The hockey-playing Dawe would meet his own wife, Lee, in Manitoba, Canada, while training to be a pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Force at RCAF Station Gimli during World War II.

[1] Dawe played with the Mercurys when they took part in exhibition games in Ayr, Scotland in 1950,[2] and later helped them to win the 1950 World Ice Hockey Championships in London, England.

Dawe became parts manager at the dealership and a partner in the firm, along with four other Mercurys teammate, including eventual principal owner Al Purvis.

Dawe and a number of the surviving Mercury players were invited to Salt Lake City in 2002 to watch – then help Team Canada celebrate – their next gold medal win.

[10] The 1952 Mercurys, including Dawe, was inducted to the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2002 - the same year that Team Canada finally broke its 50-year gold medal drought.