DON PERRYKINGS HEAD COACH 1982-84
All-Time Kings Coaches | Current Kings Coaches
Don Perry spent parts of three seasons as the Kings head coach, posting a 52-85-31 mark in 168 games as the Kings boss, but is probably best known for being the coach that led the Kings to victory at the "Miracle on Manchester."
Perry took over as head coach on Jan. 11, 1982 after Parker MacDonald was relieved of his duties. Perry guided the Kings to an 11-17-0 mark to complete the season, a playoff appearance and a first-round match up with the heavily favored Edmonton Oilers. On April 10, 1982, with the Kings and Oilers tied at one game apiece, the Oilers skated out to a 5-0 lead entering the third period. But Los Angeles' Jay Wells, Doug Smith, Charlie Simmer, Mark Hardy and Steve Bozek scored to tie the game with rookie Daryl Evans scoring in OT for the win. LA went on to win the series, 3-2. The Kings would then fall to Vancouver, 4-1.
The following season, Perry led the Kings to a 27-42-12 mark, missing the playoffs and after a 14-27-9 start to the 1983-84 season, assistant coach Rogie Vachon took over as interim head coach.
The native of Edmonton, Alberta began his hockey career in 1950 as a member of the Boston Olympics of the old Eastern League. That marked the first of 18 years he spent in the confines of the competitive EHL. The majority of Perry’s playing days were spent with the New Haven Blades of the Eastern Hockey League, where he broke in as player/coach in 1954-55. That very same year, at the ripe age of 25, he led the Blades to the Eastern League Championship, the first four league championships he would capture during his tenure as head coach in the minor leagues. The next year with New Haven, still doubling as coach, Perry won First Team All-Star defenseman honors, while scoring 14 goals and 60 points. In his 20-year playing career, Perry appeared in over 1,000 games, totaled nearly 600 points and was named First Team All-Star defenseman on four different occasions. He retired from an active career in 1969.
From 1972 to 1981, Perry skippered the Saginaw Gears of the International Hockey League, leading the Michigan based Los Angeles Kings affiliate to two Turner Cup Championships. In nine seasons at Saginaw, Perry qualified for the playoffs eight times and led the Gears to the final round on four different occasions. Prior to the commencement of the 1981-82 season , Perry was elevated to head coach of the Kings’ top minor league affiliate at New Haven of the American Hockey League, thereby returning to the town where he had spent 12 years as player and coach. It was there, after only half the season, that he was "summoned" to the parent club on Jan. 11, 1982.
| REGULAR SEASON | POSTSEASON | |||||||||
| YEARS |
G
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
OTL
|
PTS
|
PCT
|
GP
|
W
|
L
|
| 1981-82 |
38
|
11
|
17
|
10
|
-
|
32
|
.421
|
10
|
4
|
6
|
| 1982-83 |
80
|
27
|
41
|
12
|
-
|
66
|
.412
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
| 1983-84 |
50
|
14
|
27
|
9
|
-
|
37
|
.370
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
| TOTALS |
168
|
52
|
85
|
31
|
-
|
135
|
.402
|
10
|
4
|
6
|
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