Donald "Don" Blaney

Don was born January 19th, 1950, at home on the farm, to parents Charles and Doris Blaney. He is the fourth child of six (Joan, Doug Susan, Don, Neil and Charlene). He began to work on the farm at the early age of four (according to him). Farming was always in his blood.

His parents signed him up for Maxville Minor Hockey at age 5 and he never looked back. He and his friends would walk back to the creek at the back of the farm to shovel it and play hockey. His younger brother Neil, many times, had catalogs strapped to him to act as goalie. Wherever there was ice, the boys shoveled it clean to play. At age fifteen, Don played hockey for Maxville Jr. B for a couple of years.

While attending Maxville high School, Don played football, was a baseball pitcher, a versatile hockey player and entered in many track and field events. He would run home from school for lunch and then run back to keep in shape. In April 1968, Don was awarded the Jim McCaffrey Memorial Trophy as Glengarry’s outstanding athlete of the year. At that same induction dinner, he was also presented with the Father Charles Gauthier Trophy, which was awarded for the first time, to the area’s outstanding football player.

Don had starred at both pitching and batting in baseball, had played Junior B hockey, won a number of EOSSA events in track and field as a runner and had shown such promise in football to be invited to the Rough Rider school that summer. At this time, Don planned to attend the University of Guelph in the fall to study Agriculture.

While attending Guelph University, Don played hockey for the Guelph Gryphons in the 1969-19790 season. Coach Dave Chambers described Don as a “good all around hockey player with a booming shot”. He captured the Walter Rickard Memorial trophy for “Rookie of the Year” and also tied for top-scorer on the team. Coach Chambers was approached, on Don’s behalf, by the NHL Philadelphia Flyers to attend training camp, but Don decided to come home to farm instead.

Once home and working on the farm, Don continued to play sports. He played hockey for the Maxville Flames, Millionaires, No-Stars, Avonmore Aces and anyone else that would ask. He played many tournaments and was presented with countless MVP awards through out the years. He continued to play hockey until age 56.

He also played broomball for Alexandria, Baseball for Maxville and Moose Creek, fastball for Avonmore and still enjoys the sports of curling and golf.

In order to share his love and knowledge for the sport of Hockey, Don coached the Maxville JR. C team for 2 seasons. He was a member of the Maxville and District Lions Club for many years and he served as a Treasurer and the President. He was also on the Board of Directors for the Maxville Curling Club where he was President during the 2001-2003 curling seasons.

Don married the lovely, talented, beautiful, thin Janice Reilly in 1974. Fittingly enough Don and Janice met at the Finch Arena while he was playing hockey for the Avonmore Aces. Sixteen months later Don presented her with an engagement ring while sitting in the car at the same Finch Arena. He then went inside to play hockey.

Don and Janice have two sons, David and Krystopher, who both live in Ottawa and are themselves still on the family farm.