The most surprising thing about the incredible career of Mississauga’s Dave Poulin is that every single team in the National Hockey League passed up on him at the annual entry draft.

But Poulin made every NHL general manager blush beet red when he signed on with Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent.

     By the time he put down his hockey stick for the last time, Poulin gained widespread reputation for skills and leadership that would result in 550 points over 750 NHL regular and 150 playoff games. Poulin moved to Mississauga from Timmins when he was in Grade 4 and played his minor hockey in the Mississauga Hockey League with Erindale and Cawthra before moving to the Metro Toronto Hockey League’s Mississauga Reps.

     After a single season with the Junior A Dixie Beehives, the Erindale Secondary School graduate went on to star with the University of Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish for four years between 1978 and ’79. Poulin made fans fast when he scored in the second period of his first U.S. college game against Colorado College then netted his first hat trick the following night. By the end of his freshman year, he led the team in points and was named the team’s Rookie of the Year. When no NHL teams knocked on Poulin’s door, he signed on to play for Ted Sator in Sweden.

     After the season, Sator put in a good word for the 5-foot-11, 180 pounder and it opened the door for him to try out with the Philadelphia. Signing on with the Flyers late in the 1982-’83 season, Poulin made up for lost time by scoring on the first shift in his first game.Making it even more memorable was that it took place at Maple Leaf Gardens.

     Poulin took a pass from former Leaf great Darryl Sittler (then a Flyer) and whistled a shot past netminder Mike Palmateer.

     “I’m very fortunate,” said Poulin. “If I hadn’t made it in the NHL, I probably would have been happy (working) with Proctor and Gamble.” Instead, Poulin made his employers in Philadelphia ecstatic with his stick handling, speed and playmaking ability.

     Only in his second full season under the tutelage of first head coach Mike Keenan, the center was named captain when Bobby Clarke retired. Poulin would go on to play in three NHL All-star Games and would dress for Team Canada in Rendez Vous ’87. After his NHL career, Poulin took on the coaching duties at his alma mater in Grand Bend, Indiana.