Nearly 50 years after being selected first overall in the NHL draft, Dale McCourt is encouraging Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Gavin McKenna to proudly share his Indigenous heritage. McCourt, a former NHL forward who played 532 games with Detroit, Buffalo, and Toronto, said he never had the opportunity to highlight his own background when he was drafted in 1977.
McCourt Reflects on Past Lack of Recognition
When McCourt was chosen first overall by the Detroit Red Wings, the draft was a low-key affair. He was simply called at home in Sudbury from a hotel ballroom in Montreal, with no fanfare or media spotlight. “There was no recognition of my background, other than I was (Maple Leafs great) George Armstrong’s nephew,” McCourt said in a phone interview with the Toronto Sun on Monday.
In contrast, McKenna, who was selected first overall by the Leafs in Buffalo on Friday, proudly displayed his wolf clan logo and his sister’s homemade beadwork representing “Every Child Matters” and honoring Residential Schools survivors. McCourt said he swelled with pride watching McKenna embrace his heritage. “It’s just super that he’s doing that,” the 69-year-old retired player said. “The Indigenous have been shunted aside and it’s finally coming to people’s attention what we’ve gone through.”
McKenna’s Openness About Indigenous Roots
McKenna, a product of Whitehorse, Yukon, has been forthcoming about being part of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation through his grandfather, Joe Mason, who experienced harrowing events in the Residential Schools system. The 2024 winner of the Bryan Trottier Indigenous Player of the Year award, McKenna has used his platform to raise awareness. McCourt hopes to meet him one day. “When you understand the (shared) history, there definitely is a connection without public acknowledgment,” McCourt said. “You’re proud there’s another one in hockey.”
McCourt’s Own Indigenous Heritage
McCourt and the late George Armstrong are both from Kitigan Zibi, the largest Algonquin First Nation, located in present-day Quebec. McCourt described being “caught in the middle” as his grandmother married a white man, forcing the family to live off the reservation and forfeit associated rights. “But I keep that heritage close to me. Whenever I was going through difficult times in hockey, I always felt there was some extra inspiration in me to get through,” he said.
McCourt also felt a kinship with other Indigenous players, such as Johnny Bucyk, Henry Boucha, and Ted Nolan. He said he had great respect for Nolan, who was drafted by Detroit a year after McCourt and grew up on a reservation. “I’d watch him play and think here’s a guy who had it a lot rougher than me, who grew up on the reservation, and yet, he’s made it,” McCourt recalled.
Armstrong’s Influence and Legacy
McCourt cited Armstrong, who retired with the most career games by a Leaf and four Stanley Cups as captain, as a lifelong example. “I’d always looked up to him,” McCourt said. “He’d be so proud of what Gavin is doing now.” Armstrong’s granddaughter, Kalley Armstrong, now an assistant professor at Nipissing University, noted that Armstrong became more reflective of his heritage later in life. “Things were in a different context when he played. He thought he must be the only indigenous NHLer, even though others came before him, because no one ever talked about it,” she said.
Advice for McKenna
McCourt, who is a couple of inches shorter than the six-foot McKenna, offered one piece of career advice: “No matter if you have the talent, it won’t be a straight, smooth ride. You’re No. 1, but there are 31 guys behind you in the first round who think it should have been them.”
Kalley Armstrong, who played at Harvard and now works with the GTA public school program Stronger Together, believes McKenna’s story will inspire young Indigenous athletes. “With any athlete, it’s good to show their journey, where they came from and what they might accomplish. For kids, it’s not just making the pros, it’s learning the characteristics of a team, through recreation and participation,” she said.
