Dale Weise

Dale Weise (born Dale Kenton Weise on August 5, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Following a three-year major junior career with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League (WHL), he was selected 111th overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers.

Dale spent three years in the Rangers' farm system before being picked up by Vancouver on waivers in October of 2011.

He is known as a physical fourth-line forward in the NHL.

Playing Career
Dale played three years of junior for the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League (WHL).

During his rookie WHL season in 2005–06, he scored 18 points (4 goals and 14 assists) over 53 games.

Dale dressed in an addition four playoff games without recording a point as the Broncos were eliminated the Medicine Hat Tigers.

The following season, he improved to 43 points (18 goals and 25 assists) over 67 games, ranking second in team scoring, behind centre Levi Nelson.

He recorded one assist in six playoff games as the Broncos were eliminated in the first round for the second consecutive year, this time by the Regina Pats.

Dale played in his last season with the Broncos in 2007–08 and recorded a WHL career-high 51 points (29 goals and 22 assists) over 53 games, ranking fifth in team scoring.

He missed time due to injury, but returned to the Broncos' lineup near the end of the season.

Swift Current advanced past the first round that playoff year, before being eliminated by the Calgary Hitmen in the second round.

He had a team-leading 7 goals in 12 games that post-season (tied with Nelson while his 13 points ranked second to Nelson.

Over three years in the WHL, Dale earned a reputation as a physical power forward. He was also responsible defensively, earning time on the Broncos' penalty kill.

During the off-season, Dale was selected by the New York Rangers in the 4th round, 111th overall, of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Several months later (while attending his first NHL training camp), he signed an entry-level contract with the team on September 19, 2008.

The following week, Dale was assigned to the Rangers' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the minor league Hartford Wolf Pack and made his professional debut on October 11, 2008 against the Springfield Falcons.

He scored his first professional and AHL goal later that month on October 22, 2008 against the Worcester Sharks.

Playing the entire 2008–09 season with Hartford, Dale scored 23 points (11 goals and 12 assists) over 74 games, ranking second among team rookies to Bobby Sanguinetti's 42 points.

Near the end of the regular season, Dale was named the Wolf Pack's American Specialty/AHL Man of the Year for his community service contributions in the Hartford area.

The honour made him a nominee for the league's Yanick Dupre Memorial Award for community service which went to Brandon Rogers of the Houston Aeros.

During the 2009 playoffs, he added four points (three goals and an assist) over six games, while the Wolf Pack were defeated in the first round by the Worcester Sharks.

In September of 2009, Dale attended his second Rangers training camp and was once again assigned to the Wolf Pack for the start of the 2009–10 season.

Midway through the season, he was named AHL Player of the Week after scoring five goals over four games from January 3–10, 2010.

Dale finished the season improving to 50 points (28 goals and 22 assists) over 73 games, ranking fourth in team-scoring.

His five short handed goals tied for the league lead with Derek MacKenzie, Steve Pinizzotto and Josh Hennessy.

Late in the season, Dale received his first NHL call-up on April 4, 2010. While Weise remained with the Rangers until the end of the NHL season, he did not dress in any games for them.

He began the 2010–11 season in the AHL once more for the Connecticut Whale, who had changed their name from the Hartford Wolf Pack over the summer. Early in the campaign, Dale was sidelined with an injury and missed 18 games.

After returning to the lineup, Dale was recalled by the Rangers on December 17, 2010.

He made his NHL debut the following night in a 4–1 loss against the Philadelphia Flyers. Playing six minutes and forty-three seconds on the fourth line, Dale nearly scored on two occasions.

The first came in the second period when his shot went between Flyers goaltender Brian Boucher's pads but rolled wide of the post. Then, five minutes into the third period, he appeared to have scored when a puck went off his skate and into the Flyers net.

The goal was disallowed after it was ruled that Weise had made an illegal kicking motion with his skate. Later in the game, he fought Flyers enforcer Daniel Carcillo.

He was returned to the AHL after the game, but received another stint with the Rangers from January 1–22, 2011, after another call-up.

Dale finished the 2010–11 season with 38 points (18 goals and 20 assists) over 47 AHL games and no points over 10 NHL games.

During the off-season, he was re-signed to a one-year, two-way contract on June 27, 2011.

The deal is worth $605,000 in the NHL and $85,000 in the minors. While Dale was competing for a roster spot at the Rangers' training camp, he was waived by the team on October 4, 2011.

Dale was claimed by the Vancouver Canucks, who were interested in acquiring Weise the previous season,[19] and joined the team for the season-opener.

On October 20, 2011, he scored his first NHL goal in his seventh game with the Canucks (17th NHL game overall), tipping an Alexander Edler shot past goaltender Pekka Rinne in a 5–1 win against the Nashville Predators.

His place on the Canucks' roster helped stabilize the team's fourth line, which had gone through fourteen different players the previous year.

On February 3, 2014, Dale was traded by the Canucks to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Swiss-born defenceman Raphael Diaz.

Awards & Achievements

 * Hartford Wolf Pack's Man of the Year Award (2008–09)
 * AHL Player of the Week (January 3–10, 2010)