Don Awrey

Last updated

Don Awrey
Born (1943-07-18) July 18, 1943 (age 80)
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for Boston Bruins
St. Louis Blues
Montreal Canadiens
Pittsburgh Penguins
New York Rangers
Colorado Rockies
National teamFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Playing career 19601979

Donald William Awrey (born July 18, 1943) is a Canadian former professional hockey defenceman. He played 979 career National Hockey League (NHL) games with the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, and Colorado Rockies.

Contents

He overcame a back injury while attending high school after surgery to fuse three vertebrae and being confined to a Stryker frame for three weeks. [1]

A defensive defenceman, known for his superb shot-blocking and bone-jarring bodychecks, Awrey played for the Niagara Falls Flyers of the OHA before being signed by the Bruins. Despite being an exceptionally fast skater, he rarely scored goals. He made his NHL debut in 1963–64 for the Bruins, his first of 16 seasons in the league. Awrey scored his first NHL goal on March 15, 1964 in Boston's 3-1 home win over Montreal.

Awrey was part of two Stanley Cup winning teams with the Bruins, in 1970 and 1972. He was also part of the Montreal Canadiens team that won the Stanley Cup in 1976, but did not play in any playoff games that season, and so does not have his name engraved on the cup for that year even though he qualified. Awrey was named to Team Canada for the Summit Series, [2] playing in two of the eight games. [1]

Awrey was acquired by the Canadiens from the Blues for Chuck Lefley on November 28, 1974. [3] He was dealt from the Canadiens to the Penguins for a third-round selection in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft (42nd overall Richard David) and cash on August 11, 1976. [4] [5] His last season in the NHL was 1978–79, when he played for the Colorado Rockies. He now lives in Fort Myers, Florida. [1]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

   Regular season   Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1960–61 Waterloo Siskins CJHL
1960–61 Niagara Falls Flyers OHA-Jr. 300011
1961–62 Niagara Falls FlyersOHA-Jr.4161218901003315
1962–63 Niagara Falls FlyersOHA-Jr.50723301119491329
1962–63 Niagara Falls Flyers M-Cup 16481258
1963–64 Boston Bruins NHL 161014
1963–64 Minneapolis Bruins CPHL 544151913650009
1964–65 Boston BruinsNHL4723541
1964–65 Hershey Bears AHL 23246381501129
1965–66 Boston BruinsNHL7043774
1966–67 Boston BruinsNHL41016
1966–67 Hershey BearsAHL6311314153500019
1967–68 Boston BruinsNHL743121515340114
1968–69 Boston BruinsNHL73013131491001128
1969–70 Boston BruinsNHL73310131201405532
1970–71 Boston BruinsNHL7442125143700017
1971–72 Boston Braves AHL30112
1971–72 Boston BruinsNHL34189521504445
1972–73 Boston BruinsNHL78217199040006
1973–74 St. Louis Blues NHL755162151
1974–75 St. Louis BluesNHL200884
1974–75 Montreal Canadiens NHL5611112581106612
1975–76 Montreal CanadiensNHL720121229
1976–77 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL79112134030110
1977–78 New York Rangers NHL7828103830006
1978–79 New Haven Nighthawks AHL62136
1978–79 Colorado Rockies NHL5614518
NHL totals9793115818910687101818150

International

YearTeamEvent GPGAPtsPIM
1972 Canada SS20000

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