FRANK DORRINGTON
Date of Birth: 1933
Place of Birth: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
Inducted: 1996 (Player Category)
Frank (Danky) Dorrington was one of the best performers to ever play in Newfoundland and Labrador senior hockey.
He joined the Corner Brook Royals in 1961 and, during the next 12 seasons, he amassed more scoring points than any other player in the league’s history. In 340 games, Dorrington scored 349 goals and added 529 assists for an impressive 878 points. He emerged as scoring leader for three seasons and four times was runner-up for the scoring title. Especially important is the fact that the great offensive ability he displayed during the regular schedule continued as he provided vital offensive results during provincial and Eastern Canadian playoffs.
His leadership as a coach and a player was a major factor in Corner Brook’s four provincial senior championships and four Herder Memorial Trophy victories during the 1960s. Dorrington led the Royals to the provincial playoffs seven-consecutive seasons and to Herder Trophies in 1962, ‘64, ‘66 and ‘68. His talent on the ice played a major role in the Royals’ Eastern Canadian success, particularly in 1968 when he had seven points in four games as Corner Brook eliminated the Morrisburg Combines of the Ottawa Valley in Eastern Canadian play. In 1967, Dorrington came out of retirement and coached Corner Brook to another Herder win.
A tribute to his athletic ability came in 1972 when the City of Corner Brook officially dedicated a Frank Dorrington Day and, in 1969, when he was selected Corner Brook’s Athlete of the Year. Dorrington, who also starred in softball, was inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.