Dennis Ververgaert Dennis Andrew Ververgaert ( born March 30 , 1953 , in Grimsby , Ontario ) is a retired professional right winger who played in the National Hockey League from 1973 until 1981 . He is best known for his time with the Vancouver Canucks , where he was one of the club ' s top players in their first decade of existence . He was selected to play in the NHL All - Star Game in 1976 and 1978 . Playing career . Ververgaert had a dominant junior career with the London Knights , scoring 147 points in 1972 – 73 , including a franchise record 89 assists ( surpassed by Sergei Kostitsyn in 2005 – 06 ) , and was selected 3rd overall in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft by the Vancouver Canucks . Blessed with size and skill together with a booming shot , Ververgaert was thought to have the potential to be the first true star player in the history of the young franchise . In his first NHL season , Ververgaert didn ' t disappoint , stepping straight into the Canucks ' roster and recording a team - leading 26 goals along with 31 assists for 57 points . He led all rookies in goals and was second in points to Tom Lysiak , and finished 4th in Calder Trophy voting as the league ' s top rookie . His 26 goals remained the Canuck rookie record until broken by Trevor Linden in 1988 – 89 . In 1974 – 75 Ververgaert was even better , recording 51 points in 57 games despite missing substantial time due to a serious shoulder injury . His production was a key factor in the team ' s improvement , as they won their division and made the playoffs for the first time . He would have his finest season in 1975 – 76 , leading the Canucks with 37 goals and 71 points . He was also selected to play in his first NHL All - Star Game and proceeded to score two goals in 10 seconds to set an All - Star record , since broken by Owen Nolan . After the success of his first three seasons , Ververgaert appeared to be on the verge of stardom . However , his career would go sideways after 1976 as his production dropped off and he came under increased criticism for his poor defensive play . His greatest success had been with center André Boudrias , and after Boudrias left for the WHA , he was never able to find the same sort of chemistry with later linemates . In 1976 – 77 , he slumped to 27 goals and just 45 points , while recording a dismal plus / minus rating of - 35 . He rebounded slightly in 1977 – 78 to tally 21 goals and a career - high 33 assists for 54 points , and was selected to play in his second All - Star game . In 1978 – 79 , he started the season slowly with just 9 goals in his first 35 games , and was facing stiff competition for icetime from star rookie Stan Smyl . Mid - way through the season , he was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers for Kevin McCarthy and Drew Callander , and finished the year with career lows of 18 goals and 44 points . In Philadelphia , he was used more as a utility player instead of the front - line forward he was in Vancouver , and was occasionally a healthy scratch . He recorded 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points in 58 games in 1979 – 80 , but only appeared in two games as the Flyers reached the Stanley Cup finals . Released by the Flyers , he signed with the Washington Capitals for 1980 – 81 . He turned in a decent performance for the Capitals , finishing the year with 14 goals and 41 points in 79 games . However , at the start of the 1981 – 82 campaign he was assigned to the minors , and chose to retire rather than accept the assignment . Ververgaert finished his career with totals of 176 goals and 216 assists for 392 points in 583 games , along with 247 penalty minutes . His 139 goals as a Vancouver Canuck uniform place him 11th all - time , and only Don Lever scored more goals for the club during the 1970s . Following his career , Ververgaert returned to Vancouver where he operates an insurance business and is an active member of the Canucks ' alumni organization .