| Round | Overall |
| 4 | 19 |
 |
 |
Right-hand shot
Pre-Draft Statistics
| Year | Team | League | GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
| 1964-65 | Holy Name | KLJHL | 50 | 69 | 45 | 114 | -- |
| 1965-66 | Niagara Falls | OHA | 43 | 16 | 27 | 43 | 16 |
Pre-Draft Notes
Career Vitals
| First contract: | 1968 |
| Debut: | December 21, 1968 (Boston at Montreal) |
| Final NHL game: | October 13, 1979 (Detroit at Edmonton) |
| Retired: | 1980 |
| Stanley Cup: | Never won |
| Numbers worn: | 29, 11, 21 (Boston); 8, 16 (Detroit); 16 (California) |
Career NHL Statistics
Teams: Boston,
Detroit, California
Years: 1968-1979. Playoffs: 1969
| Regular Season | |||||
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
| 5 years | 102 | 33 | 42 | 75 | 61 |
| Stanley Cup Playoffs | |||||
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
| 1 year | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Complete statistics available at NHL.com | |||||
Career Highlights
Led OHA Jr. A league in scoring and won Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy with 114 points for Niagara Falls in 1967-68. ... Scored 50 goals for Niagara Falls in 1967-68. ... Named to OHA All-Star Second Team in 1967-68. ... Won Memorial Cup with Niagara Falls in 1968. ... Led 1968 Memorial Cup tournament with 11 assists and 18 points. ... Won Max Kaminsky Trophy as OHA's Most Gentlemanly Player in 1967-68. ... Played on Oklahoma City team that won CHL regular-season title in 1968-69. ... Played two games for 1969-70 Boston team that went on to win Stanley Cup, but was not with team in postseason and did not have his name engraved on Cup. ... Was leading CHL in goal-scoring with 22 goals when he got hurt in December 1968. ... Led all CHL players with 10 playoff goals for Oklahoma City in 1970. ... First player picked in 1970 NHL Expansion Draft as part of pre-arranged deal by Buffalo and Detroit to send Webster to Detroit for Roger Crozier. ... Led Detroit in goals (30) and points (67) in 1970-71. ... Detroit Rookie of Year, 1970-71. ... Represented New England in WHA All-Star Game in 1973, 1974, 1975, and 1976. ... Played on New England team that won WHA regular-season title in 1972-73. ... Second in WHA with 53 goals for New England in 1972-73, making him one of only five 50-goal scorers in league's first season. ... Tied for fourth in WHA with 103 points for New England in 1972-73, making him one of only six 100-point scorers in that league's inaugural season. ... Led New England in goals (53) and points (103) in 1972-73. ... Won the inaugural WHA World Trophy championship with New England in 1973. ... Led New England with 26 points and tied for team lead with 12 goals in 1973 WHA playoffs. ... Second in 1973 WHA playoff scoring with 26 points. ... Named to WHA All-Star Second Team in 1972-73. ... Led New England with 43 goals in 1973-74. ... Represented Canada as one of WHA All-Stars who faced Soviet Union in 1974 Summit Series, appearing in four of the eight games. ... Led New England with five First-Star selections in 1974-75. ... Led New England with 40 goals in 1974-75. ... Won New England Booster Club MVP award in 1974-75. ... Had WHA's longest point streak (21 games) in 1975-76. ... Led New England in goals (33), assists (50) and points (83) in 1975-76. ... Won New England Irish Spring Three-Star Award for 1975-76. ... Served as Hartford alternate captain in 1976-77 and 1977-78. ... Led New England with 85 points in 1976-77. ... Won Hartford National Bank Favorite Whaler Award in 1976-77. ... Finished WHA career with New England Whalers records for career goals (220), career points (425), most goals in one season (53 in 1972-73), most assists in one season by a right wing (50 in 1975-76), most points in one season by a right wing (103 in 1972-73), career hat tricks (7), 20-goal seasons (5), consecutive 20-goal seasons (5 from 1972-73 to 1976-77), 30-goal seasons (5), consecutive 30-goal seasons (5 from 1972-73 to 1976-77), 40-goal seasons (3), consecutive 40-goal seasons (3 from 1972-73 to 1974-75), career playoff assists (26), career playoff points (54), goals in one playoff series (7 vs. Ottawa in 1973), points in one playoff series (13 vs. Ottawa in 1973), goals in one playoff game (3, twice, shares record). ... Won AHL Calder Cup as co-coach of Adirondack in 1981. ... Won CHL Adams Cup as head coach of Tulsa in 1984. ... Won CHL Jake Milford Award as Coach of Year with Tulsa in 1983-84. ... Named Minor-League Coach of Year by The Hockey News in 1983-84. ... Won OHL regular-season title and J. Ross Robertson Cup as head coach of Windsor in 1987-88. ... Runner-up for NHL Adams Trophy as Coach of Year in 1990-91. ... Named Sporting News NHL Coach of Year for 1990-91. ... Went to Stanley Cup Finals as Philadelphia assistant coach in 1995. ... Named to WHA Hall of Fame in 2012.
Transaction History
June 10, 1970 -- Claimed by Buffalo from Boston in 1970 NHL Expansion Draft. June 10, 1970 -- Traded by Buffalo to Detroit in exchange for Roger Crozier. Oct. 22, 1971 -- Traded by Detroit to California in exchange for Ron Stackhouse. July 1972 -- Signed with New England (WHA). Sept. 15, 1979 -- Signed with Detroit as an unrestricted free agent.
Significant Injuries
Missed part of 1968-69 season with broken ribs, an injury suffered in December 1968. ... Missed part of 1968-69 season with abdominal injury, suffered when he was got hit with Dennis Hull's stick during Boston's Feb. 16, 1969, game vs. Chicago. ... Missed part of 1969-70 season with torn cartilage in knee, an injury that required surgery. ... Missed remainder of 1971-72 season with back injury, suffered during California's Nov. 4, 1971, game vs. New York.. The injury required season-ending surgery. ... Missed part of 1975-7 season with back injury. ... Missed remainder of 1977-78 season and entire 1978-79 season recovering from spinal fusion surgery that was performed in February 1978. He retired after the 1977-78 season but came back in the fall of 1979 as a player-assistant coach with Detroit's AHL affiliate. He would play one more NHL game and 12 AHL games during the 1979-80 before ending his career as a player to focus on coaching.
A Pair of Suspensions
On March 23, 1991, during Los Angeles' home
game against Calgary, Webster got into an argument with Calgary star
Doug Gilmour, who skated over to the Kings bench to confront him.
After a few words were exchanged, Webster reached over the boards
and punched
Gilmour in the face, setting off a fight along the benches. The
incident led the NHL to fine Webster $5,000 on March 28 and suspend
him for four games. Gilmour and Calgary teammate Tim Hunter were
each suspended two games for their roles in the altercation, and
Joel Otto was fined.
On Nov. 16, 1991, Webster became angered by the officiating during
Los Angeles' home game vs. Detroit. While arguing a 10-minutes
misconduct call on defenseman Larry Robinson for cross-checking,
Webster threw a stick from the bench in the direction of referee
Kerry Fraser. The stick landed on the ice and hit Fraser's skates,
leading to a $10,000 fine for the Kings and a 12-game suspension for
Webster. The NHL ruled on the incident on Nov. 27, 1991, at which
time Webster began to serve his suspension.
Life Outside the NHL
Full Name: Thomas
Ronald Webster
Nicknames: "Hawkeye", "Webby"
Other Post-Draft Teams:
Niagara Falls (OHA); Oklahoma City (CHL); New England (WHA);
Adirondack (AHL)
Non-Playing Career
|
COACHING CAREER Served as Adirondack (AHL) player-assistant coach in 1979-80 until being given interim co-coach role during the season. ... Named Adirondack (AHL) assistant coach prior to 1980-81 season and remained in that position until being promoted to co-coach. ... Named Adirondack (AHL) co-coach 20 games into 1980-81 season and remained in that position through 1980-81 season. ... Named Springfield (AHL) head coach prior to 1981-82 season and remained in that position through 1981-82 season. ... Named Tulsa (CHL) head coach prior to 1982-83 season and remained in that position through 1983-84 season. ... Named Salt Lake (IHL) head coach prior to 1984-85 season and remained in that position through 1984-85 season. ... Named Windsor (OHL) head coach prior to 1985-86 season and remained in that position until Nov. 26, 1986. ... Named N.Y. Rangers head coach on Nov. 26, 1986, and remained in that position until forced out by a medical condition on Jan. 28, 1987. He had sidelined by inner-ear ailment on Dec. 19 that required surgery on Dec. 24. He rejoined Rangers on Jan. 16, 1987, but had to leave again on Jan. 23 due to continuing ear problems that made it imossible for him to fly. ... Named Windsor (OHL) head coach late in 1986-87 season and remained in that position until May 1989. ... Served as head coach of Canada team that finished fourth in 1989 World |
Junior Championships at Anchorage, Alaska. ... Named Los
Angeles head coach on May 31, 1989, and remained in
position until May 4, 1992. ... Missed 15 games during 1989-90
season due to recurrence of inner-ear problems. ... Won 1991
Canada Cup as assistant coach of Team Canada. ... Named Detroit
(OHL) head coach prior to 1992-93 season and remained in that
position through 1992-93 season. ... Named Florida interim
assistant coach (replacing ailing Craig Ramsay) in late
September 1993 and remained in that posiiton through 1993-94
season. ... Named Philadelphia assistant coach on July 12, 1994,
and remained in that position until June 1996. ... Named
Hartford assistant coach on Aug. 19, 1996, relocated with
franchise to Carolina prior to 1997-98 season, and remained in
that position through 1998-99 season. ... Named Windsor (OHL)
head coach on May 19, 1999, and remained in position until
forced to resign for cross-checking player Mike James during a
practice in late February 2003. SCOUTING CAREER Named Calgary Eastern Pro Scout on June 16, 2003, and remained in position through 2008-09 season... Named Calgary amateur scout prior to 2009-10 season and remained in position through 2011-12 season. ... Named Calgary part-time amateur scout prior to 2012-13 season and currently holds this position. |
Miscellaneous:
| Selected by New England Whalers in 1972 WHA Draft -- first WHA Draft, February 1972. | Played on line with Alex Delvecchio and Gordie Howe as a rookie with Detroit in 1970-71. | Was road roommate of Gordie Howe for part of his 1970-71 rookie season with Detroit. | Among first NHL players to jump to WHA when he left California to sign with New England. |
| Ran "Hawkeye Open" charity golf tournament in Niagara Falls during off-seasons of his career. | Played on line with Terry Caffery and Brit Selby for New England (WHA) in 1972-73. | Played on line with Mike Rogers and George Lyle for New England (WHA) in 1976-77. | Made public case for a union to protect coaches after being fired by Los Angeles in 1992. |
| SNAPSHOT '66 | |
| Total Selected: | 24 |
| Forwards: | 14 |
| Defense: | 8 |
| Goaltenders: | 2 |
| Major Junior: | 17 |
| College Players: | 0 |
| Canadian: | 24 |
| American: | 0 |
| Euro-Canadian: | 0 |
| European: | 0 |
| Reached NHL: | 14 |
| Won Stanley Cup: | 3 |
| Hall of Fame: | 1 |
| All-Star Game: | 3 |
| Year-end All-Star: | 1 |
| Olympians: | 0 |
| Picks Traded: | 1 |
OTHERS DRAFTED IN 1966