Don Luce

Don Luce
Born	(1948-10-02) October 2, 1948 London, ON, CAN
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	New York Rangers Detroit Red Wings Buffalo Sabres Los Angeles Kings Toronto Maple Leafs
NHL Draft	14th overall, 1966 New York Rangers
Playing career	1968–1982

Donald Harold Luce (born October 2, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs from 1969 to 1982.

He currently works as a pro scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Playing career

Luce was drafted by the New York Rangers and played three seasons (1965–68) for their farm team; the Kitchener Rangers in Kitchener, Ontario. He then played one and a half seasons with another Rangers farm team, the Omaha Knights, before being brought up to the NHL team for the last 12 games of 1969–70. While in New York, he often ate dinner with Tim Horton.

During the 1970–1971 season he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings, where he played 58 games before being dealt again, this time to the Buffalo Sabres, for whom he then played until 1981. Luce was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy, awarded to the NHL player annually who best demonstrates the qualities of perseverance, leadership and dedication to the sport of hockey, for the 1974-75.

In the middle of the 1980–81 season he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings, and finished his career the following season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Luce was inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 1986 and also served as an assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres in 1986–87. He served as the Sabres' Head of Player development from the end of his term as assistant coach until July 2006, when the team let him go and cut much of its scouting department. Luce had been responsible for bringing in the likes of Alexander Mogilny, Maxim Afinogenov, Martin Biron, Brian Campbell, and Jason Pominville.

He is remembered among Sabres fans fondly for his work ethic on the ice, his abilities on the penalty kill, his work in the team's front office, and in the community where he and his wife Diane continue to act charitably even though they are no longer affiliated with the Sabres.

Luce played 894 career NHL games, scoring 225 goals and 329 assists for 554 points. His best statistical season was the 1974–75 season with the Buffalo Sabres, when he set career highs in goals (33), points (76), shorthanded goals (8), and plus minus with a +61 rating.

Luce was appointed Director of Player Development for the Philadelphia Flyers on December 1, 2006 and served in that position through the 2011–12 season.

On September 20, 2015, it was announced that Luce had been hired as a professional scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1965–66	Kitchener Rangers	OHA		47	16	19	35	71		—	—	—	—	—
1966–67	Kitchener Rangers	OHA		48	19	42	61	94		—	—	—	—	—
1967–68	Kitchener Rangers	OHA		54	24	70	94	88		—	—	—	—	—
1968–69	Omaha Knights	CHL		72	22	34	56	56		7	3	4	7	11
1969–70	New York Rangers	NHL		12	1	2	3	8		5	0	1	1	4
1969–70	Omaha Knights	CHL		64	22	35	57	82		2	1	2	3	4
1970–71	New York Rangers	NHL		9	0	1	1	0		—	—	—	—	—
1970–71	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		58	3	11	14	18		—	—	—	—	—
1971–72	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		78	11	8	19	38		—	—	—	—	—
1972–73	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		78	18	25	43	32		6	1	1	2	2
1973–74	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		75	26	30	56	44		—	—	—	—	—
1974–75	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		80	33	43	76	45		16	5	8	13	19
1975–76	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		77	21	49	70	42		9	4	3	7	6
1976–77	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		80	26	43	69	16		6	3	1	4	2
1977–78	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		78	26	35	61	24		8	0	2	2	6
1978–79	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		79	26	35	61	14		3	1	1	2	0
1979–80	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		80	14	29	43	30		14	3	3	6	11
1980–81	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		61	15	13	28	19		—	—	—	—	—
1980–81	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		10	1	0	1	2		4	0	2	2	2
1981–82	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		39	4	4	8	32		—	—	—	—	—
1981–82	Salt Lake Golden Eagles	CHL		2	1	0	1	4		10	2	5	7	8
NHL totals				894	225	328	553	364		71	17	22	39	52

External links

• Don Luce's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Don Luce at Hockey-Reference.com
• Don Luce's player profile at NHL.com