Don Cherry Career Statistics Pictures and Biography

Don is coming back to CBC!
 

Don Cherry Overview

Lord Nelson is his hero. Nelson’s valor at the Battle of Trafalgar taught Don Cherry to stand firm and to never give in - a lesson that would raise him from the minor leagues to prominence as one of hockey’s best-known stars.
Familiar to fans of HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA, Cherry was born in Kingston, Ontario. As a teenager, he played hockey for the Windsor Spitfires and in 1955, he played one playoff game with the Boston Bruins. He spent the next 16 years in the minors, being sent from the Eastern League to the Western League, from the American League to small-town Canada.
He retired in his mid-30’s, worked in construction, sold cars and then, returned to hockey. In a storybook comeback, Cherry made the Rochester Club as a defenseman. By mid-season, he was the Rookie Coach of the Year and fired several months later for being too friendly with the players. Popular with fans and the media, he was re-hired and named Coach of the Year in 1972 in the American League.
In 1974, he was hired as head coach of the Boston Bruins. Cherry’s Bruins finished first in their division four seasons in a row and he was the NHL Coach of the Year in the 1975/76 season. The same year, he was named assistant coach of Team Canada. During Game Seven of the Stanley Cup semi-final in 1979, the Bruins were penalized for having too many men on the ice. They lost when Yvon Lambert scored, in overtime, for the Montreal Canadiens. Cherry was subsequently fired. He was hired by the Colorado Rockies and fired after one season (1979/80) when the team finished in last place.
In 1980, Cherry appeared on HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA with host Dave Hodge, in a segment called Coach’s Corner. Years later, in what became a career-defining interview with CBC’s Brian Williams, Cherry condoned on-ice violence in hockey, after a bench-clearing brawl during a World Junior Championship game between Canada and the Soviets.
For the past 18 years in the Coach’s Corner with host Ron MacLean, Cherry has stayed true to form with his candidness, often controversial and always entertaining comments.
The Mississauga IceDogs, an OHL team co-owned by Cherry since its inception during the 1998-99 season, will see the return of Cherry behind the bench on a full time basis during the 2001-02 campaign.

Don's rise to the NHL was an arduous one. He spent 15 years as a professional hockey player, with only game in the National Hockey League. Upon retiring from the game after the 68-69 season Don worked at odd jobs, including construction work, and a brief stint, in Don's words as, "the world's worst Cadillac salesman." Unable to earn a living Don returned to the playing ranks with the Rochester Americans for the 71-72 season. On January 10, 1972 he replaced Doug Adam as the Americans coach. His work in Rochester earned Don a promotion to the Bruins for the 74-75 season.
Don quickly became a fan favorite in Boston. His colorful demeanor, and honest directs quotes endeared him to Garden faithful like no other coach before or since. The Bruins teams reflected their coach, and became famous as the "Lunch Pail Gang." In five seasons behind the Bruins bench his teams finished first four straight years, averaging better than 46 wins, and 105 points a season. His best season came in 75-76 when he was awarded the Jack Adams Trophy as the NHL's Coach of the Year.
Sadly, many Bruin fans will remember Don's final game behind the Bruin bench. It came on May 10, 1979 at the Montreal Forum, and will long be remembered as the "Too many men of the ice" game. While Don has shoulder the responsibility for the penalty late in the deciding game. In true Bruin tradition he has steadfastly refused to reveal which player(s) were mistaken in going on the ice.
After an unsuccessful season behind the bench of the Colorado Rockies, a chance appearance on Hockey Night in Canada lead Don into a highly successful career on "Coaches Corner". A regular feature of Hockey Night in Canada telecasts during the first intermissions. Don dispenses his brand of honest, hard hitting philosophy to an enthralled nation each Saturday night. Don's segment is so popular that CBC's audience share is larger during the segment, than it is during the game. While Don often comes under fire for being controversial, he is unwavering in his believes, his support of Canada, and the game of hockey he grew up with.
Don has become a highly successful businessman as well. Through a series of entertaining TV ads, and a country wide chain of Sports bars called "Don Cherry's Grapevine" Don has earned more money than he ever did as roving vagabond minor league professional hockey player. Through his TV ads, and books, even the non-hockey fans in Canada have come to know and love his wife Rose, and the country shared Don's grief when Rose passed away in the spring of 1997, and we all miss his Yorkshire terrier Blue, a gift from the players on the Bruins as well.
Don's life in hockey was chronicled in a best selling book titled "Grapes". In a selfless act Don donated the proceeds from a recent reprinting of the book to Canadian Liver Foundation. Don's connection with Liver Disease is through Terry O'Reilly's son, Evan, who was born with a rare liver disorder.

Regular Season                                          Playoffs

Team	Years	W	L	T	W	L
Boston	74-75	40	26	14	1	2
Boston	75-76	48	15	17	5	7
Boston	76-77	49	23	8	8	6
Boston	77-78	51	18	11	10	5
Boston	78-79	43	23	14	7	4
Colora	79-80	19	48	13	/	/
Totals	6	250	153	77	31	24