Rick Vaive

Rick Vaive
Vaive in 1988
Born	May 14, 1959 Ottawa, ON, CAN
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Vancouver Canucks Toronto Maple Leafs Chicago Blackhawks Buffalo Sabres Birmingham Bulls (WHA)
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	5th overall, 1979 Vancouver Canucks
Playing career	1979–1992

Richard Claude Vaive (born May 14, 1959) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1979 to 1992, and is best remembered as the first 50-goal scorer in Toronto Maple Leafs franchise history. Vaive was born in Ottawa, Ontario, but grew up in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

Bio

Vaive was selected fifth overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, after a stellar junior hockey career with the Sherbrooke Castors. His professional career, which began in the WHA with the Birmingham Bulls, lasted from 1978 until 1992.

In 1980, the Canucks traded Vaive, along with Bill Derlago, to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Dave "Tiger" Williams and Jerry Butler. In Toronto, Vaive and Derlago were teamed with Pat Hickey, and Derlago became Vaive's setup man. Vaive scored prolifically with the Leafs, becoming the first 50-goal scorer in franchise history, surpassing that threshold three times. He recorded 54 goals in 1981–82, 51 goals in 1982–83, and 52 goals in 1983–84. He also served as captain of the Maple Leafs from 1982 to 1986. Vaive was stripped of his captaincy during the 1985–86 NHL season, for missing a morning practice.

Vaive was a late cut from the 1984 Canada Cup team.

His trade from Toronto along with Steve Thomas and Bob McGill to Chicago in exchange for Al Secord and Ed Olczyk before the 1987 season was one of several lamentable trades arranged by team owner Harold Ballard in the 1980s. Vaive netted 43 goals in his first season in Chicago but would never manage more than 31 in a season after that. He spent 4 seasons with the Buffalo Sabres before retiring as a member of the AHL's Hamilton Canucks in 1993.

He was found not guilty of impaired driving despite a positive breathanalyzer test given by police July 14, 2009 ^[1]

Coaching career

Vaive had a career as a professional hockey coach in the East Coast Hockey League and the American Hockey League after his retirement from the NHL, serving as a head coach in 1993 with the expansion South Carolina Stingrays, winning two division titles (1995 and 1997), a conference championship (1997), and under his watch became the first ECHL coach in history to win both the Brabham Cup and Kelly Cup in the same season, in the 1996–97 season. He served one season with the Mississauga Ice Dogs before Don Cherry took over as head coach.

Personal

Vaive (left) and Darryl Sittler (right) signing autographs in Oshawa, 2005

Vaive currently hosts various shows on Leafs TV, an MLSE-run property focusing on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

His son, Justin Vaive, was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.^[2]

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1976–77	Sherbrooke Castors	QMJHL		68	51	59	110	91		—	—	—	—	—
1977–78	Sherbrooke Castors	QMJHL		68	76	79	155	199		—	—	—	—	—
1978–79	Birmingham Bulls	WHA		75	26	33	59	248		—	—	—	—	—
1979–80	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		47	13	8	21	111		—	—	—	—	—
1979–80	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		22	9	7	16	77		3	1	0	1	11
1980–81	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		75	33	29	62	229		3	1	0	1	4
1981–82	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		77	54	35	89	157		—	—	—	—	—
1982–83	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		78	51	28	79	105		4	2	5	7	6
1983–84	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		76	52	41	93	114		—	—	—	—	—
1984–85	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		72	35	33	68	112		—	—	—	—	—
1985–86	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		61	33	31	64	85		9	6	2	8	9
1986–87	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		73	32	34	66	61		13	4	2	6	23
1987–88	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL		76	43	26	69	108		5	6	2	8	38
1988–89	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL		30	12	13	25	60		—	—	—	—	—
1988–89	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		28	19	13	32	64		5	2	1	3	8
1989–90	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		70	29	19	48	74		6	4	2	6	6
1990–91	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		71	25	27	52	74		6	1	2	3	6
1991–92	Rochester Americans	AHL		12	4	9	13	4		16	4	4	8	10
1991–92	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		20	1	3	4	14		—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	Hamilton Canucks	AHL		38	16	15	31	34		—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	Dundas Real McCoys	OHASr		9	6	5	11	34		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				876	441	347	788	1445		54	27	16	43	111
QMJHL totals				136	127	138	265	290		—	—	—	—	—
AHL totals				50	20	24	44	38		16	4	4	8	10

Coaching statistics

Season	Team	League	G	W	L	T	OTL	PCT.	Playoff Result
1993-94	South Carolina Stingrays	ECHL	68	33	26	0	9	0.551	Lost in round 1
1994-95	South Carolina Stingrays	ECHL	68	42	19	0	7	0.669	Lost in round 2
1995-96	South Carolina Stingrays	ECHL	70	40	22	0	8	0.629	Lost in round 2
1996-97	South Carolina Stingrays	ECHL	70	45	15	10	0	0.714	Won Championship
1997-98	South Carolina Stingrays	ECHL	70	41	23	6	0	0.629	Lost in round 1
1998-99	Saint John Flames	AHL	80	31	40	8	1	0.444	Lost in round 2
1999-00	Saint John Flames	AHL	80	32	32	11	5	0.500	Lost in round 1
2000-01	Mississauga IceDogs	OHL	68	3	56	7	2	0.110
2004-05	Dundas Real McCoys	OHASr	34	20	12	0	2	0.618

Note: G = Games, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, PCT. = Winning Percentage

See also

• Captain (ice hockey)

References

1. "Former_Maple_Leaf_Captain_Rick_Vaive_not_guilty_of_impaired_driving", The Toronto Star, April 12, 2012
2. Hockey a family tradition for Miami's Vaive | www.journal-news.com

External links

• Rick Vaive's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Profile at hockeydraftcentral.com