Dwight Foster passed away, the Detroit Red Wings confirmed Monday. Foster, a Canadian forward who played for Detroit from 1982 to 1986 after spells in Boston and Colorado/New Jersey, died in Toronto, Ontario, where he was born. He was sixty-seven. “The loss of Dwight Foster, a former player who scored 110 points in 215 games with the #RedWings from 1982 to 1986, is deeply felt by the Detroit Red Wings. We send our sympathies to his friends and family during this difficult time. On Monday, the team shared on X, “❤️.”
Foster won the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) scoring championship while playing for the Kitchener Rangers as an amateur. Before the 1977 NHL Entry Draft, he was a highly regarded prospect, and the New York Islanders were considering selecting him with their 15th overall pick. Foster, who was more renowned for his aggressive defensive approach, joined the Boston Bruins when the Islanders selected future franchise great Mike Bossy in that position.
Although Foster’s NHL career started off promisingly—he scored a goal in his first game—he was only able to play in 14 games during his rookie campaign due to a season-ending knee injury. He alternated between the NHL and the AHL’s Rochester Americans the next season, but he finally rose through the ranks of the Bruins’ system, adding 24 goals and 52 points in the 1980–81 campaign. Foster joined the Colorado Rockies as a free agent in the summer of 1981. Injuries plagued his tenure in Colorado and, when the team relocated to New Jersey in 1982.
Although he struggled with injuries, Foster showed some improvement in Detroit and his game found a rhythm again, scoring 17 goals in his first season with the team. Despite this, he never played more than 58 games in a season because of persistent health issues, and he was traded back to the Boston Bruins in 1985 in exchange for Dave Donnelly. He ended his NHL career with 274 total points in 541 games following the 1986–87 season, demonstrating his resilience and toughness as an athlete.
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