Donald Martin "Smokey" McLeod (August 24, 1946 – March 11, 2015) was a Canadian professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as goalie or netminder) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their own team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays ...

who played briefly in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

and six full seasons in the

World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association () was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972–73 WHA season, 1972 to 1978–79 WHA season, 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (N ...

between 1970 and 1978.

Playing career

McLeod's professional career began with several teams in the minor

Central Professional Hockey League Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

and

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...

, before being called up for two stints in the NHL, totaling 18 games, with the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

and

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...

over the 1970–71 and 1971–72 seasons. With the formation of the WHA in 1972, McLeod was signed by the Houston Aeros, where he played two seasons. The 1973-74 season was his finest year. He was the second winner of the

Ben Hatskin Trophy The Ben Hatskin Trophy was presented annually to the World Hockey Association's best goaltender. It was named in honour of Ben Hatskin, who founded the Winnipeg Jets. Ben Hatskin Trophy winners were: *1973 – Gerry Cheevers, Cleveland Cru ...

as the WHA's top goalie and was named to the First All-Star team. To top off his best professional season, the Aeros won the Avco Trophy as WHA playoff champions. McLeod was also chosen to represent Canada in the

1974 Summit Series The 1974 Summit Series was the second competition between Soviet and Canadian professional ice hockey players. It used the same format as the 1972 Summit Series, with four games across Canada and four in Moscow. The Soviet team won the series ...

against the Soviet Union in September 1974. For the 1974–75 season, McLeod signed with the

Vancouver Blazers The Vancouver Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the World Hockey Association from 1973 to 1975. The Blazers played at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, sharing the facility with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hocke ...

where he appeared in a league-record 72 games. McLeod followed the franchise to Calgary and for the next two seasons was the

Calgary Cowboys The Calgary Cowboys were an ice hockey team that played two seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1975 to 1977. The Cowboys played at the Stampede Corral in Calgary. The franchise was founded in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles ...

main goalie. When that franchise folded in 1977, McLeod was drafted by the

Quebec Nordiques The Quebec Nordiques (, pronounced in Quebec French, in Canadian English; translated "Northmen" or "Northerners") were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association (1972–1979) an ...

, where he played in only 7 games before being dealt to the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

where he finished out the 1977–78 season and his professional career. McLeod was the holder of numerous WHA career, season, and playoff goaltending records. He died in 2015, aged 68.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McLeod, Don 1946 births 2015 deaths Baltimore Clippers players Calgary Cowboys players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Canadian ice hockey goaltenders Detroit Red Wings players Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL) players Edmonton Oilers (WHA) players Fort Worth Wings players Houston Aeros (WHA) players Ice hockey people from Trail, British Columbia Muskegon Zephyrs players Philadelphia Flyers players Providence Reds players Quebec Aces (AHL) players Quebec Nordiques (WHA) players 20th-century Canadian sportsmen Richmond Robins players Springfield Kings players Vancouver Blazers players