Don Blackburn obit

Flyers Family Mourns Don Blackburn

Condolences go out to the family and friends of Flyers alumnus Don Blackburn, who passed away on Feb. 17 at the age of 84

 

He was not on the list.

Condolences go out to the family and friends of Flyers alumnus Don Blackburn, who passed away on Feb. 17 at the age of 84. A member of the inaugural 1967-68 Flyers team. Blackburn had both playing and head coaching careers in the National Hockey League and the World Hockey Association.

In a professional career that started in 1959-1960 and ended 1975-76, the well-traveled forward played for 17 different teams at various levels.

"Don was a good man and a good teammate," recalls Flyers Hall of Fame defenseman Joe Watson. 'We had a lot of fun the first season with the Flyers. He had a great sense of humor. He didn't take himself too seriously but he was a competitor on the ice."

Blackburn played 185 regular season games in the National Hockey League (23 goals, 44 assists, 67 points, 87 penalty minutes), 146 regular season games in the rival World Hockey Association (40 goals, 74 assists, 114 points, 34 penalty minutes) and 12 postseason games apiece in the NHL and WHA. In the NHL, Blackburn played for the Boston Bruins, Flyers, New York Rangers, New York Islanders and Minnesota North Stars. In the WHA, he spent parts of three seasons with the New England (later Hartford) Whalers.

The Flyers selected Blackburn away from the Toronto Maple Leafs organization with the 45th overall pick of the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft.

"Blackburn was the kind of player that Bud [Poile], Keith [Allen] and I were looking for when we were scouting for the Expansion Draft. He was a responsible and smart player. Scored a lot in the AHL but he understood his role and he worked hard," the late Marcel Pelletier recalled in a 1995 interview with Hockey Hall of Fame writer Jay Greenberg.

During the Flyers' inaugural 1967-68 season, Blackburn dressed in 67 games, posting nine goals, 20 assists, 29 points and 23 penalty minutes. Two of his goals were game-winners and two others enabled the Flyers to salvage ties.

Blackburn saved his best games for the 1968 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals, as he scored three goals in Philly's seven-game loss. His most famous goal as a Flyer was the double-overtime game-winner in Game Six in St. Louis.

In 1968-69, Blackburn posted seven goals and 16 points in 47 regular season games, including the game winner in a key late season game on March 27 against the LA Kings. He did not record a point as the Flyers got swept by St. Louis in the Stanley Cup Quarterfinals.

As with many NHL role players, Blackburn was a much more prominent offensive producer in minor league stops than in the world's top league. In 1971-71, as a member of the American Hockey League's Providence Reds, he won the league scoring championship with 99 points (34 goals, 65 assists) in 77 games.

After his playing days ended, Blackburn began a coaching career. Most notably, he was the first head coach of the Hartford Whalers after the former WHA team was absorbed into the NHL following the merger of the two leagues in 1979.

Through the years, Blackburn stayed in touch with former Flyers teammates. He attended both the 25th and the 50th reunions of the inaugural season team, and was among the special guests who gathered at center ice before the 50th Anniversary Alumni Game at the Wells Fargo Center on January 14, 2017.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season             Playoffs

Season Team            League            GP            G            A            Pts            PIM            GP            G            A            Pts            PIM

1956–57            Hamilton Tiger Cubs            OHA            52            9            8            17            17            4            0            2            2            0

1957–58            Hamilton Tiger Cubs            OHA            52            15            18            33            37            15            4            3            7            16

1958–69            Vancouver Canucks            WHL            50            15            16            31            14            —            —            —            —            —

1959–60            Vancouver Canucks            WHL            41            8            7            15            8            11            1            1            2            2

1959–60            Providence Reds            AHL            16            1            1            2            8            —            —            —            —            —

1960–61            Kingston Frontenacs            EPHL            59            14            31            45            27            5            1            0            1            0

1961–62            Kingston Frontenacs            EPHL            51            13            24            37            30            11            2            12            14            5

1962–63            Boston Bruins   NHL            6            0            5            5            4            —            —            —            —            —

1962–63            Kingston Frontenacs            EPHL            67            42            54            96            22            5            4            4            8            0

1963–64            Quebec Aces    AHL            63            19            19            38            39            9            1            1            2            9

1964–65            Quebec Aces    AHL            70            20            42            62            34            5            0            2            2            0

1965–66            Quebec Aces    AHL            72            36            42            78            51            6            1            4            5            4

1966–67            Rochester Americans            AHL            70            20            37            57            24            13            3            3            6            10

1967–68            Philadelphia Flyers            NHL            67            9            20            29            23            7            3            0            3            8

1968–69            Philadelphia Flyers            NHL            48            7            9            16            36            4            0            0            0            2

1968–69            Baltimore Clippers            AHL            12            6            13            19            10            —            —            —            —            —

1969–70            New York Rangers            NHL            3            0            0            0            0            1            0            0            0            0

1969–70            Buffalo Bisons  AHL            68            27            44            71            40            13            5            7            12            6

1970–71            Rochester Americans            AHL            62            25            44            69            22            —            —            —            —            —

1970–71            New York Rangers            NHL            1            0            0            0            0            —            —            —            —            —

1971–72            Providence Reds            AHL            76            34            65            99            12            5            1            3            4            2

1972–73            New York Islanders            NHL            56            7            10            17            20            —            —            —            —            —

1972–73            Minnesota North Stars            NHL            4            0            0            0            4            —            —            —            —            —

1973–74            New England Whalers            WHA            75            20            39            59            18            7            2            4            6            4

1974–75            New England Whalers            WHA            50            18            32            50            16            5            1            2            3            2

1974–75            Cape Codders            NAHL            2            2            2            4            0            —            —            —            —            —

1975–76            New England Whalers            WHA            21            2            3            5            6            —            —            —            —            —

1975–76            Cape Codders            NAHL            8            4            4            8            0            —            —            —            —            —

WHA totals            146            40            74            114            40            12            3            6            9            6

NHL totals            185            23            44            67            87            12            3            0            3            10

NHL coaching record

Team    Year            Regular season  Post season

G         W            L            T            Pts            Finish            Result

New England Whalers (WHA)            1975–76        35            14            18            3            (31)            3rd in East      (interim coach)

New England Whalers (WHA)            1978–79        9            4            5            0            (8)            4th in WHA   Lost in Semi-Finals

Hartford Whalers (NHL)            1979–80        80            27            34            19            73            4th in Norris  Lost in Preliminary Rd.

Hartford Whalers (NHL)            1980–81        60            15            29            6            (46)            4th in Norris  (fired)

NHL Total            140            42            63            25