Darren Veitch
Quick Facts
Biography
Darren William Veitch (born April 24, 1960 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) is a retired former professional ice hockey player whose career was beset by injuries. He won an Ed Chynoweth Cup with the Regina Pats in 1980 to cap off a stellar junior career. 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. 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 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.
Career Statistics
Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
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 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 26 | 6 | 22 | 28 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 15 | ||
1980-81 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 59 | 4 | 21 | 25 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1981-82 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 10 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1981-82 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 67 | 9 | 44 | 53 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1982-83 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1982-83 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 10 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1983-84 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 11 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1983-84 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 46 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15 | ||
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 | Newmarket Saints | AHL | 33 | 5 | 19 | 24 | 29 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||
1988-89 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 37 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1989-90 | Newmarket Saints | AHL | 78 | 13 | 54 | 67 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1990-91 | Newmarket Saints | AHL | 56 | 7 | 28 | 35 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1990-91 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1990-91 | Peoria Rivermen | IHL | 18 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 19 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 10 | ||
1991-92 | Moncton Hawks | AHL | 61 | 6 | 23 | 29 | 47 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 2 | ||
1991-92 | Eislaufverein Landshut | 1.GBu | 14 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
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 | ||||
WCHL/WHL Totals | 305 | 62 | 221 | 283 | 419 | 39 | 16 | 27 | 43 | 31 |
Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes