Wayne Small Explained

Wayne Small
Birth Place:Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada
Height Ft:5
Height In:8
Weight Lb:145
Position:Wing
Played For:Brown
Carleton Ravens
ZSC Lions
HC Davos
HC Ambrì-Piotta
Career Start:1965
Career End:1980
Draft:Undrafted

F. Wayne Small is a Canadian retired ice hockey winger who was an All-American for Brown.

Career

Small's stature mirrored his name. Standing at 5' 8" and weighing less than 150 lbs., he was too slight for most teams and relegated to playing junior B hockey. Despite this, Small was recruited to Brown University and played with the freshman team while the varsity club reached the NCAA tournament. Small played well as a junior, helping the team to a 4th-place finish in the conference while scoring more than a point per game but it was during his junior year that he became the team's star. While the team sank in the standings, finishing 8th in 1967, Small nearly doubled his point total, scoring 61 in just 24 games. Small contributed on over 45% of Brown's goals that season and led the nation in scoring with 35 goals.[1] Small's numbers declined in his senior season but he still led the Bears with 50 points. Brown was beaten in the conference quarterfinals, ending Small's NCAA career abruptly, but he was named as the ECAC Hockey Player of the Year and an All-American.

After graduating, Small returned to Canada and attended Carleton University, pursuing his master's degree. He spent three years at the school, and played for the ice hockey team during his tenure. In his first year with the Ravens, Small set the record for the most points in a single season with 38 goals and 63 points. When he left in 1971 he was the program's all-time leading scorer, having netted 83 goals and 148 points in just 64 games.[2] After finishing his college career the high-scoring Small travelled to Europe to continue his playing career. He spent the next 10 seasons playing in Switzerland, mostly for ZSC Lions. He helped Zurich win the NLB championship in 1973 and receive a promotion to the top division. That same year Small was inducted into the Brown Athletic Hall of Fame and he was later placed in Castleton's Hall of Fame.[3] [4]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

  Regular Season Playoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1962–63Leamington FlyersBCJBHL
1963–64Wallaceburg HornetsBCJBHL
1965–66BrownECAC Hockey25171633
1966–67BrownECAC Hockey24352661
1967–68BrownECAC Hockey24163450
1968–69CarletonCIAU382563
1969–70CarletonCIAU
1970–71CarletonCIAU
1971–72ZSC LionsNLB
1972–73ZSC LionsNLB
1973–74ZSC LionsNLA
1974–75ZSC LionsNLB
1975–76ZSC LionsNLB
1976–77ZSC LionsNLB
1977–78HC DavosNLB
1978–79HC Ambrì-PiottaNLB2626224818
1979–80HC AsconaSwiss Div. 1
NCAA Totals73 68 76 144
CIAU Totals64 83 65 148

Awards and honors

AwardYear
All-ECAC Hockey First Team1966–67[5]
All-ECAC Hockey First Team1967–68[6]
AHCA East All-American1967–68[7]

Notes and References

  1. News: NCAA - 1966-1967 . Elite Prospects . February 18, 2021 .
  2. News: Wayne Small: A Large Legacy to be Inducted into Carleton’s HOF . Go Ravens . September 12, 2016 . February 18, 2021 .
  3. News: F. Wayne Small . Brown Bears . February 18, 2021 .
  4. News: Wayne Small . Go Ravens . February 18, 2021 .
  5. News: ECAC All-Teams. College Hockey Historical Archives. May 19, 2013.
  6. News: ECAC All-Teams. College Hockey Historical Archives. May 19, 2013.
  7. News: 1967-1968 All-American Team . The American Hockey Coaches Association . 2017-06-21.