Robert James Dorey (born August 17, 1947 in Kingston, Ontario) is a retired professional ice hockey player who played over 650 professional games in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association.
Dorey was a defenceman who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers in the NHL. He also had a long career in the WHA playing for New England Whalers, Toronto Toros and Quebec Nordiques and played on two Avco World Trophy winning teams.
Dorey’s NHL debut was a noteworthy one. On October 16, 1968 playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Pittsburgh Penguins he was to set, what was at the time, the NHL single-game record of 48 penalty minutes. His rugged, aggressive style was to cement him as a Leaf mainstay for the next four seasons. Coveted by the New York Rangers he was traded to New York for Pierre Jarry late in the 1971-72 season because Leaf management suspected he might be about to jump to the fledgling WHA. Dorey played just one regular season game with the Rangers before suffering a separated shoulder. He returned to play in game 6 of the 1972 NHL finals. This was his last NHL game as that summer he signed with the WHA’s New England Whalers. Dorey went on to be a WHA star for the entire seven seasons of the league’s existence.
After his retirement he coached the Kingston Canadians (later Kingston Frontenacs) of the Ontario Hockey League. He was inducted into the Kingston and District Sports Hall of Fame.
Dorey ended his career as an Allstate Insurance agent in his hometown - he retired in March 2008. More recently, he opened his own Insurance Brokerage in Kingston.
Career statistics
Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
1963-64 | Niagara Falls Flyers | OHA | 21 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1965-66 | London Nationals | OHA | 47 | 5 | 20 | 25 | 168 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1966-67 | London Nationals | OHA | 48 | 8 | 41 | 49 | 196 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 24 | ||
1967-68 | Phoenix Roadrunners | WHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1967-68 | Tulsa Oilers | CPHL | 35 | 4 | 24 | 28 | 81 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 15 | ||
1967-68 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 20 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1968-69 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 61 | 8 | 22 | 30 | 200 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 21 | ||
1969-70 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 46 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 99 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1970-71 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 74 | 7 | 22 | 29 | 198 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19 | ||
1971-72 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 50 | 4 | 19 | 23 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1971-72 | New York Rangers | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1972-73 | New England Whalers | WHA | 75 | 7 | 56 | 63 | 95 | 15 | 3 | 16 | 19 | 41 | ||
1973-74 | New England Whalers | WHA | 77 | 6 | 40 | 46 | 134 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 26 | ||
1974-75 | New England Whalers | WHA | 31 | 5 | 17 | 22 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1974-75 | Toronto Toros | WHA | 43 | 11 | 23 | 34 | 69 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 | ||
1975-76 | Toronto Toros | WHA | 74 | 9 | 51 | 60 | 134 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1976-77 | Quebec Nordiques | WHA | 73 | 13 | 34 | 47 | 102 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 28 | ||
1977-78 | Quebec Nordiques | WHA | 26 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 23 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 34 | ||
1977-78 | Philadelphia Firebirds | AHL | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1978-79 | Quebec Nordiques | WHA | 32 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1980-81 | New Haven Nighthawks | AHL | 21 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
OHA totals | 116 | 14 | 61 | 75 | 364 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 24 | ||||
WHL totals | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
CPHL totals | 35 | 4 | 24 | 28 | 81 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 15 | ||||
AHL totals | 46 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
WHA totals | 431 | 52 | 232 | 284 | 617 | 51 | 5 | 33 | 38 | 131 | ||||
NHL totals | 232 | 25 | 74 | 99 | 553 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 40 |
Preceded by Rick Cornacchia |
Head coaches of the Kingston Canadians 1984-1985 |
Succeeded by Fred O'Donnell |
Preceded by Jacques Tremblay |
Head coaches of the Kingston Canadians years = 1987-1988 | Succeeded by Larry Mavety |