09/13/2026
Kevin Dineen was the kind of player every team wanted and every opponent hated playing against. He could score, hit, fight, play with an edge and still put up big offensive numbers. For the Hartford Whalers, he became one of the most recognizable players of their era.
Drafted 56th overall by Hartford in 1982, Dineen developed into much more than a physical winger. In 1986–87, he scored 40 goals and finished with 79 points. Two seasons later, he reached another level, scoring a career high 45 goals and 89 points in 1988–89.
Dineen was not simply a tough player who could occasionally score. He reached 30 goals five times during his career and scored at least 33 goals in three consecutive seasons from 1985–86 through 1987–88. He combined legitimate scoring ability with a physical style that made him incredibly difficult to play against.
He also became one of the NHL's rare players to finish his career with both elite scoring numbers and enormous penalty totals. Dineen recorded 355 goals, 405 assists and 760 points in 1,188 games, along with 2,229 penalty minutes. He is one of only a small group of NHL players to reach both 300 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes.
And Hartford fans absolutely loved him. Dineen spent the majority of his career with the Whalers, serving as captain and becoming one of the faces of the franchise. Even though he never won a Stanley Cup as a player, he left behind a career that was far more impressive than his lack of major individual awards might suggest.
1,188 games.
355 goals.
760 points.
2,229 penalty minutes.
Two All Star selections.
45 goals in his best season.
Kevin Dineen wasn't just an enforcer.
He wasn't just a goal scorer.
He was one of the NHL's original power forwards.
And for Hartford Whalers fans, he was unforgettable.
