Danny Belisle

Daniel George Belisle (May 9, 1937 – November 28, 2022) was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach. He played 4 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 1960–61 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1957 to 1971, was spent in the minor leagues. He later became a coach in the minor leagues, and also coached the Washington Capitals in the NHL during the 1978–79 and 1979–80 seasons.

Playing career Belisle played junior hockey for the Guelph Biltmores and the Trois-Rivières Lions. He then signed with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League, but his entire NHL career totaled four games during the 1960–61 season. He played fourteen years in the minor leagues, as a member of fifteen different clubs. Belisle's career year came in 1962-63, when he scored 70 points for the San Francisco Seals of the Western Hockey League.

Coaching career Belisle began his coaching career with the Des Moines Oak Leafs, the final team for which he played. In 1978, he was named head coach of the Washington Capitals, whom he coached to a 24–41–15 record. After a slow start at the beginning of the 1979–80 NHL season, he was fired and replaced by Gary Green. Belisle was voted Central Hockey League coach of the year in 1981 while coaching the Dallas Black Hawks. The Black Hawks, a farm team for the Vancouver Canucks, compiled a 56-16-7, setting records for most victories by a minor league team, most points by a minor league team, most goals scored by a team and most road victories. Belisle later became an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings during the early 1980s.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1955–56 Guelph Biltmores OHA 48 25 25 50 25 3 1 0 1 0 1956–57 Guelph Biltmores OHA 52 36 30 66 70 10 6 10 16 21 1956–57 Guelph Biltmores M-Cup — — — — — 6 2 2 4 8 1957–58 Trois-Rivières Lions QSHL 55 24 31 55 32 — — — — — 1957–58 Providence Reds AHL 7 2 2 4 2 — — — — — 1958–59 Vancouver Canucks WHL 70 31 31 62 41 9 4 1 5 13 1959–60 Vancouver Canucks WHL 68 24 24 48 27 11 6 7 13 0 1960–61 New York Rangers NHL 4 2 0 2 0 — — — — — 1960–61 Kitchener Beavers EPHL 16 8 7 15 14 — — — — — 1960–61 Vancouver Canucks WHL 51 30 17 47 17 9 0 2 2 0 1961–62 Los Angeles Blades WHL 61 30 38 68 27 — — — — — 1962–63 San Francisco Seals WHL 63 29 41 70 14 17 8 7 15 2 1963–64 Baltimore Clippers AHL 13 1 2 3 4 — — — — — 1963–64 Vancouver Canucks WHL 52 22 22 44 22 — — — — — 1964–65 Omaha Knights CHL 6 2 6 8 2 — — — — — 1964–65 Quebec Aces AHL 4 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 1964–65 Victoria Maple Leafs WHL 53 23 24 47 40 12 2 5 7 6 1965–66 Memphis Wings CHL 65 16 30 46 38 — — — — — 1966–67 California Seals WHL 62 25 22 47 22 1 0 0 0 0 1967–68 Vancouver Canucks WHL 66 15 20 35 8 — — — — — 1968–69 Jacksonville Rockets EHL 71 39 46 85 26 4 2 1 3 0 1969–70 Barrie Flyers (1966–1979) OHA Sr 7 1 2 3 16 — — — — — 1969–70 Columbus Checkers IHL 58 32 43 75 21 — — — — — 1970–71 Des Moines Oak Leafs IHL 41 8 21 29 10 — — — — — WHL totals 546 229 239 468 218 59 20 22 42 21 NHL totals 4 2 0 2 0 — — — — —

Coaching record Team Year Regular season Postseason G W L T Pts Finish Result Washington Capitals 1978–79 80 21 41 15 63 4th in Norris Missed playoffs Washington Capitals 1979–80 16 4 10 2 10 2nd in Smythe Fired NHL totals 96 25 51 17