Darren Banks facts for kids

Darren Alexander Banks, born on March 18, 1966, is a former professional ice hockey player from Canada. He played in 20 games for the Boston Bruins in the NHL between 1992 and 1994. He also played many games in the minor leagues and a short time in Europe. His career lasted from 1989 to 2005. Darren Banks was known for playing as an enforcer, a player who protects teammates and boosts team spirit.

Darren Banks' Hockey Journey

Starting in College Hockey

Darren Banks began his college hockey career in 1986. He played for the Brock Badgers team. Before that, he played for the Leamington Flyers. Banks played for the Badgers for three seasons. His best season was his last year, when he scored 33 points in 26 games. He also spent 88 minutes in the penalty box. While at Brock University, he studied sociology.

Turning Professional

After college, Banks became a professional player. He signed with the Knoxville Cherokees in the ECHL for the 1989–90 season. This was his most successful season as a pro. He scored 47 points in 52 games. He also spent 258 minutes in the penalty box.

His great play caught the eye of the NHL team, the Calgary Flames. They signed him to a contract. The Flames sent him to their minor league team, the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, where he played six games. He also played two games for the Fort Wayne Komets that season.

Playing in the NHL

Banks continued to play for the Salt Lake Golden Eagles for the next two seasons. In the 1990–91 season, he scored 16 points in 56 games. He also had 286 penalty minutes. The next season, he played 55 games, scoring ten points and getting 303 penalty minutes.

In 1992, Banks signed with the Boston Bruins as a free agent. He mostly played for Boston's minor league team, the Providence Bruins. But he made his NHL debut on October 8, 1992, against the Hartford Whalers. He made a big impression in his first game, getting a penalty for a fight.

During that season, Banks played 15 more games with Boston. He also played 46 games for Providence. He stayed with the Bruins for the next season, playing four games for Boston and 41 for Providence. During this time, Banks had some disagreements with his coach. He was later released from the team.

Banks scored two goals in the NHL. Both goals happened in the same game. It was on October 15, 1992, when Boston won 8–2 against the San Jose Sharks.

Moving Between Teams

The 1994–95 season was busy for Banks. He played for several teams in different leagues. He played 32 games in the AHL for the Adirondack Red Wings and Portland Pirates. He also played two games for the Las Vegas Thunder in the IHL. He finished the season with the Detroit Falcons in the CoHL.

The next season, Banks mainly played for the Falcons. He played 38 games, scoring 28 points and getting 290 penalty minutes. He also played six games for the Utica Blizzard. Later, he returned to the Las Vegas Thunder.

In the 1996–97 season, Banks played only for the Detroit Vipers in the IHL. He scored 23 points in 64 games and had a career-high 306 penalty minutes. The Vipers had a great season, finishing first. They then won the Turner Cup championship.

Later Career and Overseas Play

Banks started the 1997–98 season with the Québec Rafales. He played four games there before moving to the San Antonio Dragons. After seven games in Texas, he returned to the Detroit Vipers. The Vipers had another strong playoff run, reaching the final. He played for the Vipers again in the 1998–99 season, scoring 18 points in 58 games.

In 1999, Banks went overseas to play for the London Knights in the UK. He played 23 games there. In January 2000, Banks faced a suspension for an incident during a game. Before the suspension was announced, Banks left the UK. He then signed with the Port Huron Border Cats in the UHL. He played 17 games there.

The next year, Banks signed with the Knoxville Speed. After 20 games, he was traded back to Port Huron. He also played eight games with the Phoenix Mustangs in the WCHL.

Banks did not play hockey between 2001 and 2003. In the 2003–04 season, he signed with the Jacksonville Barracudas. He played seven games, scoring three points. The next year, he played two games with the Kansas City Outlaws. After that, Banks retired from professional hockey.

Roller Hockey Career

Besides ice hockey, Darren Banks also played professional roller hockey. This usually happened during the ice hockey off-season. In the summer of 1995, Banks played for the Anaheim Bullfrogs. Even though he was new to rollerblades, he scored 21 points in 17 games. He also had 86 penalty minutes. Banks played for the Bullfrogs again the next season. He was later traded to the Long Island Jawz in July 1996.

Awards and Achievements

• IHL Turner Cup Champion (1997)

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Roller Hockey

Life After Hockey

As of July 2025, Darren Banks works as an Executive casino host at The D Casino in Las Vegas. He also works at Circa. Before this, he worked for CP Rail.

Because he played for teams linked to the Detroit Red Wings, he is a Red Wings Alumni member. He has also worked with the Detroit Hockey Association. He helped with the Hockey in the Hood tournament, which was started by Willie O'Ree. This program helps introduce children from inner cities to hockey.

In November 2013, Banks joined a group of players who were concerned about head injuries and concussions from playing hockey. As a result of his time playing, Banks experiences memory problems.