Very few burned as bright for as short a time as Dennis Ververgaert did while wearing a Canucks jersey. While he spent parts of six seasons in Vancouver, his first three were tantalizing. He was an early star for the franchise and played a key role in building the organization as a legitimate threat in the NHL.

Drafted third overall by the Canucks in the 1973 Amateur Draft, the right winger burst onto the scene once the season started. He set an organizational record for rookies with 26 goals, the second most in the NHL by a rookie that season. Ververgaert finished second on the team in points that season, only behind Andres Boudrias, with 57. For his accomplishments, he was fourth overall in Calder Trophy voting.

Following up his stellar rookie campaign, Ververgaert unfortunately suffered a shoulder injury that limited him to 57 games. He still managed 51 points in his sophomore season and helped lead Vancouver to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time. Although he only played in one game and the team bowed out in five, it was still a successful follow-up season.

His third season as an NHLer was the highlight of his career. An offensive player since junior, he capitalized to the best of his ability in the 1975-76 season. Staying healthy and appearing in every game, he made up for Boudrias’ waning production by scoring 37 goals, good for the second-most ever by a Canuck, and accumulating 71 points. This led the team in points and, once again, brought them back to the playoffs. They bowed out quickly in two games, but the Canucks had gone from an expansion franchise to a back-to-back playoff team.

Unfortunately, his production decreased over the next two seasons, only managing 45 and 54 points each. After a solid start in the 1978-79 campaign of 26 points in 35 games, Ververgaert was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for future defensive stalwart Kevin McCarthy. The now former-Canuck would only go on to play two more NHL seasons before retiring at 28 years old.

Upon hanging up his skates, he returned to Vancouver. He’s remained an active member of the Canucks alumni ever since.

Our previously ranked top 50 Canucks of all time:

#50 – Curt Fraser
#49 – Dave Babych
#48 – Martin Gelinas
#47 – Chris Oddleifson
#46 – Jannik Hansen
#45 – Ivan Boldirev
#44 – Gary Smith
#43 – Jacob Markstrom
#42 – Orland Kurtenbach
#41 – Harold Snepsts
#40 – Darcy Rota
#39 – Thatcher Demko
#38 – Geoff Courtnall

Love baseball? Don’t miss The 6ix Inning Stretch — the brand new podcast from The Nation Network, presented by Betway. Hosted by Toronto sports reporter Lindsay Dunn and 3-time MLB All-Star Whit Merrifield, this weekly show delivers insider stories, unfiltered Jays talk, player interviews, and expert analysis from around the majors. New episodes drop every Wednesday — listen on your favourite podcast platform or watch on the Bluejaysnation YouTube channel.