Donald McSween
Encyclopedia
"They're definitely a more talented team than we are, but the talented team doesn't always win"
--Don McSween
Donald Kennedy McSween (born June 9, 1964 in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
) played ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
as a defenseman for two clubs in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Known for his adept puck-handling skills as well as his quick mobility, McSween, a two-time All American, was successful during his college career at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, leading the team to the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey National Championship in 1986. Ron Mason
Ron Mason
Ron Mason is a Canadian former ice hockey player, head coach and university executive. As head coach of various universities, notably including Michigan State University , he became the winningest ice hockey coach in NCAA history with 924 career wins...
, former MSU head coach and Spartan Athletic Director from 2002-2008 would later praise him in 2005:
"Don was one of the best captains that I have ever had. He was a players' player and a coaches' player. He just had a huge genuine interest for the game. He was the type of player to be the first guy there and the last guy to leave."
He was also quite successful while playing in the minor league. Following his impressive college career, McSween went on to play for the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
(NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
). He was selected 84th in the 1983 NHL Draft, with a height of 5'11" a weight of 197 lb, and shooting left. After this stint, he played for the Rochester Americans (AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
), and the San Diego Gulls (IHL). In fact, McSween continues to holds American records for points scored by a defenseman in a career: 215 goals. In 1989–90 McSween was selected as an AHL First-Team All-Star. McSween also won myriad awards playing as a member of the Americans. He won five straight team Defensive Player of the Year awards (1987–92).
He also had a short but notable career as a player for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. However, his chances of becoming a prominent National Hockey League player were severed after a serious arm injury in January 1995 at Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, when involved in a fight with another player, Keith Tkachuk
Keith Tkachuk
Keith Matthew Tkachuk is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played for four teams and three franchises in his 19-year career. He is one of only four American-born players to score 500 goals, and is the sixth American player to score 1,000 points.- Playing career :Tkachuk began...
. The tendons in McSween's left wrist were severely damaged after being severed by Tkachuk's skate. The nerve and tendon injury never fully healed, preventing him from being able to fully close his left hand, his shooting arm, effectively ending McSween's professional career. Ironically, McSween had severed the Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
of another promising player, Teemu Selänne
Teemu Selänne
Teemu Ilmari Selänne nicknamed "The Finnish Flash" is a Finnish professional ice hockey winger, an alternate captain of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . An offensive player known for his skill and speed, Selanne has led the NHL in goal-scoring three times and has been named to...
, earlier in his career. After his injury McSween went on to play in the AHL (American Hockey League) for the Baltimore Bandits
Baltimore Bandits
The Baltimore Bandits were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League in the 1995–96 and 1996–97 seasons. They played in Baltimore, Maryland, at the Baltimore Arena...
; in the IHL (International Hockey League) for the Grand Rapids Griffins
Grand Rapids Griffins
The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League....
and later Milwaukee Admirals
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:...
; and in the UHL (United Hockey League
United Hockey League
The United Hockey League was a low-level professional ice hockey league , with teams in the United States...
) for the Muskegon Fury
Muskegon Fury
The Muskegon Fury was a International Hockey League ice hockey team located in Muskegon, Michigan.The Fury were established in 1992 after the original Muskegon Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League's previous incarnation relocated to Cleveland, Ohio...
. He currently lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
, working as an electrical engineer and a volunteer coach for local Youth Hockey Leagues. He is raising two boys and a daughter with his wife.