Defenceman Dale Tallon possessed unquestionable skill with the puck and was a superior quarterback on the power play. He was also a rugged competitor whose solid career was overshadowed by Gilbert Perreault, the man picked just ahead of him in the Amateur Draft.
Born in Noranda, Quebec, Tallon played junior with the Oshawa Generals and Toronto Marlboros. After the Vancouver Canucks lost a spin of the wheel to the Buffalo Sabres for the right to pick Gilbert Perreault, they selected Tallon. He was a fine playmaker and power-play point man for three years and was picked as an alternate for Canada at the 1972 Summit Series versus the USSR. Despite scoring 46 goals in three seasons for the club and playing in two all-star games, he paled in comparison to Perreault's exploits.
Following the 1972-73 season, the Canucks sent Tallon to the Chicago Black Hawks for Jerry Korab and Gary "Suitcase" Smith. He spent six years with the Hawks and was a fine two-way performer for the club. Tallon's best year was 1975-76 when he registered 62 points. Prior to the 1978-79 season, he was sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins where he played steady hockey for a season-and-a-half before retiring in 1980.
