3 Things Oilers Fans Might Not Know About Dave Semenko
When people talk about the Edmonton Oilers dynasty of the 1980s, the names usually come quickly: Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, and Paul Coffey. Those superstars changed the game.
But every great team has players who make the stars better. Players who do the jobs that don’t always show up on the scoreboard. Players who bring something different to the room.
Dave Semenko became an important piece of the Oilers’ puzzle.
Most fans remember “Sammy” as Wayne Gretzky’s protector. He was the guy who made sure opponents thought twice before taking a run at the greatest player in hockey history. He was tough, fearless, and willing to do the difficult work that allowed Gretzky and the Oilers’ skill players to do what they did best. But there was much more to Semenko than dropping the gloves.
Here are three things that remind us why he was such a unique character.
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#1: Dave Semenko Once Fought Muhammad Ali.
This might be one of the strangest hockey stories ever. In 1983, Semenko stepped into the boxing ring with none other than Muhammad Ali in an exhibition match in Edmonton. The event was held for charity, and Ali was well past his prime. He was 41 years old and clearly entertaining the crowd more than trying to prove anything. But this was still Ali — one of the greatest athletes the world had ever seen.
Semenko came away with a bloody nose, but he also walked away with a story almost nobody else in hockey could match. How many NHL players can say they shared the boxing ring with The Greatest? And he also played on the ice with the greatest player hockey has ever seen — Gretzky. Not many players can say that.
#2: Wayne Gretzky Gave Semenko a Car.
This story might tell us more about Semenko than any fight ever could. After Gretzky won a car as the MVP of the 1983 NHL All-Star Game, he gave the vehicle to Semenko. Why? Because he appreciated what Semenko meant to him and to the Oilers.
Gretzky was the most talented player in the world, but he understood that hockey was never played alone. Semenko helped create the environment where Gretzky could play with confidence.
#3: Semenko Holds a Strange Piece of Hockey History.
Before the Oilers joined the NHL, they were part of the World Hockey Association. And when the WHA ended, Dave Semenko scored the final goal in league history. Interestingly, one of the toughest players of his era also became the answer to a great hockey trivia question.
Years later, Wayne Gretzky shared a story about Semenko’s career wishes. He wanted to be named NHL Player of the Week, appear on the cover of The Hockey News, and win the Stanley Cup. He accomplished all three.
That tells you something about Sammy.
Semenko was more than just a tough Oilers enforcer.
He wasn’t just the tough guy standing beside Gretzky. He was a teammate, a character, and a huge part of the personality of those early Oilers teams. Every championship team has stars.
But sometimes the players who make the biggest impact are the ones who never get enough credit. Dave Semenko was one of those players.
What other hockey player can say they protected Wayne Gretzky, fought Muhammad Ali, won Stanley Cups, and scored the final goal in WHA history?
Only Dave Semenko.