He played junior hockey both in his native Saskatoon and with the Oshawa Generals, winning the Memorial Cup with the latter team in 1943-44. Dawes began his National Hockey League career with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1947. He also played for the Montreal Canadiens. He left the NHL following the 1951 season and played in the minor leagues and seniors until 1966–67 before retiring from hockey. He won the Stanley Cup in 1949 with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In the NHL, he played in 32 games, scoring 2 goals and 7 assists.