Don Cherry

Early life and family

Don Cherry was born in Kingston, Ontario, to Delmar and Maude Cherry. His family history includes notable figures such as his paternal grandfather, John T. Cherry, who was an original member of the North-West Mounted Police and a Great Lakes ship captain. His maternal grandfather, Richard Palamountain, was a British Home Child who later served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Cherry's father, Del, worked as an electrician for Canadian Steamship Lines and was an amateur athlete. Cherry's younger brother, Dick Cherry, played two seasons in the National Hockey League with the Philadelphia Flyers. In his early professional years with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, Cherry met his future wife, Rosemarie (Rose) Martini, who was born in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Rose Cherry was a central figure in Don's life, supporting the family through numerous moves and challenges inherent in a minor-league hockey lifestyle. The couple had two children: a daughter, Cindy, and a son, Tim. Rose Cherry died of liver cancer on June 1, 1997, an event that had a major impact on Don, who subsequently created Rose Cherry's Home for Kids in her honour, later renamed The Darling Home for Kids in Milton, Ontario. In 1999, Don Cherry married his second wife, Luba.

Playing career

Don Cherry's hockey career began in junior hockey with the Barrie Flyers and the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey Association. As a defenceman with the Barrie Flyers, he won the Memorial Cup in 1953. He left high school and turned professional in 1954, signing with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League. Cherry's professional playing career spanned nearly two decades in the minor leagues, with his sole National Hockey League appearance being one playoff game for the Boston Bruins in 1955. He attributed his inability to secure a permanent NHL roster spot to a baseball injury suffered during an off-season. Cherry retired as a player in 1970 but returned for a brief 19-game stint with the Rochester Americans in 1972. His minor league career was highly successful, highlighted by four Calder Cup championships. His championship victories include:

• 1960 with the Springfield Indians
• 1965 with the Rochester Americans
• 1966 with the Rochester Americans
• 1968 with the Rochester Americans

Don Cherry won the Lester Patrick Cup, which is the Western Hockey League championship, with the Vancouver Canucks in 1969. This victory occurred during his long playing career in professional minor hockey. He retired as a player in 1970 but came out of retirement two years later to play 19 final games with the Rochester Americans. Cherry also won the Calder Cup championship in the American Hockey League four times during his playing career.

Coaching career

Following his playing days, Cherry worked various jobs, including as a Cadillac salesman, construction worker, and house painter. His coaching career began in the middle of the 1971-72 season when he took over behind the bench for the American Hockey League's Rochester Americans, later adding the title of general manager. In his third season, he was voted the AHL's Coach of the Year. This success led to his promotion to the National Hockey League as head coach of the Boston Bruins for the 1974-75 season. Cherry inherited a team transitioning from the era of superstars Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito. He quickly established a reputation for an eccentric, physical coaching style, famously saying he modelled his team's approach after his feisty bullterrier, Blue. He rebuilt the Bruins with enforcers and grinders, a group dubbed the "lunch-pail gang" or "Big Bad Bruins," trading Esposito to the New York Rangers. This strategy yielded immediate results, with the Bruins winning the Adams Division title for four consecutive seasons from 1975-76 to 1978-79, with Cherry winning the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year for the 1975 season. In the 1977-78 season, Cherry coached the Bruins team to an NHL record of 11 players with 20 goals or more on a single team. The Bruins made the Stanley Cup finals twice, both times losing to their arch-rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, in both 1977 and 1978. His tenure ended after the 1979 playoffs, following a famous too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty in Game 7 against Montreal, which he blamed on himself. Cherry then coached the Colorado Rockies for the 1979-80 season, but the team finished with a league-worst 19-48-13 record, and he was fired six weeks after the season concluded. Internationally, he served as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 1976 Canada Cup and as head coach for Canada at the 1981 World Championships. Later, he was involved with the Ontario Hockey League's Mississauga IceDogs as part-owner from 1998 to 2002 and as head coach for the 2001-02 season.

Broadcasting career and Coach's Corner

Don Cherry's broadcasting career began in 1980 when the CBC hired him as a studio analyst for their Stanley Cup playoff coverage after his coaching stint with the Colorado Rockies ended. He was hired full-time in 1981 as a colour commentator, but his tendency to openly cheer for teams, particularly the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, led to the creation of a new intermission segment called Coach's Corner. Initially hosted with Dave Hodge, Ron MacLean became Cherry's permanent co-host in 1986, beginning a partnership that would last for 33 seasons. The segment became a cultural institution, featuring Cherry's unfiltered game analysis, cultural commentary, and playful exchanges with MacLean. Cherry was known for his loud, outspoken nature, colourful tailored suits, and catchphrases like "All you kids out there...". From 1984 to 2019, he also co-hosted the radio segment Don Cherry's Grapeline with sportscaster Brian Williams, which aired on over 100 stations across Canada at its peak. His media empire expanded to include a long-running series of direct-to-video hockey highlight compilations, Don Cherry's Rock'em Sock'em Hockey, which he released annually from 1989 to 2018. Cherry's commentary frequently sparked controversy, such as in 1989 when he referred to a Finnish-born coach as some kind of dog food, and in 2004 when he made comments about visor-wearing players that led to an investigation by the Official Languages Commissioner and a temporary seven-second broadcast delay on Hockey Night in Canada.

Controversial remarks and firing

On November 9, 2019, during a Coach's Corner segment ahead of Remembrance Day, Don Cherry made comments that led to his dismissal from Hockey Night in Canada. He stated that people who come to Canada love the way of life and should pay for a poppy to honour veterans who paid the biggest price. The remarks were widely condemned as discriminatory and anti-immigrant. The Royal Canadian Legion, which distributes remembrance poppies, denounced the statements as hurtful and divisive. Sportsnet issued an apology, stating the comments were offensive and did not represent its values. Co-host Ron MacLean apologized on social media for not intervening. Cherry told the Toronto Sun he would not apologize, saying he knew what he said and meant it. Two days later, on November 11, Sportsnet president Bart Yabsley announced Cherry had been fired, stating it was the right time for him to immediately step down. Cherry later said if he had to do it again, he would have said everybody should wear a poppy. The incident prompted an overwhelming number of complaints to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council. On November 16, MacLean addressed the incident on air, announcing the end of the Coach's Corner segment. Reaction from the hockey community was mixed, with former player Bobby Orr calling the firing disgraceful and current player Nazem Kadri suggesting Cherry's comments were taken out of context.

Later career and other ventures

Following his departure from Hockey Night in Canada, Don Cherry launched a podcast version of his Grapevine segment in November 2019. During his first episode, he indicated he was unwilling to accept the conditions Sportsnet had set for a potential return. He continued this podcast until retiring from podcasting in June 2025. Beyond broadcasting, Cherry engaged in various other ventures. He had a brief acting career, with a notable role as Jake Nelson in the television film The Last Season. His life story was dramatized in two CBC television movies: Keep Your Head Up, Kid: The Don Cherry Story in 2010 and its sequel, The Wrath of Grapes: The Don Cherry Story II, in 2012, both based on scripts by his son, Timothy Cherry. In 2004, he was voted by viewers as the seventh-greatest Canadian of all time in the CBC miniseries The Greatest Canadian. Cherry was also involved in philanthropy, most notably through his founding of Rose Cherry's Home for Kids, a hospice for medically fragile children, which was later renamed The Darling Home for Kids. His legacy in the Mississauga community is also marked by Rose Cherry Place, a street named for his late wife near the Mississauga Sports and Entertainment Centre.

Coaching record and statistics

Don Cherry's head coaching record in the National Hockey League includes a successful five-season tenure with the Boston Bruins and a single difficult season with the Colorado Rockies. He coached the Bruins from 1974 to 1979, leading them to four division titles and two appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, and he won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year for the 1975 season. His season with the Colorado Rockies in 1979-80 resulted in a league-worst record of 19 wins, 48 losses, and 13 ties. Cherry was fired by the Bruins after the 1979 playoffs and was also fired by the Rockies six weeks after the 1979-80 season ended.

In the minor leagues, Don Cherry coached the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League for parts of three seasons starting in the middle of the 1971-72 season. In his third season with Rochester, he was voted the league's Coach of the Year. Later, Cherry was involved with the Ontario Hockey League's Mississauga IceDogs as part-owner from 1998 to 2002 and as the coach for the 2001-02 season. During his one season as head coach of the IceDogs, the team managed only 11 victories and failed to make the playoffs for the fourth straight year. Cherry drew some criticism for his sudden decision to allow European-born players onto the IceDogs lineup during the one season he coached the team.

Questions about Don Cherry

Why was Don Cherry fired from Hockey Night in Canada?

Don Cherry was fired from Hockey Night in Canada on November 11, 2019, following controversial remarks he made during the Coach's Corner segment on November 9. He criticized Canadian immigrants for not wearing remembrance poppies, stating they should pay for poppies because veterans paid for their way of life. The comments were widely condemned as discriminatory and anti-immigrant by organizations including The Royal Canadian Legion, Sportsnet, and the NHL. After refusing to apologize, Sportsnet's president announced Cherry would immediately step down, ending his 33-season tenure on the program.

What teams did Don Cherry coach in the NHL?

Don Cherry coached two teams in the National Hockey League. His first and most successful head coaching job was with the Boston Bruins from the 1974-75 season through the 1978-79 season. He led the Bruins to four consecutive Adams Division titles and two Stanley Cup Final appearances. After being fired by Boston, he coached the Colorado Rockies for the 1979-80 season, but the team finished with the league's worst record, and he was dismissed after the season ended.

What philanthropic work is Don Cherry known for?

A significant part of Don Cherry's philanthropic legacy is the founding of Rose Cherry's Home for Kids, named in honour of his first wife, Rosemarie, who died of liver cancer in 1997. The facility, located in Milton, Ontario, was established as a hospice for medically fragile children requiring palliative and respite care. It has since been renamed The Darling Home for Kids. Cherry's commitment to this cause was personal, and he often wore a rose on his lapel in memory of his wife and her perseverance.

Who was Don Cherry's co-host on Coach's Corner?

Don Cherry's longtime co-host on the Coach's Corner segment was sportscaster Ron MacLean. MacLean joined Cherry in 1986, replacing the original host, Dave Hodge. The duo became a staple of Hockey Night in Canada for 33 seasons, with their first-intermission segments featuring Cherry's outspoken hockey analysis and MacLean playing the role of interviewer and occasional foil. Their partnership ended in November 2019 when Cherry was fired, and MacLean announced the retirement of the Coach's Corner segment shortly afterward.

How many NHL games did Don Cherry play?

Don Cherry played only one game in the National Hockey League. That single appearance occurred in 1955 when the Boston Bruins called him up during the Stanley Cup playoffs. He had a long professional career primarily in the American Hockey League, playing for nearly 20 years. Cherry won the Calder Cup championship four times with teams like the Springfield Indians and Rochester Americans. He retired as a player in 1970 but briefly returned in 1972 for 19 final games with Rochester before ending his on ice career.

What is Don Cherry's connection to the Rock'em Sock'em Hockey videos?

Don Cherry created and starred in the direct to video series Don Cherry's Rock'em Sock'em Hockey. He began this series in 1989 and continued it until 2018, producing annual collections of hockey highlights. The videos featured big hits and exciting plays from the NHL season, accompanied by his signature commentary. A 15th anniversary video was released in 2003, and a Best Of compilation followed in 2005. This venture expanded his broadcasting career beyond his television segments like Coach's Corner on Hockey Night in Canada.

Sources and further reading

• Don Cherry (Wikipedia)
• Don Cherry (ahlhalloffame.com)

Checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-23.