MONTREAL – Dr. Daniel Dulmage, a former Hamilton Tiger Cats defensive lineman who starred on the McGill University's 1969 Yates Cup champion football team and Western's 1971 Vanier Cup squad, has died. He was 74.
 
The family announced that he passed away on June 10, 2024 – due to complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – at Haldimand War Memorial Hospital in Dunnville, Ont.
 
Dulmage was an all-conference lineman on two Yates Cup winning teams as OUAA league champions – at McGill (1969) and at Western (1971). Both teams were later inducted to the Sports Hall of Fame at their respective schools, in 2010 at Western and 2023 at McGill. In 2013, he was inducted into the Prince Edward County Sports Hall of Fame in Ontario.
 
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound tackle played offence and defence over his three seasons at McGill, where he merited the Vic Obeck Trophy as the team's most improved player in 1969-70 and was voted as an OUAA East all-star. At Western, he played two seasons, earning OUAA West all-conference honours and CIAU All-Canadian status.
 
Dulmage was selected in the second round (17th overall) by Calgary in the 1971 Canadian Football League draft. He later received an invitation from Edmonton's Frankie Morris, the CFL team's head of Canadian player development, who was incorrectly under the impression that his team had acquired the rights from Calgary.
 
Dulmage told the Hamilton Spectator (July 16, 1973) that he had visited Edmonton and had been accepted into dentistry at the University of Alberta.  But after learning that he was still property of the Stampeders, the 23-year-old accepted admission into dentistry at Western in 1971. He played two seasons for the Mustangs under head coach Frank Cosentino, where he was twice-named as the team's most valuable lineman.
 
On the advice of Hamilton assistant coach Tom Mooney, Dulmage's former head coach at McGill, his rights were traded to Hamilton, where he replaced the legendary Angelo Mosca. With permission from the dean of dentistry at Western, Dulmage joined the Tiger Cats in 1973, commuting from London, Ont., to Hamilton four days a week. He flew on weekends to the team's road games and ended up playing 30 CFL regular season games over two years.
 
Born on March 1, 1950 in Picton, Ont., Dulmage was raised on a small community farm in Prince Edward County. He attended two elementary schools, Roses and South Marysburgh, before heading off to Prince Edward Collegiate.  A mulit-sport athlete, he hadn't play football until Grade 13, when it was introduced at the high school level in Picton, where he was a blocking fullback and middle linebacker.
 
Mooney who had only seen him play basketball at Picton, recruited Dulmage to McGill and moved him to defensive tackle although he only weighed 210 pounds at the time. Dulmage went on to graduate from McGill in 1971 with a bachelor's of science, majoring in mathematics. He followed with a degree in dentistry (DDS '75) from the University of Western Ontario.
 
Shortly after graduation, he made Dunnville his home, began a practice and became renowned as a kind, well-respected dentist with a friendly and reassuring manner. He also coached the Dunnville High School football team, impacting many young players with the love of the game, some of whom went on to play college ball.
 
An avid outdoorsman, Dulmage enjoyed hunting, fishing and snowmobiling. He pitched fastball for the Dunnville Expos and played recreational basketball, racquetball and squash. A longtime member at the Dunnville Golf and Country Club, he served many years in the Lion's Community Service Club and acted on stage at numerous Lioness productions. Through Dunnville Dental Arts, he was a valued member of the community, sponsoring many teams and charitable events.
 
Predeceased by his parents Melvin and Edna (Foster) Dulmage, brother Dennis and sister Ruth, he is survived by a sister Susan, wife Glenna, son Dr. Gord Dulmage, daughter Bekki Vallee and eight grandchildren.
 
Private cremation has taken place but a memorial service is scheduled for July 13 at 1 p.m., at 761 Babylon Rd. in Prince Edward County, near Picton. In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested memorial donations be made to the Dunnville Hospital & Healthcare Foundation ( http://www.dhhf.cawww.dhhf.ca).
 
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-983-7012 (cell.)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca