| Connie Dion | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
August 11, 1918 Saint-Rémi-de-Tingwick, Quebec, Canada | ||
| Died |
November 7, 2014 (aged 96) Asbestos, Quebec, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) | ||
| Weight | 140 lb (64 kg; 10 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Right | ||
| Played for | Detroit Red Wings | ||
| Playing career | 1937–1954 | ||
Joseph Conrad Étienne Dion (August 11, 1918 – November 7, 2014) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played two seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings between 1943 and 1945. One of thirteen children, Dion got his start as a goaltender with the Junior Verdun Maple Leafs in 1937 and had his first full season as a senior with the team the following year. After several seasons in the Quebec Senior and Professional Hockey Leagues, he was recruited by the Red Wings in 1943 as a potential replacement for Johnny Mowers, who had enlisted to fight in World War II. He spent two years with the team, earning a win-loss-tie record of 23–11–4 and taking part in the most lopsided shutout (15–0) in NHL history as the goalie for the winning side.
After being traded down to the American Hockey League (AHL) in 1945, Dion continued to play professional hockey for nearly a decade, primarily with the Buffalo Bisons and earned the Harry Hap Holmes Memorial Award in 1950 by being the goaltender with the lowest goals against average in the league. He retired from active competition in 1954 and moved to Asbestos, Quebec, where he was active in the local ice hockey and golf scenes. The arena in Asbestos, Aréna Connie Dion, is named in his honor.