Donald Laurie Edwards (born September 28, 1955) is a Canadian former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...

who played ten seasons in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

for the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...

, and

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

Playing career

Edwards started his hockey career in the juniors with the

Kitchener Rangers The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League. The Rangers have won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL ...

in the OHA-Jr. He was very successful, playing in 90 games over 2 seasons, but was not considered a high draft pick, because of his small size. Despite that, he was still picked 89th overall in the

1975 NHL Amateur Draft The 1975 NHL Amateur Draft was the 13th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the NHL office in Montreal, Quebec. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers made the most noise at the draft, trading Bill Clement, Don McLean, and t ...

by the

. In his first NHL season, Edwards played in 25 games after spending last season in the AHL with the

Hershey Bears The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team based in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a town located 14 miles east of the state capital of Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the c ...

. He finished the season with 16 wins, 7 losses and a 2.51 GAA. On February 13, 1977, Edwards played a role in perhaps the most unusual event in Sabres history. A day after Edwards reported to Buffalo from Hershey, Sabres general manager

Punch Imlach George "Punch" Imlach (March 15, 1918 – December 1, 1987) was a Canadian ice hockey coach and general manager best known for his association with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Buffalo Sabres. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, and t ...

ordered coach

Floyd Smith Floyd Robert Donald Smith (born May 16, 1935, in Perth, Ontario) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and coach. Biography Smith grew up in Galt, Ontario, playing junior hockey with the Galt Black Hawks. He made his National Ho ...

to have Edwards replace expected starting goaltender

Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was an American politician who served four terms as Governor of New York and was the Democratic Party's candidate for president in 1928. The son of an Irish-American mother and a C ...

"I got to the locker room at about 5 p.m. for the game. We all went out on the ice and Al Smith took all of the warm-ups. Then I was sitting next to him in the locker room right before game time and said 'Good luck tonight.' He looked at me and said 'You don't know you're playing?'" "That sort of ended the conversation right there. I was dumbfounded. So they play the anthem and when it ends Al hops off the bench, skates about five strides and says 'See you, Seymour' to Sabres owner Seymour Knox in the crowd. Then he skates off the ice. Also referred to by Sabre fans as "Sayonara" So it's my first game in the NHL and I was the only goalie in uniform."

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

, Edwards was named the top goalie for the Sabres. He played in 72 games and was selected to the

NHL Second All-Star Team The National Hockey League All-Star teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position. Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the all- ...

. Next season, the Sabres cut Edwards' games down because they were afraid of overusing him. Edwards shared his duties with goaltender

Bob Sauve Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to: Places *Mount Bob, New York, United States *Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica People, fictional characters, and named animals *Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters *Bob (surname) ...

and Edwards finished with 26-18-9 record. In

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

, he and Sauve were awarded the

Vezina Trophy The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's (NHL) goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the thirty-two NHL general managers vote to determine the winner. It is named in ...

for their performance. Edwards was also selected to the NHL Second All-Star Team and played in the

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or div ...

. On February 24,

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

, Edwards was a part of history as he gave up

Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...

's 77th goal in a game vs. the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...

Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, colloquially known as The Aud, was a multipurpose indoor arena in downtown Buffalo, New York. Opened on October 14, 1940, it was home to the Canisius Golden Griffins (NCAA), the Buffalo Bisons ( AHL), the Buffalo Biso ...

. With that goal, Wayne Gretzky broke

Phil Esposito Philip Anthony Esposito ( , ; born February 20, 1942) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach and executive, and current broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Lightning. A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, he played 18 seasons in t ...

's record of 76 goals. Edwards played two more seasons with the Sabres before being traded on June 8, 1982 to the

with teammate

Richie Dunn Richard L. Dunn (May 12, 1957 – September 20, 2016) was an American professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League with the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, and Hartford Whalers between 1977 and 1989. In his NHL caree ...

and a second round draft pick in 1982 (Rich Kromm) in

in exchange for a first round pick in 1982 (Paul Cyr), second-round picks in 1982 (Jens Johansson) and 1983 (John Tucker). In three years in Calgary, Edwards did not reach the same level of play as he had during his time in Buffalo. On May 29, 1985 Calgary traded Edwards in

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

to the

, his favorite team as a child, in exchange for future considerations that turned into a 4th round pick in 1987 (Tim Harris). Edwards played in 38 games with the Leafs before the remaining 2 years of his contract were bought out, marking the end of his NHL career. He went on to win an

Allan Cup The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men's ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. The current champions are the ...

with the Brantford Mott's Clammatos before playing his last game with the

Nova Scotia Oilers The Nova Scotia Oilers were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in Halifax, Nova Scotia from 1984 to 1988. The Oilers played their home games at the Halifax Metro Centre, and were the AHL affiliate of the Edmo ...

in the AHL in

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

where he would officially retire.

International play

Although Edwards enjoyed several successful seasons in Buffalo, he named the Sabres' 6-1 victory over the Soviet Red Army on January 3, 1980 as his greatest moment in a Buffalo uniform. Edwards was named the game's most valuable player.

"I have this belief that hockey is a North American game, and I still believe that today. The Soviets were great intimidators, and I remember Team Canada '72. Then I had the chance to personally go through that intimidation stuff on the ice. Because of it, I had a distinct dislike of the Soviets and wanted to do everything I could to beat them."

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

, Edwards was selected to play for Team Canada in the

Canada Cup The Canada Cup (french: Coupe Canada) was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The brainchild of Toronto lawyer Alan Eagleson, the tournament was created to meet demand for a true world ...

. Edwards played in only one game because he was the back-up goaltender to

Mike Liut Michael Dennis Liut (born January 7, 1956) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Liut played for the Cincinnati Stingers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1977 to 1979 and for the St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, ...

. He helped Canada finish second in the tournament.

Post-playing career

An outstanding golfer, Edwards spent parts of his off-seasons participating in tournaments. He also held coaching positions in the National Hockey League, serving as the

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...

' assistant coach and the

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...

' goaltending coach. He was the general manager of the

Saginaw Spirit The Saginaw Spirit are a major junior ice hockey team based in Saginaw, Michigan. They are members of the West Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), one of the Major Junior leagues of the Canadian Hockey League ( ...

of the

Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overag ...

from

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

. Edwards worked as a broadcaster on TSN and as a real estate agent, prior to the 1991 murders of his parents. Edwards relinquished the two careers as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder

Personal life

Edwards grew up a fan of the

, fulfilling a childhood dream by ending his NHL career with the team. Edwards is the son of Arnold and Donna Edwards. On March 21, 1991, Edwards' parents were murdered in their Hamilton home by George Lovie, who was briefly in a relationship with Edwards' sister, Michele. Lovie was sentenced to life in prison following the murders. He was granted day parole in 2020. Edwards is married and has two children. Since the murders of his parents, Edwards has gone to great lengths to protect his family's privacy by not disclosing their names or location of residence to the media.FORMER SABRES GOALIE DON EDWARDS FIGHTS TO KEEP PARENTS' KILLER BEHIND BARS
The Hockey News, November 29, 2015. Edwards is the nephew of former NHL hockey player, Roy Edwards.

Awards and achievements

* Selected to the

OMJHL In 1970, the Junior A level was divided into two more levels, Tier I (Major Junior A) and Tier II (Minor Junior A). In 1974, the "Major Junior A" division of the OHA became the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL) and began to operate indepe ...

First All-Star Team in

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

. * Selected to the AHL Second All-Star Team in

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

. * Selected to the

. * Played in

NHL All-Star Game The National Hockey League All-Star Game (french: Match des Étoiles de la Ligue Nationale de Hockey, links=no) is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held during the regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL), with many o ...

s. *

winner in

(shared with

). *

championship in

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Don 1955 births Buffalo Sabres draft picks Buffalo Sabres players Calgary Flames players Canadian ice hockey goaltenders Carolina Hurricanes coaches Hershey Bears players Ice hockey people from Ontario Sportspeople from Hamilton, Ontario Kitchener Rangers players Living people Los Angeles Kings coaches National Hockey League broadcasters Nova Scotia Oilers players San Diego Mariners draft picks Toronto Maple Leafs players Vezina Trophy winners Canadian ice hockey coaches