Don McKenney Death, Obituary – Don McKenney, who had previously served as captain of the Bruins, passed away over the weekend at the age of 88. The hockey player, who was born in Ontario, suited up with the Bruins from 1954 to 1963 and spent his final two years with the Black and Gold in the role of club captain. After making his debut with the Bruins in 1954, McKenney went on to tie Leo Labine for the team lead in scoring that season with 42 points (22 goals, 20 assists), while also finishing second in the voting for the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year. McKenney’s career with the Bruins spanned from 1954 until 1955.
He continued to lead the squad in scoring three more times and scored 20 or more goals in seven of his nine seasons with the club, with a career-high 32 goals scored in the 1958–1959 season. The year after that, McKenney established a new career high with 69 points, finished first in the league with 49 assists, and was selected to the Third All-Star Team in the National Hockey League. McKenney, who was widely regarded as an excellent defensive forward, was awarded the Lady Byng Trophy for Most Gentlemanly Player in the 1959–1960 season and finished in the top four of the voting for the Lady Byng Trophy for Most Gentlemanly Player in each of the six consecutive seasons between 1956 and 1962.
After Fern Flaman stepped down as captain of the club in 1961, McKenney was given the honor of becoming the club’s 10th leader. In total, he suited up for 592 games for the Bruins, amassing 195 goals (tied for 21st all-time with the Bruins), 267 assists (tied for 23rd), and 462 points (tied for 22nd). After being dealt to the New York Rangers in 1962, he played with the Blue Shirts for a total of two seasons. He finished his career playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, the Detroit Tigers, and the St. Louis Cardinals. McKenney played in 798 games across 13 NHL seasons, scoring 237 goals and adding 345 assists for 582 points over the course of his career.
After finishing his playing career, McKenney joined Flaman’s coaching staff at Northeastern University as an assistant coach for the men’s hockey team. He remained in that role for close to twenty years before being promoted to the post of head coach for the 1989–1991 season. The year 1999 marked McKenney’s induction into the Northeastern University Athletics Hall of Fame. After that, he worked his way up to become a scout for the Colorado Avalanche.