Monday, June 3, 2013

OHL mourns the loss of Dustin Dagenais

Press Release

BELLEVILLE, ON – The tragic events in Northern Ontario late last week have hit home in Belleville, as the Bulls are mourning the loss of a former player.

Dustin Dagenais, a paramedic on board an ORNGE air ambulance that went down just outside of Moosonee early Friday morning, along with three others has lost his life.

The four were enroute to Attawapiskat with no patients on board when the chopper went down with overcast conditions and light rain in the forecast.

Dagenais leaves behind wife Josée Cousineau, a teacher in Moose Factory, as well as an infant child.
“He was a person that would go out there for anybody,” a colleague of Dagenais told the aboriginal news service APTN. “I know talking to him, he always said he was one of those guys that would stick up for the person that was not so popular or the guy getting picked on. He was probably one of the nicest guys I ever knew.”

A native of Kapuskasing, Dagenais was a big defenceman who manned the blueline for 20 games during the Bulls’ memorable 1998-99 season. The former eighth round pick by the Kitchener Rangers in 1996 came to Belleville and recorded one assist in his 20 game stint that came on a goal by Kevin Baker.

Following his stop in Belleville, Dagenais would make a brief four game appearance with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads before spending the rest of his junior eligibility with the Collingwood Blues Jr. A club.
Tim Dickey, his coach in Collingwood, described him as a “towering guy” and a go-to defenceman for the team.

“He was hardnosed and stuck up for his teammates. If you wanted to take a shot at somebody, Dustin was always there to back you up,” he said.

A tribute page for Dagenais has been setup on Facebook here. Those wishing to make donations can do so at any CIBC in Canada using transit number 02782, Institutaion number 010, and account number 75-52238.

Contributions can also be made online or by telephone for CIBC Bank users, using the above account numbers. All donations will go to the Dagenais family. Email money transfers can be sent to inmemoryofdustin@gmail.com.


 (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)

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