CORNER BROOK Frank (Danky) Dorrington, perhaps the most renowned member of the Corner Brook Royals in the senior hockey team’s long history, has died.
Mr. Dorrington’s wife, Angie, told The Western Star her husband died Monday morning.
He had turned 80 years old in January and had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease a little more than one year ago. He had been admitted to Aberdeen Hospital in his hometown of New Glasgow, N.S. in early January because of his deteriorating condition in the six months prior to that.
Not just a great on the Royals teams he starred on, Mr. Dorrington was considered one of the best players to ever skate in Newfoundland and Labrador’s senior hockey circles.
Inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996, Mr. Dorrington joined the Corner Brook Royals in 1961 and spent the next 12 seasons with the team. In the 340 games he played, according to the Hall of Fame’s website, Mr. Dorrington scored 349 goals and tallied 529 assists for an impressive total of 878 points — more points than any other player in the league’s history.
He won the senior hockey scoring race three times and was runner-up in four of his seasons.
More than a player, Mr. Dorrington was actually player/coach and helped guide the Royals to four Herder Memorial Trophy championships in the 1960s. He led the Royals into the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, winning the title in 1962, 1964, 1966 and 1968.
Also a great softball player, Mr. Dorrington was named Corner Brook’s Athlete of the Year in 1969 and was inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.
Besides his wife, Mr. Dorrington is survived by his daughter, Tracey, and her family and his son, Frank Jr.
