Don Head (ice hockey)
Donald Charles Head (born June 30, 1933) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played 38 games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins during the 1961–62 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1953 to 1971, was spent in the senior Ontario Hockey Association and the Western Hockey League. Head also played for the Canadian national team at the 1960 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal.
| Don Head | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Born |
June 30, 1933 York Township, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for | Boston Bruins | ||
| Playing career | 1953–1971 | ||
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men’s Ice hockey | ||
Representing .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Canada | ||
.svg.png.webp){kind=icon} | 1960 Squaw Valley | Team |
Playing career
Amateur career
Head, a goaltender, played junior hockey for the Toronto Marlboros where he won the Dave Pinkney Trophy for outstanding goaltender in the 1952-53 season. He was the goalie for the Canadian ice hockey team at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, which was expected to take home the gold medals, but settled for silver behind the United States.
Professional career
Following the Olympics, Head signed with the expansion Portland Buckaroos of the Western Hockey League. The Buckaroos would go on to win the league championship, and Head was named to the league all-star team, and was chosen the league's rookie of the year and outstanding goalkeeper. He was among the very few goalies who did not wear a helmet in a game.
The next year, Head was called up to the NHL Boston Bruins, but did not fare as well, winning only 9 of the 38 games he played as the Bruins finished last in the league.[1] He returned to the WHL and won two more outstanding goalkeeper awards with the Buckaroos and was named to two more all-star teams.[2] He also played for the Seattle Totems before ending his career with the Buckaroos in 1975, the same year the franchise folded.
Legacy
Head was named to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.[3]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 1950–51 | Weston Dukes | OHA-B | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1951–52 | Toronto Marlboros | OHA | 37 | — | — | — | 2220 | 107 | 4 | 2.87 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1952–53 | Weston Dukes | OHA-B | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1953–54 | Stratford Indians | OHA Sr | 14 | — | — | — | 840 | 53 | 1 | 3.79 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1954–55 | Stratford Indians | OHA Sr | 13 | — | — | — | 780 | 49 | 0 | 3.77 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1955–56 | Stratford Indians | OHA Sr | 47 | — | — | — | 2820 | 186 | 3 | 3.96 | — | 6 | — | — | 360 | 25 | 0 | 4.17 | — | ||
| 1956–57 | Windsor Bulldogs | OHA Sr | 50 | 30 | 17 | 3 | 3000 | 144 | 6 | 2.88 | — | 12 | — | — | 720 | 50 | 0 | 4.17 | — | ||
| 1957–58 | Chatham Maroons | NOHA | 49 | — | — | — | 2940 | 168 | 3 | 3.43 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1958–59 | Chatham Maroons | NOHA | 47 | — | — | — | 2820 | 152 | 6 | 3.23 | — | 10 | — | — | 600 | 27 | 1 | 2.70 | — | ||
| 1959–60 | Windsor Bulldogs | OHA Sr | 48 | — | — | — | 2860 | 138 | 3 | 2.90 | — | 17 | — | — | 1020 | 47 | 3 | 2.76 | — | ||
| 1960–61 | Portland Buckaroos | WHL | 70 | 38 | 23 | 9 | 4290 | 192 | 7 | 2.69 | — | 14 | 10 | 4 | 846 | 30 | 2 | 2.13 | — | ||
| 1961–62 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 38 | 9 | 26 | 3 | 2280 | 158 | 2 | 4.16 | 879 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1961–62 | Portland Buckaroos | WHL | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 300 | 16 | 0 | 3.20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1962–63 | Portland Buckaroos | WHL | 70 | 43 | 21 | 6 | 4200 | 178 | 4 | 2.54 | — | 7 | 3 | 4 | 423 | 22 | 0 | 3.12 | — | ||
| 1963–64 | Portland Buckaroos | WHL | 16 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 940 | 57 | 0 | 3.64 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1964–65 | Portland Buckaroos | WHL | 51 | 26 | 20 | 4 | 3055 | 153 | 3 | 3.00 | — | 9 | 8 | 1 | 554 | 13 | 3 | 1.41 | — | ||
| 1965–66 | Portland Buckaroos | WHL | 36 | 20 | 12 | 3 | 2154 | 100 | 4 | 2.79 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1966–67 | Portland Buckaroos | WHL | 44 | 26 | 13 | 5 | 2714 | 120 | 3 | 2.65 | — | 4 | 0 | 3 | 225 | 10 | 0 | 2.67 | — | ||
| 1967–68 | Seattle Totems | WHL | 46 | 23 | 19 | 4 | 2717 | 114 | 3 | 2.52 | — | 9 | 8 | 1 | 556 | 20 | 2 | 2.17 | — | ||
| 1968–69 | Seattle Totems | WHL | 44 | 22 | 13 | 4 | 2377 | 120 | 1 | 3.03 | — | 4 | 0 | 4 | 245 | 19 | 0 | 4.65 | — | ||
| 1969–70 | Seattle Totems | WHL | 20 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 1200 | 71 | 0 | 3.55 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1970–71 | Seattle Totems | WHL | 16 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 769 | 45 | 0 | 3.51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| WHL totals | 418 | 219 | 148 | 42 | 25,083 | 1166 | 25 | 2.79 | — | 47 | 29 | 17 | 2849 | 114 | 7 | 2.40 | — | ||||
| NHL totals | 38 | 9 | 26 | 3 | 2280 | 158 | 2 | 4.16 | .879 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
References
- "From Olympic heroes to NHL zeroes". IIHF.com. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-09-05.
- "Don Charles Head". HHOF.com. Retrieved 2007-09-05.
- "Don Head - Hockey". Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database