Don Awrey
Donald Awrey | |
|---|---|
| Born | Donald William Awrey July 18, 1943 Kitchener, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Ice hockey defenceman |
| Years active | 1963–1979 |
| Known for | NHL career with Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Colorado Rockies; member of 1972 Summit Series Team Canada; Stanley Cup champion (1970, 1972, 1976) |
Donald William Awrey (born July 18, 1943) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who appeared in 979 NHL contests representing the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, and Colorado Rockies.
Career
Originating from Kitchener, Ontario, Awrey overcame a significant back injury during his high school years that necessitated spinal fusion surgery and immobilization in a Stryker frame for three weeks. He spent three seasons with the Niagara Falls Flyers in the OHA, tallying 30 points across 50 games in the 1962–63 season and playing a key role in securing the J. Ross Robertson Cup for his team.
Awrey was signed by the Bruins for the 1963–64 campaign and made his NHL debut that season; however, he also spent time with their AHL and CPHL farm teams before earning a permanent NHL roster spot in 1965–66. Renowned more for his skating ability and defensive prowess than for offensive output, he functioned primarily as a stay-at-home defenceman frequently paired alongside Bobby Orr. His strengths included shot blocking, effective penalty killing, and physicality along the blue line. His peak statistical performance came during the 1970–71 season when he recorded 4 goals and 21 assists. Awrey played an essential part in Boston's Stanley Cup triumphs in both 1970 and 1972.
In 1972, Awrey was selected for Team Canada’s roster in the Summit Series, participating in two of the eight games. Following a decade with Boston, he was traded to the St. Louis Blues, where he spent two seasons and earned a spot in the 1974 NHL All-Star Game. During the 1974–75 season, he was traded mid-season to the Montreal Canadiens and was included on their Stanley Cup-winning squad in 1976, although he did not appear in any playoff matches that year.
In 1976, Awrey was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a third-round draft choice plus cash considerations. After one season with Pittsburgh, he moved on to play for the New York Rangers during the 1977–78 season before concluding his NHL tenure with the Colorado Rockies in 1978–79. He currently lives in Fort Myers, Florida.
Acknowledging his achievements, Awrey was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2005 for his participation on Team Canada during the 1972 Summit Series. In 2023, he was recognized as one of the top 100 players in Boston Bruins history.
Retirement
In 2007, Awrey served as coach for Florida Gulf Coast University's club hockey squad, guiding them to an impressive 18-2-2 record; however, he was later dismissed due to what was described as an outdated and disciplinarian coaching style. Despite this setback, he continued to compete in an old-timers hockey league.
Following retirement and relocation to Florida, Awrey maintained strong ties with Bruins supporters. Since 2013, he has organized bus trips for Boston fans traveling to games against southern rivals such as the Tampa Bay Lightning or Florida Panthers. Additionally, he coached a Bruins-Lightning alumni match in 2017.
Awrey and his wife have been actively involved with the Florida Everblades since the team's inception in 1998, both contributing as off-ice officials.
Regular season and playoffs
... [table continues unchanged] ...| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1960–61 | Waterloo Siskins | CJHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1960–61 | Niagara Falls Flyers | OHA-Jr. | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1961–62 | Niagara Falls Flyers | OHA-Jr. | 41 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 90 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 15 | ||
| 1962–63 | Niagara Falls Flyers | OHA-Jr. | 50 | 7 | 23 | 30 | 111 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 29 | ||
| 1962–63 | Niagara Falls Flyers | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 58 | ||
| 1963–64 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1963–64 | Minneapolis Bruins | CPHL | 54 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 136 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||
| NHL totals | 979 | 31 | 158 | 189 | 1068 | 71 | 0 | 18 | 18 | 150 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Canada | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Awards and achievements
- Winner of the Stanley Cup — 1970, 1972, 1976
- Competed in the NHL All-Star Game of 1974
- Honored by induction into the Waterloo Region Hall of Fame (1972)
- Entered into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (2005)
- Recognized on Canada’s Walk of Fame (2012) as a member of the 1972 Summit Series squad
- Selected among the Top 100 Boston Bruins players throughout history
External links
- 1943 births
- Living people
- Boston Bruins players
- Canadian ice hockey defencemen
- Colorado Rockies (NHL) players
- 20th-century Canadian sportsmen
- Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
- Ice hockey people from Kitchener, Ontario
- Montreal Canadiens players
- Niagara Falls Flyers (1960–1972) players
- New York Rangers players
- Pittsburgh Penguins players
- St. Louis Blues players
- Stanley Cup champions
- National Hockey League All-Stars