2004 American biographical sports film about the United States men's hockey team, led by head coach Herb Brooks, that won the gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics. The USA team's victory over the heavily favored Soviet team in the medal round was dubbed the Miracle on Ice...
, he is played by Steve Kovalcik. Kovalcik attended the same high school, Armada High School in Armada, Michigan
Armada, Michigan
Armada is a village in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,573 at the 2000 census. The 2008 Census Bureau Estimate places the population at 1,657. The village is located within Armada Township....
, as well-known sports announcer Dick Enberg
Dick Enberg
Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
.
See also
- List of members of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
- List of NHL players with 1000 games played
- Captain (ice hockey)Captain (ice hockey)In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...