Don Ashby

Don Ashby
Ashby in 1976 postcard
Born	(1955-03-08)March 8, 1955 Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
Died	May 30, 1981(1981-05-30) (aged 26) Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Toronto Maple Leafs Colorado Rockies Edmonton Oilers
NHL draft	6th overall, 1975 Toronto Maple Leafs
WHA draft	3rd overall, 1975 Michigan Stags
Playing career	1975–1981

Donald Allan Ashby (March 8, 1955 – May 30, 1981) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who was a centre for six seasons in the National Hockey League from 1975–76 until 1980–81.

Early life and career

Photo of Ashby for the Edmonton Oilers reprinted for 1988 card

Ashby was born in Kamloops, British Columbia. After excelling for the Calgary Centennials in junior hockey, he was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs as their first-round draft pick in the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft. He was traded to the Colorado Rockies in 1978. He was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for Bobby Schmautz in 1980.

Ashby played 188 career NHL games, scoring 40 goals, 56 assists, and 96 points.

Death

On May 30, 1981, a few days after finishing the 1980–81 season in which Ashby played with the CHL Wichita Wind, he and his wife, Terry, were involved in an automobile accident in the Okanagan Valley. The vehicle that they were driving was hit head-on by a pickup truck. Ashby was critically injured in the accident that occurred in the Okanagan Valley. Both he and his wife, Terry, were taken to the hospital in Kelowna, [British Columbia, where he died from massive internal injuries. He was 26 years old at the time of his death in the accident. His wife, Terry, survived the accident and was treated in the hospital. His funeral was held four days later, on June 3.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1972–73	Kamloops Rockets	BCHL		28	22	22	44			—	—	—	—	—
1972–73	Calgary Centennials	WCHL		36	10	12	22	0		6	0	1	1	0
1973–74	Calgary Centennials	WCHL		68	30	38	68	52		14	6	7	13	0
1974–75	Calgary Centennials	WCHL		70	52	68	120	71		—	—	—	—	—
1975–76	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		50	6	15	21	10		—	—	—	—	—
1975–76	Oklahoma City Blazers	CHL		26	9	14	23	36		4	0	1	1	2
1976–77	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		76	19	23	42	24		9	1	0	1	4
1976–77	Dallas Black Hawks	CHL		3	1	0	1	0		—	—	—	—	—
1977–78	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		12	1	2	3	0		—	—	—	—	—
1977–78	Dallas Black Hawks	CHL		48	14	28	42	15		13	9	9	18	5
1978–79	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		3	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1978–79	New Brunswick Hawks	AHL		13	2	5	7	9		—	—	—	—	—
1978–79	Colorado Rockies	NHL		12	2	3	5	0		—	—	—	—	—
1979–80	Colorado Rockies	NHL		11	0	1	1	4		—	—	—	—	—
1979–80	Fort Worth Texans	CHL		45	27	27	54	18		—	—	—	—	—
1979–80	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		18	10	9	19	0		3	0	0	0	0
1980–81	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		6	2	3	5	2		—	—	—	—	—
1980–81	Wichita Wind	CHL		70	36	60	96	46		18	9	16	25	6
NHL totals				188	40	56	96	40		12	1	0	1	4
CHL totals				192	87	129	216	115		35	18	26	44	13

See also

• List of ice hockey players who died during their playing career
• List of people who died in traffic collisions

External links

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