Don Awrey

Donald William Awrey, born July 18, 1943, is a Canadian former professional hockey defenceman who played 979 career National Hockey League games. A native of Kitchener, Ontario, Awrey overcame a career-threatening back injury suffered while playing football in high school, which left him bedridden; he recovered after surgery to fuse three vertebrae and three weeks confined to a Stryker frame.

A defensive defenceman, Awrey played three seasons for the Niagara Falls Flyers of the OHA. During the 1962–63 season he appeared in 50 games and accumulated 30 points, helping lead the Flyers to the J. Ross Robertson Cup before they lost in the Memorial Cup. He was signed by the Boston Bruins for the 1963–64 season and made his NHL debut that year, the first of 16 seasons in the league. An exceptionally fast skater, he rarely scored goals. Awrey scored his first NHL goal on March 15, 1964, in Boston's 3–1 home win over Montreal, and also spent time with the Bruins' AHL affiliate.

Over his career he played for the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, and Colorado Rockies.