| Position: | Defense |
| Shoots: | Left |
| Height Ft: | 5 |
| Height In: | 11 |
| Weight Lb: | 197 |
| Played For: | Buffalo Sabres Mighty Ducks of Anaheim |
| Birth Date: | June 9, 1964 |
| Birth Place: | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Ntl Team: | USA |
| Career Start: | 1987 |
| Career End: | 2002 |
| Draft: | 84th overall |
| Draft Year: | 1983 |
| Draft Team: | Buffalo Sabres |
Donald Kennedy McSween (born June 9, 1964) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for two clubs in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
A defenseman known for his adept puck-handling skills as well as his quick mobility, McSween, a two-time All American, was successful during his college career at Michigan State University, leading the team to the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey National Championship in 1986.
He was quite successful while playing in the minor league. Following his impressive college career, McSween went on to play for the Buffalo Sabres (NHL). He was selected 84th in the 1983 NHL Draft, with a height of 5'11" a weight of 197 lb, and shooting left. After this stint, he played for the Rochester Americans (AHL), and the San Diego Gulls (IHL). In fact, McSween continues to hold American records for points scored by a defenseman in a career: 215 goals. In 1989–90 McSween was selected as an AHL First-Team All-Star. McSween also won myriad awards playing as a member of the Americans. He won five straight team Defensive Player of the Year awards (1987–92).
He also had a short but notable career as a player for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. However, his chances of becoming a prominent National Hockey League player were severed after a serious arm injury in January 1995 at Winnipeg, when involved in a fight with another player, Keith Tkachuk. The tendons in McSween's left wrist were severely damaged after being severed by Tkachuk's skate. The nerve and tendon injury never fully healed, preventing him from being able to fully close his left hand, his shooting arm, effectively ending McSween's professional career. Ironically, McSween had severed the Achilles tendon of another promising player, Teemu Selänne, earlier in his career (Selänne would go on to make a full recovery, playing for 2 decades). After his injury McSween went on to play in the AHL (American Hockey League) for the Baltimore Bandits; in the IHL (International Hockey League) for the Grand Rapids Griffins and later Milwaukee Admirals; and in the UHL (United Hockey League) for the Muskegon Fury.
McSween lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, working as an electrical engineer and a volunteer coach for local Youth Hockey Leagues. He is raising two boys and a daughter with his wife. As a youth, he played in the 1977 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Detroit.[1]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |||||
| 1980–81 | Little Caesars U18 AAA | U18 AAA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Redford Royals | GLJHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Redford Royals | GLJHL | 37 | 9 | 33 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Michigan State University | CCHA | 46 | 10 | 26 | 36 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Michigan State University | CCHA | 44 | 2 | 23 | 25 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Michigan State University | CCHA | 45 | 9 | 29 | 38 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | Michigan State University | CCHA | 45 | 7 | 23 | 30 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 63 | 9 | 29 | 38 | 108 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15 | ||
| 1988–89 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 66 | 7 | 22 | 29 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 70 | 16 | 43 | 59 | 43 | 17 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 12 | ||
| 1990–91 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 74 | 7 | 44 | 51 | 57 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | ||
| 1991–92 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 75 | 6 | 32 | 38 | 60 | 16 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 18 | ||
| 1992–93 | San Diego Gulls | IHL | 80 | 15 | 40 | 55 | 85 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 1993–94 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 32 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | San Diego Gulls | IHL | 38 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Baltimore Bandits | AHL | 12 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Grand Rapids Griffins | IHL | 75 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 66 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1997–98 | Grand Rapids Griffins | IHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Milwaukee Admirals | IHL | 76 | 4 | 21 | 25 | 128 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | ||
| 1998–99 | Muskegon Fury | UHL | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | ||
| 1999–00 | Muskegon Fury | UHL | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Muskegon Fury | UHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| AHL totals | 360 | 46 | 179 | 225 | 315 | 54 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 53 | ||||
| IHL totals | 271 | 31 | 94 | 125 | 319 | 27 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 32 | ||||
| NHL totals | 47 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| All-CCHA First Team | 1984–85 | [2] |
| CCHA All-Tournament Team | 1985 | [3] |
| All-CCHA First Team | 1985–86 | [4] |
| AHCA West Second-Team All-American | 1985–86 | [5] |
| All-NCAA All-Tournament Team | 1986 | [6] |
| All-CCHA First Team | 1986–87 | [7] |
| AHCA West Second-Team All-American | 1986–87 | [8] |
| CCHA All-Tournament Team | 1987 | [9] |
| All-NCAA All-Tournament Team | 1987 | [10] |