Promotion for Mike Dawson
Yet another Sault Ste. Marie product has secured a prominent position within the National Hockey League. Mike Dawson has been elevated to head of North American scouting for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Interestingly, Dawson earned the promotion from being a regional amateur scout for Carolina to his higher level position with the Hurricanes in the same week that fellow Sault Ste. Marie native Ronnie Francis was named general manager of the new Seattle entry that will make its NHL debut in 2021.
The hiring of the 56-year old Francis by the new Seattle franchise means Sault Ste. Marie has two of its own at the helm of an NHL team. Another Sault boy, 33-year old Kyle Dubas, is the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
As for the 46-year old Dawson, his new job with Carolina continues a rather impressive ascent for the likeable chap who played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League as a hard-nosed defenseman with the Kingston Frontenacs and the erstwhile Newmarket Royals.
Just a few years ago, Dawson was a part-time scout with Carolina before being elevated to full-time status. In all, he has spent seven full seasons as an amateur scout for the Hurricanes.
Dawson was given the promotion to head of North American scouting for Carolina by Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell. Waddell has made sweeping changes to the Hurricanes scouting staff which besides giving major responsibility to Dawson, included the hiring of three new amateur scouts.
As a determined player, Dawson made it to the OHL after being a seventh-round pick by Kingston from the Soo Legion midgets at the 1990 priority selections draft.
An intelligent, friendly individual who has resided in Kingston for a number of years, Dawson also played Canadian university hockey at both Acadia and Saint Mary’s before skating at the pro level in the Netherlands.