Color of Hockey: Dawes looks back following end of unique playing career

William Douglas has been writing The Color of Hockey blog since 2012. Douglas joined NHL.com in 2019 and writes about people of color in the sport. Today, he profiles Nigel Dawes, a former NHL forward who retired from professional hockey in April as the all-time points leader in the KHL among import players.

Nigel Dawes is doing something he hasn't done in 22 offseasons.

Relax.

"I'm enjoying the nice summer," Dawes said recently from his Winnipeg home. "I've been able to golf a little bit more. When you don't have to go to the gym every day you make other choices -- spend time with the family, go for dinners and enjoy not having a set schedule."

The 38-year-old, who played five NHL seasons with five teams from 2006-11 before becoming a superstar in Russia and Germany for 12 seasons, retired as a player in April and returned to the city where he grew up.

He has had time to reflect on a truly unique playing career on a journey he never envisioned when the New York Rangers selected him in the fifth round (No. 149) of the 2003 NHL Draft.

Dawes ended his career as the KHL all-time points leader among import players. He had 505 points (267 goals, 238 assists) in 543 games for Astana, Yekaterinburg and Kazan from 2011-21.

He led the KHL with 35 goals for Astana in 2017-18 and played in the KHL all-star game six times.

"It's kind of crazy to hear that now, now that it's ended," Dawes said. "I think it's a testament to the players I was able to play with. Your dream is always to play in the NHL. But the opportunity that league (the KHL) gave me, not just hockey-wise but to see a whole new part of the world."

New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin, who played in the KHL from 2012-20, said Dawes was known throughout the league for having "good hands and a high hockey IQ."

Dawes finished his career with Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in Germany, where he had 66 points (32 goals, 34 assists) in 90 games from 2021-23.

As a teenager, Dawes seemed destined for NHL success. He led Kootenay of the Western Hockey League in points from 2003-05 and scored a team-high 50 goals in 63 games in 2004-05.

Dawes played for Canada in the 2004 and 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship. He was the tournament's top goal scorer (11 points; six goals, five assists in six games) on Canada's 2004 silver medal team that included Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Brent Burns, Ryan Getzlaf, Brent Seabrook and Dion Phaneuf.

He was tied for seventh in scoring on Canada's gold-medal team the following year; among his teammates were Crosby, Getzlaf, Stewart, Patrice Bergeron, Corey Perry, Andrew Ladd and Shea Weber.

"You look back on it and look at the number of players that are going to be in the (Hockey) Hall of Fame from that team, it's remarkable, really," he said. "It's definitely one of the highlights of my career."

Though many of Dawes' World Juniors teammates achieved NHL stardom, he became a journeyman in the League with 84 points (39 goals, 45 assists) in 212 games with the Rangers, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Atlanta Thrashers and Montreal Canadiens from 2006-11.

"Coming up in the era that I did, a smaller player (5-foot-9, 200 pounds) was never really supposed to make the NHL, there wasn't a lot of room on rosters for players like that," he said. "I think in my mind I accomplished something that no one ever thought I would do, making the NHL as a smaller player ... But at the same time, when I left, I was a bubble player. I was spending some time in the minors, some time in the NHL.

"At some point, there are times that you have to make tough decisions. I was a little frustrated and wanted to give something else a chance. Fortunately for me, it turned out really well. I knew leaving that I might never play another game in the NHL, and I was OK with that."

Enough that Dawes became one of the few players who have represented two countries internationally. He gained eligibility to play for Kazakhstan's national team in 2016-17 and 2019-20 in unsuccessful efforts to help it qualify for the Winter Olympics.

"It was a great experience for me," he said. "I knew at that time that I would never play for Canada again with the amount of talent and skill (it had), so it gave me an opportunity to play in the world championships and to try to qualify for the Olympics."

Dawes said he cherishes his international experiences, but he also has fond memories from his NHL days, particularly his first goal in the League, scored in the first period of the Rangers' 5-4 shootout win at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 21, 2006, at Air Canada Centre on a "Hockey Night in Canada" broadcast.

"My dad's side of the family, and my grandpa, my cousins and my aunts, were all at the game," he said. "That was pretty special for me, especially because they weren't able to see me play a lot growing up being out West."

Dawes said he also treasures being teammates with Jaromir Jagr with the Rangers and with Jarome Iginla in Calgary, playing wit the Coyotes when Wayne Gretzky was coach and briefly being one of five Black players on the Thrashers in 2010-11 with Evander Kane, Anthony Stewart, Dustin Byfuglien and Johnny Oduya.

"It was fun," he said. "It was a different feeling coming from Calgary. I noticed different expectations, but it was a younger team."

Dawes said he doesn't yet know what's next for him in retirement, but he'd love to stay involved in hockey in some capacity.

"Hockey has given me a lot and I think there are a lot of different opportunities out there," he said. "It's just about finding the right fit. We'll see what the future has here."

Photos: Adler Mannheim