Éric Dazé

Éric Dazé (born July 2, 1975) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger who played primarily for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). His career was cut short as a result of many major injuries.
== Playing career ==
Eric Daze began his career playing midget with Laval in Quebec AAA Midget Hockey League. In the 1992–93, he joined the Hull Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) before being traded to the Beauport Harfangs late in the season. Despite starring for Beauport, and a strong junior career (finishing with 261 points in 191 games), Daze's value amongst NHL scouts dropped sharply due to his unwillingness to play a rough game, despite possessing the abilities for it.
Daze was drafted in the fourth round, 90th overall, in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks (with the draft pick the Blackhawks received with Stephane Beauregard for Dominik Hasek). He had early success and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1996 after scoring 30 goals as a rookie. He scored at least 20 goals in each season between 1996 and 2003, even when struggling with injuries, and was named to the NHL All-Star Game in 2002. He often polarized Chicago fans because he showed a reluctance to involve himself in the physical (hitting) aspect of the game despite his prototypical power forward build. Instead he displayed a combination of size and good scoring ability, especially during key, or clutch, moments of the game. He possessed a quick wrist shot and an excellence with one-timers.
Unfortunately, Daze ran into severe back problems during his career, which limited him to only 19 games in the 2003–04 NHL season. Even after three herniated disc surgeries in a five-year span, pain was still a problem in Daze's back when he attempted to return to the Blackhawks in 2005. He quietly left professional hockey after playing a single period in the season opener for the Blackhawks that season.
== Awards ==
*1994 — QMJHL First All-Star Team
*1995 — QMJHL First All-Star Team
*1995 — QMJHL Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy (Most Gentlemanly Player)
*1995 — CHL Sportsman of the Year Award
*1996 — NHL All-Rookie Team
*2002 — Played in NHL All-Star Game
*2002 — NHL All-Star Game MVP
== 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
1990–91 	Laval Regents 	QAHA 		30 	25 	20 	45 	30 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1991–92 	Laval Regents 	QAAA 		35 	30 	29 	59 	40 		12 	8 	10 	18 	8
1992–93 	Hull Olympiques 	QMJHL 		55 	13 	19 	32 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1992–93 	Beauport Harfangs 	QMJHL 		13 	6 	17 	23 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1993–94 	Beauport Harfangs 	QMJHL 		66 	59 	48 	107 	31 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1994–95 	Beauport Harfangs 	QMJHL 		57 	54 	45 	99 	20 		16 	9 	12 	21 	23
1994–95 	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL 		4 	1 	1 	2 	2 		16 	0 	1 	1 	4
1995–96 	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL 		80 	30 	23 	53 	18 		10 	3 	5 	8 	3
1996–97 	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL 		71 	22 	19 	41 	16 		6 	2 	1 	2 	1
1997–98 	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL 		80 	31 	11 	42 	22 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL 		72 	22 	20 	42 	22 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1999–00 	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL 		59 	23 	13 	36 	28 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL 		79 	33 	24 	57 	16 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL 		82 	38 	32 	70 	36 		5 	0 	0 	0 	2
2002–03 	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL 		54 	22 	22 	44 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL 		19 	4 	7 	11 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2004–05 	DNP — NHL lockout 	— 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL 		1 	0 	0 	0 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals 	NHL totals 	NHL totals 		601 	226 	172 	398 	176 		37 	5 	7 	12 	8
QMJHL totals	QMJHL totals 	QMJHL totals		191 	132 	129 	261 	75 		31 	25 	20 	45 	4
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
=== International statistics ===
Year	Team 	Comp	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1995	Canada	WJC 	7 	8	2	10 	0
1998	Canada	WC 	3 	1	4	5 	0
1999	Canada	WC 	2 	0	1	1 	0
== External links ==
*
*
*
*Eric Dazé biography at The Hockey Writers
Category:Born in 1975
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Chicago Blackhawks draft picks
Category:Chicago Blackhawks players
Category:NHL All-Stars
Category:Beauport Harfangs alumni
Category:Hull Olympiques alumni
Category:Retired in 2006