Don Cherry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Don Cherry |
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Cherry in 2010
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| Born | February 5, 1934 Kingston, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Boston Bruins | ||
| Coached for | Boston Bruins Colorado Rockies |
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| Playing career | 1954–1972 | ||
| Coaching career | 1971–1980 | ||
Donald Stewart Cherry (born February 5, 1934) is a famous Canadian former ice hockey player, coach, and television commentator. He played one game in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins. After playing in the minor leagues, he coached the Bruins for five seasons. He led the team to four division titles and two appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals.
From 1986 to 2019, Cherry co-hosted Coach's Corner. This was a popular part of CBC's Saturday-night NHL broadcast Hockey Night in Canada. He worked with Ron MacLean. People called him Grapes because of his last name. He was known for speaking his mind and wearing flashy clothes. By the 2018–19 NHL season, Cherry and MacLean had hosted Coach's Corner for 33 seasons.
Cherry also hosted Grapevine, a short radio show, from 1984 to 2019. He also created and starred in the video series Don Cherry's Rock'em Sock'em Hockey from 1989 to 2018. In 2004, viewers voted Cherry the seventh-greatest Canadian ever in a CBC TV series. His life was even made into two CBC movies in 2010 and 2012.
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Don Cherry's Early Life and Family
Cherry was born in Kingston, Ontario. His parents were Delmar and Maude Cherry. His grandfathers had interesting backgrounds. One was an early member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The other was a British orphan who came to Canada.
Don's father, Del, was a good athlete and worked as an electrician. Don Cherry has a younger brother, Dick Cherry, who also played hockey. Dick played two seasons in the National Hockey League.
Meeting His Wife Rosemarie
When Don played for the Hershey Bears in the American Hockey League, he met Rosemarie Martini. She was born in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Rose was very important in Don's life. Because Don played minor league hockey, they moved 53 times. They often lived in simple homes. Don was also away playing during big family moments, like the birth of their daughter, Cindy.
Six years after Cindy was born, Rose gave birth to their son, Tim. When Tim needed a kidney transplant at age 13, Cindy bravely donated one of hers. Rose Cherry passed away in 1997. Don created Rose Cherry's Home for Kids to honor her. He also wears a rose on his lapel to remember her. The Darling Home for Kids in Milton, Ontario, is now the new name for the home he helped create. A street in Mississauga is named Rose Cherry Place after her. In 1999, Don married his second wife, Luba.
Don Cherry's Playing Career
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Cherry played junior hockey for the Barrie Flyers and the Windsor Spitfires. He won the Memorial Cup with Barrie in 1953. He left high school and signed with the American Hockey League's Hershey Bears in 1954.
Cherry played many years in professional minor league hockey. In 1955, he played his only NHL game for the Boston Bruins during the playoffs. He said a baseball injury kept him from playing more in the NHL. He stopped playing in 1970 but returned for 19 more games in 1972. Cherry won the Calder Cup (AHL championship) four times. He also won the Lester Patrick Cup with the Vancouver Canucks in 1969.
Don Cherry's Coaching Career
After his playing career ended in 1969, Cherry worked different jobs. He sold cars and worked in construction. He even painted houses for $2 an hour.
In the middle of the 1971–72 season, Cherry became the coach of the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League. The next year, he also became the General Manager. In his third season, he was named the league's Coach of the Year.
Coaching the Boston Bruins
After three years in Rochester, Cherry became the head coach of the Boston Bruins in the NHL for the 1974–75 season. The Bruins had been very successful before he arrived. But after his first season, star players Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito left the team.
Cherry quickly became known as a unique and flashy coach. He encouraged his players to play a very physical game. He said he wanted the Bruins to play like his feisty dog, Blue. The team became known as the "lunch-pail gang" or "the Big Bad Bruins." This meant they worked hard and played tough.
Cherry's coaching helped the Bruins become one of the best teams in the late 1970s. They won their division four years in a row. Cherry also won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's Coach of the Year in 1975. In the 1977–78 season, his Bruins team set an NHL record. They had 11 players who scored 20 goals or more.
The Bruins beat the tough Philadelphia Flyers twice in the playoffs under Cherry. They reached the Stanley Cup Finals twice, in 1977 and 1978. Both times, they lost to their big rivals, the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens were one of the strongest teams in the NHL back then.
In the 1979 playoff series against the Canadiens, Cherry's Bruins played a very close Game 7. They were winning with less than three minutes left. But the Bruins got a penalty for having "too many men on the ice." Cherry blamed himself for this mistake. The Canadiens scored on the power play and won in overtime. Cherry was fired by the Bruins after this.
Coaching the Colorado Rockies
Cherry then coached the Colorado Rockies for the 1979–80 season. The team's motto became "Come to the fights and watch a Rockies game break out!" This showed their tough playing style.
However, Cherry often spoke his mind and argued with the Rockies' general manager. He felt the team's main weakness was its goaltending. The Rockies finished with a very poor record that season. Cherry was fired six weeks after the season ended.
Other Coaching Roles
Cherry also coached Team Canada at the 1981 World Championships. In 1983, he agreed to coach the proposed Saskatoon Blues. This was a plan to move the St. Louis Blues to Saskatoon. But the NHL did not allow the move.
From 1998 to 2002, Cherry was a part-owner of the Mississauga IceDogs in the Ontario Hockey League. He coached the team in the 2001–2002 season. During his time as owner, he only wanted to play North American-born players. The IceDogs struggled, winning only 16 games in their first three seasons. When Cherry coached, they won 11 games.
Don Cherry's Broadcasting Career
After his coaching career, Cherry became a TV analyst for CBC's hockey coverage in 1980. He was hired full-time in 1981 as a commentator. But he often cheered openly for teams like the Boston Bruins. So, Coach's Corner was created. This segment appeared during the first break of Hockey Night in Canada.
In 1986, Ron MacLean became his co-host. Cherry also hosted a radio show called Don Cherry's Grapeline from 1984 to 2019. It was heard on over 100 stations across Canada.
Cherry's loud and strong opinions became very well known. His shows were a mix of hockey analysis and his thoughts on other topics. He also hosted a weekly TV show called Don Cherry's This Week in Hockey. He gave a cordless drill to the player with the "hit of the week."
In 1989, he started releasing a popular series of videos called Don Cherry's Rock'em Sock'em Hockey. In 2004, Cherry made a comment on Coach's Corner about players who wore visors. He said they were mostly European and French Canadian players. This caused a lot of discussion. CBC then put a short delay on Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts.
Cherry's comments were often filled with his famous sayings. He showed great affection for his favorite players. He was also known for his colorful jackets, shirts, and ties. He wore these during the "Coach's Corner" segment.
Leaving Hockey Night in Canada
On November 9, 2019, during Coach's Corner, Cherry made comments about Canadian immigrants. He said they did not wear remembrance poppies and benefited from veterans' sacrifices. He said, "You people that come here... you love our way of life... at least you can pay a couple bucks for a poppy or something like that... These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada."
These comments were widely seen as offensive. The Royal Canadian Legion, which distributes poppies, said Cherry's comments were "hurtful" and "divisive." Sportsnet, the network, apologized for the remarks. They said his comments were discriminatory and did not represent their values. Ron MacLean, his co-host, also apologized. The NHL said Cherry's comments were "offensive."
Cherry later said he would not apologize for his comments. On November 11, Sportsnet announced that Cherry had been fired. Cherry said he knew what he said and meant it. He added that if he had to watch everything he said, it wouldn't be Coach's Corner. He later said he would have said "everybody" instead.
On November 16, 2019, Ron MacLean announced the end of Coach's Corner. Some people, like former Bruins player Bobby Orr, defended Cherry. Orr called his firing "disgraceful."
Later Career in Media
On November 19, 2019, Cherry released the first episode of his Grapevine show as a podcast. He said he did not want to accept Sportsnet's conditions for his return. Cherry stopped podcasting in June 2025.
Other Things Don Cherry Did
Acting Roles
Don Cherry also had some acting roles. He played a hockey coach in the TV series Power Play. He and Ron MacLean also voiced themselves in the cartoon series Zeroman. Cherry appeared in an episode of Goosebumps. His voice was used in Disney's animated movie The Wild as a curling announcer. He also appeared in a music video for The Tragically Hip. His voice was also used in a Mickey Mouse episode as a hockey announcer.
In 2008, he appeared on the home improvement show Holmes on Homes. He talked with host Mike Holmes about construction.
Businesses and Charity Work
In 1985, the first "Don Cherry's Sports Grill" restaurant opened in Hamilton. Cherry licensed his name to the chain. These restaurants are in several Canadian provinces.
Cherry also created the Don Cherry Pet Rescue Foundation. He donates all profits from his pet snacks to animal charities. He has supported efforts to make animal cruelty laws stronger.
Don Cherry's Hockey Opinions
Cherry often shared strong opinions about how hockey should be played. He sometimes criticized players he felt were not playing the "right" way. He believed that fighting was a very important part of the game. He thought it made players respect each other.
Cherry called Bobby Orr the greatest player of all time. He also liked players like Doug Gilmour and Cam Neely. Cherry criticized players he thought were not honorable. He especially disliked Ulf Samuelsson, calling him a "dirty player."
Cherry often criticized the NHL for reducing fighting. He felt the league was focusing too much on speed and skill. He also disliked rules like touch-up icing and the instigator rule. He often criticized players for celebrating too much after scoring goals. In 2003, he called young star Sidney Crosby a "hot dog" for his celebrations.
Cherry was a strong supporter of women's hockey and sledge hockey. In 1997, the Canadian women's national ice hockey team honored Rose Cherry.
Don Cherry's Awards and Honors
On November 14, 2005, Cherry became an honorary member of the Police Association of Ontario. He had always wanted to be a police officer. In June 2007, he was made an honorary life member of the Royal Canadian Legion. This was for his strong support of Canadian soldiers. In February 2008, he received the Canadian Forces Medallion for Distinguished Service. This was for honoring fallen soldiers on Coach's Corner.
In 2004, Cherry was ranked number 7 on the CBC's series The Greatest Canadian. Cherry said he was a "good Canadian" but not the greatest. He was rooting for John A. Macdonald. In 2016, Cherry and Ron MacLean received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.
Images for kids
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Cherry in 2010
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Cherry was inducted into the American Hockey League Hall of Fame in 2019.
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Cherry with Ron MacLean at the 2002 Winter Olympics. The two were partnered on Coach's Corner from 1986 to 2019.
