Nigel Dawes

Nigel Alexander Dawes (born February 9, 1985) is a Canadian-Kazakhstani professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing with Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He previously played seven seasons for Barys Astana before joining Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. He also played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens, Atlanta Thrashers, Calgary Flames, Phoenix Coyotes and New York Rangers.

Nigel Dawes
Dawes with the Calgary Flames in 2009
Born	February 9, 1985 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight	200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shoots	Left
KHL team Former teams	Ak Bars Kazan New York Rangers Phoenix Coyotes Calgary Flames Atlanta Thrashers Montreal Canadiens Barys Astana Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
National team	Kazakhstan
NHL Draft	149th overall, 2003 New York Rangers
Playing career	2004–present

Playing career

Dawes played junior ice hockey for the Kootenay Ice in the Western Hockey League. In his first year, the Ice won the Memorial Cup after winning the President's Cup as champions of the WHL.[1] Dawes improved his play in his next two seasons in the WHL, and, for the 2003–04 season, he was named a first team All-Star in the Western Conference, the winner of the Brad Hornung Trophy (most sportsmanlike),[2] and the Ice's most valuable player.

Dawes with the Rangers

Dawes was drafted in the fifth round, 149th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers, after two seasons in the WHL. After three seasons of junior hockey and four games in the American Hockey League for the Hartford Wolf Pack at the end of the 2003–04 season, the Rangers signed Dawes to his first professional contract on September 1, 2004, when he was 19 years old.[2] Dawes went on to play another season with the Ice, recognized for his talent as a finalist for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy (WHL player of the year), before breaking into the professional game in the AHL. Dawes finished his Kootenay Ice career as the franchise leader in goals, with 159 scored in 245 games.

Dawes scored his first NHL goal against Andrew Raycroft on October 21, 2006, in the Rangers 5–4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.[3] After playing in seven games then being a healthy scratch for seven of the next eight, Dawes was sent down to play with the Wolf Pack for the rest of the 2006–07 season.[4] He returned to play in the Rangers' final game of the playoffs on May 6, 2007. Game six against the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference Semifinals was Dawes's first NHL playoff game. While Dawes was trying to block a shot, the first Sabres goal deflected off of his body to go into the net past goalie Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers lost the game 5–4 to lose the series 4–2.[5]

Dawes recorded his first NHL assist in the 2007–08 season. Dawes had become a good shootout option for the Rangers, scoring four times on seven attempts at that point. During regular play, played as high as the second line at points during the 2007–08 season.[6]

On July 16, 2008, Dawes re-signed with the Rangers to a one-year, $587,500 contract.[7] On March 4, 2009, Dawes was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes along with Dmitri Kalinin and Petr Průcha for Derek Morris.[8] On July 16, 2009, Dawes was claimed off waivers by the Calgary Flames.[9]

On September 8, 2010, Dawes signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Atlanta Thrashers worth $600,000 in the NHL and $105,000 in the AHL. He was traded on February 24, 2011, to the Montreal Canadiens, along with Brent Sopel for Ben Maxwell and a 4th-round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

On May 31, 2011, Dawes left the NHL and signed a one-year contract with Kazakh based KHL team, Barys Astana.[10] He continued the relationship through the 2017-18 season.

On July 14, 2020, Dawes as a free agent and the fifth leading scorer in KHL history extended his tenure in Russia, signing a one-year contract with Ak Bars Kazan.[11]

International play

Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing  Canada
World Junior Championships
	2004 Finland
	2005 USA

Dawes played for Canada in the 2004 and 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, winning silver and gold medals, respectively. In 2004, Dawes led all players with six goals to go along with five assists in six games, tying for first with 11 points.[2] Two goals and one assist came in the gold medal game against the United States, after which Dawes was named as Canada's player of the game. He registered two goals and four assists in six games in 2005.

On March 24, 2016, the IIHF announced it had approved a request to allow Dawes, Brandon Bochenski, and Dustin Boyd to play for Kazakhstan at the 2016 IIHF World Championship.[12] All three players received Kazakhstani citizenship via naturalization, making them eligible.[13][14]

Personal

His mother is Canadian and his father is Jamaican.[15] He hails from the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2000–01	Winnipeg Warriors AAA	MMHL		36	55	41	96	74		13	14	11	25	10
2000–01	Winnipeg Saints	MJHL		4	1	2	3	0		—	—	—	—	—
2001–02	Kootenay Ice	WHL		54	15	19	34	14		22	9	6	15	8
2002–03	Kootenay Ice	WHL		72	47	45	92	54		11	4	8	12	6
2003–04	Kootenay Ice	WHL		56	47	23	70	31		4	1	2	3	10
2003–04	Hartford Wolf Pack	AHL		4	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Kootenay Ice	WHL		63	50	26	76	30		12	5	10	15	5
2005–06	Hartford Wolf Pack	AHL		77	35	32	67	21		13	6	6	12	9
2006–07	New York Rangers	NHL		8	1	0	1	0		1	0	0	0	0
2006–07	Hartford Wolf Pack	AHL		65	27	33	60	29		7	5	6	11	9
2007–08	Hartford Wolf Pack	AHL		20	14	20	34	2		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	New York Rangers	NHL		61	14	15	29	10		10	2	2	4	0
2008–09	New York Rangers	NHL		52	10	9	19	15		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL		12	0	2	2	0		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Calgary Flames	NHL		66	14	18	32	18		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Atlanta Thrashers	NHL		9	0	1	1	0		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Chicago Wolves	AHL		47	27	17	44	17		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Hamilton Bulldogs	AHL		19	14	14	28	7		20	14	8	22	8
2010–11	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		4	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Barys Astana	KHL		52	16	17	33	34		7	1	2	3	2
2012–13	Barys Astana	KHL		51	20	14	34	28		7	7	2	9	4
2013–14	Barys Astana	KHL		54	26	23	49	18		7	2	2	4	4
2014–15	Barys Astana	KHL		60	32	24	56	48		7	4	3	7	10
2015–16	Barys Astana	KHL		55	31	22	53	16		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Barys Astana	KHL		59	36	27	63	31		10	7	3	10	4
2017–18	Barys Astana	KHL		46	35	21	56	26		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg	KHL		60	28	41	69	12		8	2	3	5	0
2019–20	Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg	KHL		59	20	30	50	13		5	0	1	1	2
AHL totals				232	117	116	233	76		40	26	19	45	26
NHL totals				212	39	45	84	43		11	2	2	4	0
KHL totals				496	244	218	462	226		51	23	16	39	26

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2002	Canada Western	U17	5th		5	2	2	4	4
2002	Canada	U18			5	5	6	11	2
2004	Canada	WJC			6	6	5	11	10
2005	Canada	WJC			6	2	4	6	6
2016	Kazakhstan	OGQ	NQ		2	1	1	2	0
2016	Kazakhstan	WC	16th		7	4	4	8	4
2017	Kazakhstan	WC D1	19th		5	5	4	9	0
2020	Kazakhstan	OGQ	NQ		2	0	2	2	0
Junior totals					22	15	16	32	22
Senior totals					16	10	11	21	4

Awards and honours

Award	Year
WHL
West First All-Star Team	2004, 2005
Brad Hornung Trophy	2004
AHL
All-Star Game	2008
Second All-Star Team	2011	[16]
KHL
All-Star Game	2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Most Goals (35)	2018

See also

• List of black ice hockey players

References

1. "Kootenay down Tigres to win Memorial Cup". Canadian Press. 2002-05-27. Archived from the original on 2009-05-17. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
2. "Rangers sign Nigel Dawes". TSN.ca. 2004-09-01. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
3. "Shanahan's Shootout Goal Carries Rangers Past Leafs". TSN. 2006-10-21. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
4. Terranova, Justin (2006-11-14). "Rangers Give Darius Call-up". New York Post. Archived from the original on January 25, 2007. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
5. Hradek, E.J. (2007-05-06). "It wasn't easy, but Sabres finish job in Game 6". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
6. Zinser, Lynn (2008-03-24). "A Rangers Rookie's Stature Grows With Each Shootout Goal". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
7. "Rangers agree to terms with free agent Dawes". TSN.ca. 2008-07-16. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
8. "Rangers trade for Antropov, Morris". ESPN.com. 2009-03-04. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
9. "Flames Acquire Forward Nigel Dawes". NHL.com. 2009-07-16. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
10. "Astana recruit Montreal duo". hockeysverige.se (in Swedish). 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
11. "Nigel Dawes - Ak Bars player" (in Russian). Ak Bars Kazan. July 14, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
12. Davide Tuniz (2016-03-24). "IIHF gives green light to Brandon Bochenski, Nigel Dawes and Dustin Boyd to play for Kazakhstan". eurohockey.com. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
13. Nasilevich, Alexander (25 March 2016). "Kazakhstan gets boost". IIHF Worlds 2016. International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
14. Dixon, Ryan (18 May 2016). "Nigel Dawes at peace with post-NHL life in Kazakhstan". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
15. "Nigel Dawes Wiki". United Press International.
16. "2010-11 First and Second All-Stars named". American Hockey League. 2011-05-04. Archived from the original on 2012-09-21. Retrieved 2011-05-04.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database