Darren Veitch

Darren William Veitch (born April 24, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player whose career was beset by injuries. He played 511 career NHL games for the Washington Capitals, Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, and was once named The Hockey News's "Comeback Player of the Year" after badly injuring his arm falling through a glass coffee table after slipping at home on one of his children's toys.^{[citation needed]} He was often unfairly compared to Paul Coffey, a fellow defenceman selected immediately after him in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft. He played his last NHL game in 1991 and bounced around the minor leagues before finally retiring in 1999, and now enjoys recreational roller hockey at the Castle Sports Club in Phoenix, AZ.

Darren Veitch
Born	(1960-04-24) April 24, 1960 (age 63) Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Right
Played for	AHL Hershey Bears Newmarket Saints Moncton Hawks NHL Washington Capitals Detroit Red Wings Toronto Maple Leafs
NHL Draft	5th overall, 1980 Washington Capitals
Playing career	1980–1992

Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Veitch won an Ed Chynoweth Cup with the Regina Pats in 1980 to cap off a stellar junior career.

Darren also had a distinguished amateur golf career in addition to his hockey exploits. He was the 1983 Saskatchewan Amateur champion after a three-round score of 218 at the Elmwood Golf and Country Club in Swift Current. He was also a two-time runner-up in the tournament finishing second in both 1981 and 1984.^[1]

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1976–77	Regina Blues	SJHL		60	15	21	36	121		—	—	—	—	—
1976–77	Regina Pats	WCHL		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1977–78	Regina Pats	WCHL		71	13	32	45	135		9	0	2	2	4
1978–79	Regina Pats	WHL		51	11	36	47	80		—	—	—	—	—
1979–80	Regina Pats	WHL		71	29	93	122	118		18	13	18	31	13
1980–81	Washington Capitals	NHL		59	4	21	25	46		—	—	—	—	—
1980–81	Hershey Bears	AHL		26	6	22	28	12		10	6	3	9	15
1981–82	Washington Capitals	NHL		67	9	44	53	54		—	—	—	—	—
1981–82	Hershey Bears	AHL		10	5	10	15	16		—	—	—	—	—
1982–83	Washington Capitals	NHL		10	0	8	8	0		—	—	—	—	—
1982–83	Hershey Bears	AHL		5	0	1	1	2		—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	Washington Capitals	NHL		46	6	18	24	17		5	0	1	1	15
1983–84	Hershey Bears	AHL		11	1	6	7	4		—	—	—	—	—
1984–85	Washington Capitals	NHL		75	3	18	21	37		5	0	1	1	4
1985–86	Washington Capitals	NHL		62	3	9	12	27		—	—	—	—	—
1985–86	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		13	0	5	5	2		—	—	—	—	—
1986–87	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		77	13	45	58	52		12	3	4	7	8
1987–88	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		63	7	33	40	45		11	1	5	6	6
1988–89	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		37	3	7	10	16		—	—	—	—	—
1988–89	Newmarket Saints	AHL		33	5	19	24	29		5	0	4	4	4
1989–90	Newmarket Saints	AHL		78	13	54	67	30		—	—	—	—	—
1990–91	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		2	0	1	1	0		—	—	—	—	—
1990–91	Newmarket Saints	AHL		56	7	28	35	26		—	—	—	—	—
1990–91	Peoria Rivermen	IHL		18	2	14	16	10		19	4	12	16	10
1991–92	EV Landshut	1.GBun		14	2	4	6	4		—	—	—	—	—
1991–92	Moncton Hawks	AHL		61	6	23	29	47		11	0	6	6	2
1992–93	Peoria Rivermen	IHL		79	12	37	49	16		4	2	0	2	4
1993–94	Peoria Rivermen	IHL		76	21	54	75	16		6	1	1	2	0
1994–95	Peoria Rivermen	IHL		75	8	42	50	42		9	0	2	2	8
1995–96	Peoria Rivermen	IHL		15	1	9	10	8		—	—	—	—	—
1995–96	Phoenix Roadrunners	IHL		43	1	15	16	12		1	0	0	0	0
1997–98	Phoenix Mustangs	WCHL		59	6	31	37	40		9	3	6	9	12
1998–99	Phoenix Mustangs	WCHL		52	3	29	32	46		3	0	1	1	2
NHL totals				511	48	209	257	296		33	4	11	15	33
AHL totals				280	43	163	206	166		26	6	13	19	21
IHL totals				306	45	171	216	104		39	7	15	22	22

Awards

• WHL First All-Star Team – 1980

References

1. (PDF). Golf Saskatchewan. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2011-06-14.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
• Profile at hockeydraftcentral.com

Preceded by Mike Gartner

Washington Capitals first round draft pick 1980

Succeeded by Bobby Carpenter