During the off-season, he was selected by the Chicago Black Hawks as the 12th overall pick in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut with the Black Hawks in 1981–82, appearing in two games (no points), but spent the majority of the season back in the junior level with the Generals. Playing in 57 OHL games, he recorded 62 goals and 126 points. The following season, he registered 34 goals and 62 points through 30 OHL games. At the NHL level, he had played one contest with Chicago before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks on January 6, 1983. He was sent to Vancouver in exchange for forward Curt Fraser, a noted fighter also capable of scoring.