Dennis Vial

Dennis Vial (born April 10, 1969 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada) is a retired professional hockey player who played in NHL with the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, and Ottawa Senators. He played defence and shot left-handed. 
==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 not deep 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.
Unfortunately, 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 the 1997–1998 season.
For the next 7 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.
==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 pounds ($18,750) Vial was suspended for six games and fined 750 pounds ($1,675 Cdn) for offences including instigating the brawl 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."
==Career statistics==
  	  	 	 	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
1985–86	Hamilton Steelhawks 	OHL 	 	31 	1 	1 	2 	66 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1986–87	Hamilton Steelhawks 	OHL 	 	53 	1 	8 	9 	194 	 	8 	0 	0 	0 	8
1987–88	Hamilton Steelhawks 	OHL 	 	52 	3 	17 	20 	229 	 	13 	2 	2 	4 	49
1988–89	Niagara Falls Thunder	OHL 	 	50 	10 	27 	37 	230 	 	15 	1 	7 	8 	44
1989–90	Flint Spirits 	IHL 	 	79 	6 	29 	35 	351 	 	4 	0 	0 	0 	10
1990–91	Binghamton Rangers 	AHL 	 	40 	2 	7 	9 	250 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1990–91	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	21 	0 	0 	0 	61 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1990–91	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	9 	0 	0 	0 	16 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1991–92	Adirondack Red Wings 	AHL 	 	20 	2 	4 	6 	107 	 	17 	1 	3 	4 	43
1991–92	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	27 	1 	0 	1 	72 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1992–93	Adirondack Red Wings 	AHL 	 	30 	2 	11 	13 	177 	 	11 	1 	1 	2 	14
1992–93	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	9 	0 	1 	1 	20 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1993–94	Ottawa Senators 	NHL 	 	55 	2 	5 	7 	214 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1994–95	Ottawa Senators 	NHL 	 	27 	0 	4 	4 	65 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1995–96	Ottawa Senators 	NHL 	 	64 	1 	4 	5 	276 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1996–97	Ottawa Senators 	NHL 	 	11 	0 	1 	1 	25 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1997–98	Chicago Wolves 	IHL 	 	24 	1 	3 	4 	86 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	2
1997–98	Ottawa Senators 	NHL 	 	19 	0 	0 	0 	45 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1998–99	Chicago Wolves 	IHL 	 	55 	1 	4 	5 	213 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1999–00	Sheffield Steelers 	BISL 	 	26 	2 	5 	7 	82 	 	7 	0 	1 	1 	10
2000–01	Sheffield Steelers 	BISL 	 	42 	3 	7 	10 	171 	 	8 	0 	2 	2 	20
2001–02	Columbia Inferno 	ECHL 	 	68 	8 	11 	19 	137 	 	5 	0 	0 	0 	4
2002–03	Columbia Inferno 	ECHL 	 	69 	3 	15 	18 	158 	 	17 	0 	1 	1 	27
2002–03	Verdun Dragons 	QSPHL 	 	2 	1 	0 	1 	7 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2003–04	Columbia Inferno 	ECHL 	 	54 	5 	15 	20 	101 	 	4 	0 	0 	0 	20
2004–05	Missouri River Otters	UHL 	 	46 	0 	4 	4 	66 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2004–05	Richmond Riverdogs 	UHL 	 	29 	1 	7 	8 	19 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
 	NHL Totals 	 	 	242 	4 	15 	19 	794 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==External links==
* 
* Video of Vial in a fight with Rob Ray April 10, 1996
Category:Born in 1969
Category:Adirondack Red Wings players
Category:Binghamton Rangers players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Chicago Wolves players
Category:Columbia Inferno players
Category:Detroit Red Wings players
Category:Flint Spirits players
Category:Hamilton Steelhawks alumni
Category:Missouri River Otters players
Category:New York Rangers draft picks
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Niagara Falls Thunder alumni
Category:Ottawa Senators players
Category:Richmond Riverdogs players
Category:Sheffield Steelers players