Darcy Rota

Darcy Irwin Rota (born February 16, 1953) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent eleven seasons in the National Hockey League. He featured in the 1982 Stanley Cup Finals with the Vancouver Canucks.

Darcy Rota
Rota in 1978
Born (1953-02-16) February 16, 1953
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Left
Played for Chicago Black Hawks
Atlanta Flames
Vancouver Canucks
NHL Draft 13th overall, 1973
Chicago Black Hawks
WHA Draft 9th overall, 1973
Houston Aeros
Playing career 1973–1984

Playing career

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Rota's formative years including Bantam / Midget level hockey were in Prince George, British Columbia. Rota played his junior hockey with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WCHL, helping the club reach the Memorial Cup in 1971 and 1972. A dangerous sniper, he led the WCHL in goals in 1972–73, notching 73 in just 68 games en route to a 129-point season. Following the season, he was selected 13th overall by the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft.

Rota stepped straight into the Black Hawks' roster in 1973–74, and turned in a solid rookie season with 21 goals and 33 points in 74 games. Over the next several seasons, Rota developed into a solid, gritty, two-way player who made a solid contribution at both ends of the ice, although he didn't develop into the type of scorer it was thought he could be when he was drafted. He scored at least 20 goals in each of his first four seasons in Chicago, with his best year as a Black Hawk coming in 1976–77 when he co-led the team with 24 goals.

Late in the 1978–79 season, Rota was dealt along with Ivan Boldirev to the Atlanta Flames in a blockbuster trade which saw Tom Lysiak moving to Chicago.[1] He started off well in Atlanta with 9 goals in 13 games to close the season, but struggled in 1979–80 with just 18 points through 44 games. Midway through the season, he and Boldirev were dealt again, this time to the Vancouver Canucks, giving a delighted Rota a chance to play for his hometown team.

Rota's first full season as a Canuck in 1980–81 would be the best in his career to that point, as he notched career highs with 25 goals and 56 points. He would miss a substantial chunk of the 1981–82 campaign with a knee injury, but was a key component of the squad that reached the 1982 Stanley Cup finals, notching 6 goals in 17 playoff games.

For the 1982–83 season, Rota spent much of the year on a dynamic line with Thomas Gradin and Stan Smyl, and turned in the finest year of his career. He led the team in goals with 42 and finished with 81 points, both of which set club records (since broken by Markus Näslund) for a left winger.

Rota continued to excel in 1983–84, and was selected to play in his first NHL All-Star Game. He appeared to be on target for another season of close to 40 goals when he suffered a serious neck injury on a check from Jay Wells of the Los Angeles Kings. He managed to return for the playoffs, but was eventually forced to undergo spinal fusion surgery in the summer of 1984. He attempted to rejoin the Canucks in November of that year, but was warned that he risked further injury if he continued to play. After a few practices, he opted to retire.

Rota finished his career with 256 goals and 239 assists for 495 points in 794 NHL games, along with 973 penalty minutes. Rota fans called themselves the "Rota Rooters."

Management career

Rota was hired to work in public relations for the Canucks, and served in various positions in the team's front office, including a spell as Director of Player Development, until they parted ways in 1990. He then spent a stretch working for the NHL as an assistant to league president John Ziegler. From 1994 to 1996 he served as a commentator on Canucks TV telecasts alongside Jim Robson.

In 1998, Rota became head coach of the expansion Burnaby Bulldogs of the BCHL. Rota resides in the city of Coquitlam, and in 2000 he became part-owner, president, and general manager of the expansion Coquitlam Express of the BCHL. He built the team which won the 2006 Royal Bank Cup. Rota left the organization after the 2014 season.[2]

Career statistics
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1970–71 Edmonton Oil Kings WCHL 64 43 39 82 60 17 13 10 23 15
1971–72 Edmonton Oil Kings WCHL 67 51 54 105 68 16 8 9 17 11
1972–73 Edmonton Oil Kings WCHL 68 73 56 129 104 4 5 4 9 14
1973–74 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 74 21 12 33 58 11 3 0 3 11
1974–75 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 78 22 22 44 93 7 0 1 1 24
1975–76 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 79 20 17 37 73 4 1 0 1 2
1976–77 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 76 24 22 46 82 2 0 0 0 0
1977–78 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 78 17 20 37 67 4 0 0 0 2
1978–79 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 63 13 17 30 77 — — — — —
1978–79 Atlanta Flames NHL 13 9 5 14 21 2 0 1 1 26
1979–80 Atlanta Flames NHL 44 10 8 18 49 — — — — —
1979–80 Vancouver Canucks NHL 26 5 6 11 29 4 2 0 2 8
1980–81 Vancouver Canucks NHL 80 25 31 56 124 3 2 1 3 14
1981–82 Vancouver Canucks NHL 51 20 20 40 139 17 6 3 9 54
1982–83 Vancouver Canucks NHL 73 42 39 81 88 3 0 0 0 6
1983–84 Vancouver Canucks NHL 59 28 20 48 73 3 0 1 1 0
NHL totals 794 256 239 495 973 60 14 7 21 147

Awards
  • WCHL Second All-Star Team – 1972
  • WCHL All-Star Team – 1973

References
  1. "Blackhawks And The Draft". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Chicago Tribune. 13 April 1999. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  2. "After 13 Seasons Darcy Rota says goodbye". Coquitlam Express. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
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