# Danny Belisle

Daniel George Belisle (May 9, 1937 – November 28, 2022) was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach. He played 4 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 1960–61 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1957 to 1971, was spent in the minor leagues. He later became a coach in the minor leagues, and also coached the Washington Capitals in the NHL during the 1978–79 and 1979–80 seasons.

## Playing career

Belisle played junior hockey for the Guelph Biltmores and the Trois-Rivières Lions. He then signed with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League, but his entire NHL career totaled four games during the 1960–61 season. He played fourteen years in the minor leagues, as a member of fifteen different clubs. Belisle's career year came in 1962-63, when he scored 70 points for the San Francisco Seals of the Western Hockey League.

## Coaching career

Belisle began his coaching career with the Des Moines Oak Leafs, the final team for which he played. In 1978, he was named head coach of the Washington Capitals, whom he coached to a 24–41–15 record. After a slow start at the beginning of the 1979–80 NHL season, he was fired and replaced by Gary Green. Belisle was voted Central Hockey League coach of the year in 1981 while coaching the Dallas Black Hawks. The Black Hawks, a farm team for the Vancouver Canucks, compiled a 56-16-7, setting records for most victories by a minor league team, most points by a minor league team, most goals scored by a team and most road victories. Belisle later became an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings during the early 1980s.
Belisle's son Dan Belisle was an ice hockey coach and executive in the North American Hockey League, Southern Hockey League, Colonial Hockey League, and ECHL, most notably serving as general manager for the ECHL's New Orleans Brass, Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies, and Victoria Salmon Kings.
Belisle died November 28, 2022.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1955–56 | Guelph Biltmores | OHA | 48 | 25 | 25 | 50 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1956–57 | Guelph Biltmores | OHA | 52 | 36 | 30 | 66 | 70 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 21 |
| 1956–57 | Guelph Biltmores | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 1957–58 | Trois-Rivières Lions | QSHL | 55 | 24 | 31 | 55 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1957–58 | Providence Reds | AHL | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1958–59 | Vancouver Canucks | WHL | 70 | 31 | 31 | 62 | 41 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 13 |
| 1959–60 | Vancouver Canucks | WHL | 68 | 24 | 24 | 48 | 27 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 0 |
| 1960–61 | New York Rangers | NHL | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1960–61 | Kitchener Beavers | EPHL | 16 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1960–61 | Vancouver Canucks | WHL | 51 | 30 | 17 | 47 | 17 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1961–62 | Los Angeles Blades | WHL | 61 | 30 | 38 | 68 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1962–63 | San Francisco Seals | WHL | 63 | 29 | 41 | 70 | 14 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 2 |
| 1963–64 | Baltimore Clippers | AHL | 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1963–64 | Vancouver Canucks | WHL | 52 | 22 | 22 | 44 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1964–65 | Omaha Knights | CHL | 6 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1964–65 | Quebec Aces | AHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1964–65 | Victoria Maple Leafs | WHL | 53 | 23 | 24 | 47 | 40 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
| 1965–66 | Memphis Wings | CHL | 65 | 16 | 30 | 46 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1966–67 | California Seals | WHL | 62 | 25 | 22 | 47 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967–68 | Vancouver Canucks | WHL | 66 | 15 | 20 | 35 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1968–69 | Jacksonville Rockets | EHL | 71 | 39 | 46 | 85 | 26 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1969–70 | Barrie Flyers (1966–1979) | OHA Sr | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1969–70 | Columbus Checkers | IHL | 58 | 32 | 43 | 75 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1970–71 | Des Moines Oak Leafs | IHL | 41 | 8 | 21 | 29 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| WHL totals | WHL totals | WHL totals | 546 | 229 | 239 | 468 | 218 | 59 | 20 | 22 | 42 | 21 |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |

### Coaching record

| Team | Year | Regular Season | Regular Season | Regular Season | Regular Season | Regular Season | Regular Season | Post Season |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | T | Pts | Finish | Result |
| Washington Capitals | 1978–79 | 80 | 21 | 41 | 15 | 63 | 4th in Norris | Missed playoffs |
| Washington Capitals | 1979–80 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 10 | 2nd in Smythe | Fired |
| NHL Totals | NHL Totals | 96 | 25 | 51 | 17 |