Don Head

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameDonald Charles "Don"•Head
Used nameDon•Head
Born30 June 1933 in Mount Dennis, Toronto, Ontario (CAN)
Measurements178 cm / 91 kg
AffiliationsWindsor Bulldogs, Windsor (CAN)
NOC Canada
Medals OG
Gold 0
Silver 1
Bronze 0
Total 1

Biography

Donald “Don” Head began his long career as an ice hockey goalie in the B and Junior levels of the Ontario Hockey League. From 1950 through 1953 he played with the Weston Dukes, although in the middle he took a season with the Toronto Marlboros. He began his tenure at the senior level by skating with the Stratford Indians for three years, and then spent the next four seasons sandwiching a 106 game-term with the Chatham Maroons between 127 matches with the Windsor Bulldogs. In 1960 he was invited to join the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen as they represented Canada in ice hockey at the 1960 Winter Olympics. At the tournament he minded the net for six games and took home a silver medal. Upon his return he was recruited by the Portland Buckaroos of the World Hockey League and won the league’s Rookie of the Year Award in 1961. He also took the Leading Goaltender Award, after his team won the Lester Cup, the WHL’s annual championship trophy, an award that he would win again in 1963 and 1966.

Head played only five games with the Buckeroos in the 1961-1962 season because he had been offered a contract by the National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins. He found little success in the NHL and returned to Portland full time in 1962, earning one more Lester Cup in 1965 and staying the team until 1967. That year was his first of four with the Seattle Totems, the previous year’s Lester Cup winners, and they continued their streak in 1968, earning Head his third WHL championship. He returned to the Portland Buckeroos for one game during the 1971-1972 season, but had otherwise retired from active play, although he was registered with the team in 1974. In 1993 he was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and continues to reside in Portland.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1960 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey (Ice Hockey) CAN Don Head
Ice Hockey, Men (Olympic) Canada 2 Silver

Special Notes