Donald Charles Head (born June 30, 1933) 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 h ...
player. He played 38 games 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 ...
with the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
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
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...
. Head also played for the
Canadian national team at the
1960 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal.
Playing career
Amateur career
Head, a
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 ...
, played junior hockey for the
Toronto Marlboros
The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was founded in 1903. It operated junior ice hockey and senior ice hockey teams in the Ontario Hockey Association and later the Ontario Hockey League. The Marlboros ...
where he won the
Dave Pinkney Trophy
The Dave Pinkney Trophy is awarded to the goaltenders of the Ontario Hockey League team that has the lowest goals against average. It has been awarded annually since 1949.
Winners
List of winners of the Dave Pinkney Trophy.
See also
* List of C ...
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
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
Professional career
Following the Olympics, Head signed with the expansion
Portland Buckaroos of the
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...
. 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
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
, but did not fare as well, winning only 9 of the 38 games he played as the Bruins finished last in the league.
He returned to the WHL and won two more outstanding goalkeeper awards with the Buckaroos and was named to two more all-star teams.
He also played for the
Seattle Totems
The Seattle Totems were a professional ice hockey franchise in Seattle, Washington. Under several names prior to 1958, the franchise was a member of the Pacific Coast Hockey League (renamed the Western Hockey League in 1952) between 1944 and 19 ...
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 The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall. Operated by the Oregon Sports ...
in 1993.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Head, Don
1933 births
Living people
Boston Bruins players
Canadian ice hockey goaltenders
Ice hockey players at the 1960 Winter Olympics
Medalists at the 1960 Winter Olympics
Olympic ice hockey players of Canada
Olympic medalists in ice hockey
Olympic silver medalists for Canada
Ontario Hockey Association Senior A League (1890–1979) players
People from York, Toronto
Portland Buckaroos players
Seattle Totems (WHL) players
Sportspeople from Toronto
Toronto Marlboros players
Windsor Bulldogs (OHA) players