There will be plenty of tears shed and memories shared in his hometown ... but that won’t compare to the atmosphere in Corner Brook the week of “Danky’s” death.
The term “star” is bandied about plenty these days for anyone who can lace up a pair of skates or bounce a ball ... but it really did apply to “Danky” Dorrington when he led the Corner Brook Royals in the 1960s and ’70s.
The thousands of fans who spent hundreds of freezing nights sitting on hard wooden benches or standing three or four deep at the old Humber Gardens knew who would step up to carry the home team to victory.
Fans literally did “hang from the rafters” when senior hockey was big in this province.
Dorrington’s statistics speak for themselves, but hockey fans in Corner Brook thought Danky — besides his skates and tattered pads — carried a superhero cape in his duffel bag.
There’s no doubt he was surrounded by a band of local talented hockey players, but everyone knew — teammates, opponents and fans alike — who would be counted on to spark a comeback, make that perfect pass or pick the corner of the net with laser precision.
In this modern era he would have been in the big time — making millions of dollars with his boundless talents and drive.
As it turned out, he was even richer in other ways.
He made friendships in his second home which lasted a lifetime and he left a legacy of winning that endures to this day for those who watched him patrol the ice, easily carrying the hopes of a city on his shoulders.
