|
View: Previous | Next
|
| 1973 NHL DRAFT PICK |
 |
John Davidson
Selected in first round
No. 5 overall by St. Louis Blues
Born February
27, 1953
 | Position:
Goaltender
Height: 6-3 Weight: 205
|
|
| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Calgary (WCHL)
Birthplace: Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
Hometown:
Calgary, Alberta |
 |
 |
|
| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | W-L-T |
GAA | SO |
SV% | | 1969-70 |
Lethbridge | AJHL |
-- | -- |
-- | -- |
-- | | |
Calgary | WCHL |
1 | n/a |
0.00 | 0 |
n/a | | 1970-71 |
Lethbridge | AJHL |
46 | n/a |
3.09 | 3 |
n/a | | 1971-72 |
Calgary | WCHL |
66 | n/a |
2.37 | 8 |
n/a | | 1972-73 |
Calgary | WCHL |
63 | n/a |
3.30 | 2 |
n/a |
|
PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
WCHL MVP: 1971-72 (Calgary)
WCHL Top Goaltender: 1971-72
(Calgary)
AJHL MVP: 1970-71 (Lethbridge)
WCHL All-Star First Team: 1971-72 (Calgary), 1972-73
(Calgary)
AJHL All-Star Second Team: 1970-71 (Lethbridge)
AJHL Goals-Against-Average Leader: 1970-71 (Lethbridge)
(3.09)
AJHL Shutouts Leader: 1970-71 (Lethbridge) (3 shutouts)
WCHL Goals-Against Average Leader: 1971-72 (Calgary) (2.37)
WCHL
Shutouts Leader: 1971-72 (Calgary) (8 shutouts)
Miscellaneous: Played left wing until age 16, when he was
converted to goaltender. ... Appeared in one playoff game for Calgary (WCHL)
in 1971. ... Set WCHL record (since broken) for lowest goals-against average
in a single season with a 2.37 GAA in 1971-72. ... Loaned to Edmonton (WCHL) for 1972 Memorial Cup tournament on May
8, 1972 and started two Memorial Cup games for Oil Kings. ... Was often compared to Glenn Hall
while he was in junior hockey, and many scouts said he was better than Hall
had been at his age. ... After he was drafted, he remained at the St. Louis
draft table to offer scouting information on other potential draft picks from
the WCHL. |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: October 10, 1973 (St. Louis at
California)
Numbers: 30 (St. Louis); 35, 00, 30 (N.Y. Rangers)
Stanley
Cup: Never won. Status: Retired August 1983 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS |
| Years | Teams | GP |
W-L-T | GAA | SO | SV% |
| 1973-1982 |
St. Louis, NYR | 301 |
123-124-39 | 3.52 |
7 | n/a |
|
| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS |
| Years | Teams |
GP | W-L | GAA |
SO | SV% |
| 1975-1982 |
St. Louis, NYR | 31 |
16-14 | 2.48 | 1 | n/a |
|
NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Stanley Cup Finals (Lost): 1979 (N.Y.
Rangers)
St. Louis Rookie of Year: 1973-74
N.Y. Rangers West Side Association Players' Player Award:
1975-76, 1976-77 (shared), 1977-78 (shared)
NHL Playoffs
Goaltending Games Leader: 1979 (18 games)
NHL Playoffs Minutes Leader: 1979 (1,106)
NHL Playoffs Shutouts Leader:
1979 (1, tie)
Scouting Career: Filed scouting reports for
N.Y. Rangers while he was injured during 1980-81 and 1982-83 seasons.
Broadcasting Career:
Did part-time TV color commentary for N.Y. Rangers while injured during
the 1982-83 season. ... Named N.Y. Rangers TV color commentator following retirement in August 1983 and remained in that position through 1983-84
season. ... Named Hockey Night in Canada color commentator prior to
1984-85 season and remained in that position through 1985-86 season. ... Named
N.Y. Rangers TV color commentator prior to 1986-87 season and remained in that
position through 2003-04 season. ... Worked as color commentator for NBC
coverage of NHL All-Star Game in early 1990s. ... Worked as ABC hockey analyst
in 1994. ... Worked as lead color commentator for Fox's NHL coverage from 1995
to 1999. ... Joined ABC Sports/ESPN as hockey studio analyst prior to
1999-2000 season and remained in that position through 2003-04 season.
Miscellaneous:
Was first goaltender in NHL history to jump directly from major junior to
full-time NHL role without spending any time in minor leagues. ... Missed end
of 1973-74 season with right knee injury suffered on March 10, 1974, at
Minnesota. The injury cost him his shot at the Calder Trophy as Rookie of
Year. ... Missed part of 1975-76 season with broken left leg. ... Missed part
of 1976-77 season with knee injury that required surgery. He suffered the
injury on Dec. 12, 1976, against Montreal. ... Played best hockey of his career
during 1979 Stanley Cup playoffs, when he led N.Y. Rangers to the Stanley Cup
Finals and played on injured knee throughout final series vs. Montreal.
The knee injury required off-season surgery. ... Missed part of 1980-81 season
with strained right shoulder and season-ending knee injury that required
surgery. He suffered the knee injury on Nov. 22, 1980, at N.Y. Islanders. ... Missed most
of 1981-82 season with chronic back injury (disc problems in spine, lower back
spasms and injured sciatic nerve). He was hospitalized and placed in traction
for the first time in October 1981 and underwent surgery on Jan. 25, 1982,
although he did return in time for one 1982 playoff game. ...
Returned to NHL for 1982-83 season but re-injured back during late-October
practice when he was trying to stop a shot by assistant coach Walt Tkaczuk.
The injury required him to be sedated and again placed in traction at New York's
Lenox Hill Hospital. Doctors removed two badly damaged discs from his spine. Spent nearly a month in the hospital
and began his rehabilitation program in December 1982. At first, he tried to
return to the NHL, and he resumed practicing and traveling with the N.Y.
Rangers. However, his sciatic nerve, which was inflamed by the disc surgery,
continued to send waves of pain to his legs. This forced him to cut back on
practicing, but he remained with N.Y. Rangers through 1982-83 season. ... Had
option to play in 1983-84, but was offered broadcasting jobs with New
Jersey, Calgary and Hockey Night in Canada. The Calgary job included
the role of public relations director. Rather than lose him to another
organization, the N.Y. Rangers offered him a broadcasting/part-time scouting
job, and he retired to pursue his new career. ... Shared CableACE award for
Outstanding Live Event Coverage for his work on N.Y. Rangers broadcast team in
1994. ... Won New York Emmy Award for Outstanding On-Camera Achievement in
1995. ... Was first journalist to report news of Wayne Gretzky's surprise
retirement in April 1999. .... Widely recognized as one of the top hockey
color commentators. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams: Denver (CHL); New Haven (AHL);
Springfield (AHL)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
1979-80: Played four games for New Haven team that went on to
win AHL regular-season title.
Miscellaneous: Ran hockey school in Alberta during his playing days.
... Worked as CBS' lead hockey analyst for its 1992, 1994 and 1998 Olympic
coverage. ... Author of Hockey for Dummies, a book which explains the
NHL and the game of hockey for new fans.
Personal: Nicknamed "J.D." ... Son of a Royal Canadian Mounted
Policeman. |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| TRADE: St. Louis traded Davidson and Bill
Collins to N.Y. Rangers for Jerry Butler, Ted Irvine and Bert Wilson on June
18, 1975. |
|
|
Visit the new
Hockey Draft Central |
HockeyDraftCentral.com is in the middle of rebuilding. You are looking at a page
that is not yet updated but is still part of the old site. Check out the new look.
• New Home Page
|
|
SNAPSHOT '73 | | Total Selected: |
168 | | Forwards: |
103 | | Defense: |
53 | | Goaltenders: |
12 | | Major Junior: |
131 | | College Players: |
28 |
| Canadian: |
151 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
3 | | USA Citizens: |
14 | | U.S.-Born: |
14 |
| European: |
0 |
| Reached NHL: |
70 |
| Won Stanley Cup: |
8 | | Hall of Fame: |
3 |
| All-Star Game: |
13 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
3 |
| Olympians: |
4 |
| Picks Traded: |
35 |
|
|
