in Red Wing scoring (behind by only two points) for 1978-79. The matter was resolved, and McCourt remained in Detroit, but he felt betrayed by the fact that his own NHLPA, led by executive director Alan Eagleson, did not back him against the owners during the lawsuit. His legal case created a huge impact on sport and was the first sports case to challenge the antitrust laws during the bargaining agreement. Trade McCourt continued to be the Red Wings' top scorer in both his third (1979–80) and fourth (1980–81) seasons. Despite this, and while leading the team in scoring a third of the way through the 1981–82 season, management did not feel he had achieved their overall expectations, trading McCourt to the Buffalo Sabres in December 1981—having produced at a point-a-game pace during his time with the Red Wings but failing to make the playoffs for three of his four years with the team. He played with Buffalo before being claimed on waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs in October 1983, finishing his NHL career at the end of the 1983–84 NHL season, with 478 points in 532 games played. McCourt then played for 8 seasons for HC Ambrì-Piotta, in the top Swiss league. Ambrì-Piotta retired McCourt's number 15 jersey. Hockey family McCourt's brother Dan was an NHL linesman during the 1980s and early 1990s. McCourt's uncle is Hockey Hall of Fame member George Armstrong. Armstrong won the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHA's Most Outstanding Player in both 1947–48 and 1949–50, the same award that McCourt received in 1976–77. Armstrong was the coach of the Toronto Marlboros when they won the national Memorial Cup Championship in 1973 and 1975, the same championship that McCourt won as a player with the Hamilton Fincups in 1976. Career statistics Regular season and playoffs International Awards and honours Directorate Award, Best Forward, 1977 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships References (2010, January 26). Dale McCourt. Retrieved March 21, 2017, from http://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2010/1/26/1270526/dale-mccourt Shaw, W. (2017, January 24). The Dale McCourt Saga: The Beginning Of The End Of Team Loyalty. Retrieved March 21, 2017, from http://bleacherreport.com/articles/250882-the-dale-mccourt-saga-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-team-loyalty External links 1957 births Buffalo Sabres players Detroit Red Wings captains Detroit Red Wings draft picks Detroit Red Wings players First Nations sportspeople Hamilton Fincups players Hamilton Red Wings (OHA) players HC Ambrì-Piotta players Ice hockey people from Ontario Indianapolis Racers draft picks Living people National Hockey League first-overall draft