Dave Babych David Michael Babych ( born May 23 , 1961 in Edmonton , Alberta , Canada ) is a retired professional defenceman who spent 19 seasons in the National Hockey League , and played in two NHL All - Star Game s . He is the younger brother of former NHL player Wayne Babych . Playing career . Winnipeg Jets . Considered a franchise talent after a standout junior career with the Portland Winter Hawks , Babych was selected 2nd overall in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft by the Winnipeg Jets . He stepped into their lineup immediately as a teenager during the 1980 – 81 season , turning in a stellar rookie campaign in which he finished 2nd on the club with 38 assists and led all Winnipeg blueliners with 44 points . In 1981 – 82 , Babych emerged as a star on a revitalized Winnipeg team which improved by 48 points with the addition of superstar rookie Dale Hawerchuk , setting franchise records for defencemen with 19 goals and 68 points in helping the Jets to their first - ever NHL playoff berth . Key to his improvement and development was the acquisition of veteran Serge Savard , to serve as his partner on the blueline . 1982 – 83 would be better yet , as he led the Jets with 61 assists and smashed his own club record for defensive scoring with 74 points . He was also voted in as a starter for the Campbell Conference at the 1983 NHL All - Star Game . Babych would play in the All - Star game again in 1984 , and turned in another excellent season , although he missed 14 games due to injury . In 1984 – 85 , the Jets would have their best season ever , finishing 4th in the NHL with 96 points , and Babych - now forming a dynamic partnership on the blueline with former Norris Trophy winner Randy Carlyle - finished the year with 62 points to lead the team ' s defenders in scoring for the 5th consecutive season . He would also excel in the playoffs , leading the team in scoring as they won their first - ever playoff series before being ousted by the Edmonton Oilers . Hartford Whalers . Despite registering 16 points in his first 19 games to start the 1985 – 86 season , Babych was dealt to the Hartford Whalers for Ray Neufeld . Unpopular with Winnipeg fans at the time , the move would be a terrible one for the Jets as Neufeld was never more than a depth player for them and was out of the NHL by 1989 , while Babych continued to excel for nearly another 15 years . In Hartford , Babych continued his stellar play , finishing the season with 69 points - the second - highest total of his career - and was named the team ' s top defender . In 1986 – 87 , he missed time with injury and finished with a career - low 41 points . However , he bounced back the following year to record another 50 - point season , good for 2nd on the Whalers in scoring . He was named the Whalers ' top defender again in 1988 – 89 , and led the team in playoff scoring with 6 points in 4 games . In 1989 – 90 , he finished the year with 6 goals and 43 points , his 10th consecutive season over 40 points . 1990 – 91 would be a disaster for Babych , as a serious wrist injury required surgery shortly after the start of the season , causing him to miss 40 games . He then suffered a severely broken thumb almost immediately after his return , ruling him out for the rest of the campaign . He only appeared in 8 games all season , recording 6 assists . Vancouver Canucks . After missing almost all of the previous season to injury , Hartford exposed Babych in the 1991 NHL Expansion Draft , where he was selected by the Minnesota North Stars . However , he was almost immediately dealt to the Vancouver Canucks for Tom Kurvers . In Vancouver , Babych was no longer the front - line defender he was earlier in his career , but he continued to be a steady , valued contributor capable of showing flashes of his former offensive ability . He finished the 1991 – 92 season with 5 goals and 29 points ( 2nd amongst Vancouver defenders behind Jyrki Lumme ) , and was a key factor on a vastly improved Canuck team which won their division for the first time in 17 years . He also added 8 points in 13 playoff games . Injuries limited Babych to just 43 games in 1992 – 93 , but he bounced back in 1993 – 94 with 32 points , his highest total since 1990 . He continued to play inspired hockey in the playoffs as Vancouver reached the Stanley Cup Finals , scoring the biggest goal of his career on June 9 , 1994 , in Game 5 of the Finals against the New York Rangers . After the Rangers came back from a 3 – 0 deficit to tie the game , Babych jumped into the rush and buried a pass from Pavel Bure to score the game - winning goal . It sparked a comeback in the series for Vancouver , who would narrowly lose the series in 7 games . Babych continued to toil steadily on the Canucks ' blueline for another four seasons , although the team ' s fortunes went into decline . Most notable for Babych was a surprise offensive resurgence at the start of the 1995 – 96 campaign , which saw him amongst the league ' s highest - scoring defenders through the first month of the season . Philadelphia , Los Angeles and retirement . With the Canucks well out of the playoff race at the end of the 1997 – 98 season , the team dealt Babych to the Philadelphia Flyers for a low draft pick in order to give him a chance to play for a contending team . However , Babych missed a substantial amount of time with a famously injured foot , and the Flyers were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round . Babych continued to serve as a depth defender for the Flyers in 1998 – 99 , before being dealt to the Los Angeles Kings at the trade deadline . He finished his final season with 2 goals and 8 points in 41 games between Philadelphia and Los Angeles . He would have a brief stint in Switzerland in 2000 before retiring . Babych finished his career with 142 goals and 581 assists for 723 points in 1195 NHL games , along with 970 penalty minutes . He added 21 goals and 41 assists for 62 points in 114 playoff games . Lawsuit vs . Philadelphia Flyers . Following the conclusion of his career , Babych sued the Flyers , claiming improper medical care for his 1998 foot injury shortened his career . Although the foot was broken , the team ' s doctors told Babych it was only a bone bruise which could be played through with injections of painkillers . Babych claimed that playing through the injury caused permanent damage which prematurely ended his career , and sued for $ 2 million in lost wages . Ultimately , a jury awarded Babych a $ 1 . 37 million settlement in October , 2002 .