Don Spring Explained

Position:Defence
Shoots:Left
Height Ft:5
Height In:11
Weight Lb:194
Played For:Winnipeg Jets
EHC Essen-West
Ntl Team:Canada
Birth Date:15 June 1959
Birth Place:Maracaibo, Venezuela
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:1979
Career End:1985

Donald Neil Spring (born June 15, 1959) is a Venezuelan-born Canadian former ice hockey defenceman.

Spring was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela and raised in Edson, Alberta.

Spring was a 2 time national champion with the University of Alberta Golden Bears hockey team. Spring represented Canada at the 1980 Winter Olympics held in Lake Placid, where he scored one assist in six games.[1]

Spring started his National Hockey League career with the Winnipeg Jets in 1980. He would play his entire career with the Jets. He would leave the NHL after the 1984 season. Spring still holds the record for the most career games in the NHL (259) by a player with only one career goal.[2]

He finished his hockey career with one season with EHC Essen-West in West Germany. Presently he is president of Spring Fuel Distributors Inc. in Kelowna, B.C.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP PIMGP G A Pts PIM
1976–77University of AlbertaCIAU34 1 6 7 24
1977–78University of AlbertaCIAU30 6 14 20 12
1978–79University of AlbertaCIAU42 7 29 36 27
1979–80Canadian National TeamIntl51 1 23 24 20
1980–81Winnipeg JetsNHL80 1 18 19 18
1981–82Winnipeg JetsNHL78 0 16 16 214 0 0 0 4
1982–83Winnipeg JetsNHL80 0 16 16 372 0 0 0 6
1983–84Winnipeg JetsNHL21 0 4 4 4
1983–84Sherbrooke JetsAHL50 0 17 17 21
1984–85EHC Essen-WestGER36 8 19 27 3218 3 13 16 12
NHL totals259 1 54 55 806 0 0 0 10

International

Notes and References

  1. Book: IIHF. IIHF Media Guide & Record Book 2011. 2010 . Moydart Press . 113. 978-0-9867964-0-1.
  2. News: Macleod. Robert. Meet the NHL's one-goal wonders. The Globe and Mail. 20 December 2013 . 13 September 2016.