Dave Delich
American ice hockey player (born 1956)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
David Delich is an American former ice hockey center and real estate developer who is the all-time leading scorer for Colorado College.[1]
| Dave Delich | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
December 27, 1956 | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Center | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for |
Colorado College Flint Generals Oklahoma City Stars Baltimore Clippers SC Herisau | ||
| National team |
 United States | ||
| NHL draft |
93rd overall, 1976 Minnesota North Stars | ||
| Playing career | 1975–1983 | ||
Career
Ice hockey
After graduating from Eveleth-Gilbert High School in 1975, Delich began attending Colorado College in the fall and swiftly became a key contributor on the school's ice hockey team. Delich led the Tigers in scoring as a freshman, being names as the WCHA Freshman of the Year for his efforts.[2] That summer, the Minnesota North Stars selected Delich in the 6th round of the NHL draft.[3] Unfortunately, Delich's tenure with the Tigers came during a long stretch of poor results for the program, however, during his junior year he was able to help the team reach the 1978 NCAA tournament, the program's only appearance for a 38-year span. Despite the team's overall poor performance, Delich was one of college hockey's more prolific scorers, finishing his career with 285 points in just 153 games. His totals far exceed any other player in program history with second place (Brian Swanson) being more than 50 points behind despite playing more games. Additionally, as of 2025 he sits 9th all-time in career points for all of college hockey. In spite of his gaudy totals, Delich was never named as an All-American and only appeared on the WCHA's second All-Star team.[4]
After graduating, Delich continued his playing career by joining the US national team in the run up to the 1980 Winter Olympics. Delich played only 13 games before being cut from the squad and then signed his first professional contract. Over a three-year span, Delich played for three teams in three separate North American leagues before heading over to Europe in 1981. After a short stint in the Swiss B league, Delich returned to the states and joined the national team for a second time, posting ten points in seven games to help the US earn a promotion back to the top level at the 1983 World Championships.
Delich was inducted into the Colorado College athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.[5]
Real estate
After finishing his playing career, Delich eventually returned to Colorado Springs and began working in real estate. He became President of Sierra Properties Inc. in 1989 and continues to serve in that capacity to this day.[6] During that time he also served as the President for Sierra Commercial Real Estate Inc. for eleven years. In 2008, at the age of 51, Delich achieved a bit of notoriety when he qualified for the U.S. Senior Open.[7] He was able to do this by finishing the day with 74 shots after going over par on three of the first four holes.
Personal
Statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1975–76 | Colorado College | WCHA | 38 | 23 | 26 | 49 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Colorado College | WCHA | 38 | 29 | 43 | 72 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Colorado College | WCHA | 41 | 27 | 53 | 80 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Colorado College | WCHA | 36 | 32 | 52 | 84 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Team USA | International | 13 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Oklahoma City Stars | CHL | 71 | 20 | 34 | 54 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Flint Generals | IHL | 15 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 18 | ||
| 1980–81 | Oklahoma City Stars | EHL | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Baltimore Clippers | CHL | 50 | 12 | 38 | 50 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1981–82 | SC Herisau | NLB | statistics missing | |||||||||||
| NCAA totals | 153 | 111 | 174 | 285 | 106 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | United States | WC–B | 7 | 1 | 9 | 10 | – |
Awards and honors
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| All-WCHA Second Team | 1977–78 | [4] |
| All-WCHA Second Team | 1978–79 | [4] |