Height: 5-11
Weight: 185
Shoot: R
Born: 30 Oct 1947, Toronto ON (d. 2008)
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Regular Season & Playoff Scoring Record (key)
| year | team | |||||||||||
| 1972-73 | Philadelphia | |||||||||||
| 1973-74 | Vancouver | |||||||||||
| 1974-75 | Vancouver | |||||||||||
| 1975-76 | Calgary | |||||||||||
| 1976-77 | Calgary | |||||||||||
| Winnipeg | ||||||||||||
| Totals (2 teams) | ||||||||||||
| Totals: |
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Lawson a Blazer Bright Spot • by Frank Bertucci • The Hockey Spectator • November 17, 1972
One of the few things that hasn't gone wrong for the Blazers has been Danny Lawson. With eight goals in 13 games, he has a shot at equaling his NHL career total of 28 in five seasons. "I have to attribute it to the amount of time I'm on the ice," he claims, "The last five years I didn't play much at all. If you don't get to play you'll never be more than an average player. I've never been in a position to score goals before. I've missed some that I should have scored, but now I'm confident that I'll score the next time." Danny spent last season killing penalties for the Buffalo Sabres, and the previous four years was up and down between the Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota North Stars and their farm teams. "That's a major reason that I jumped to the WHA," he says, "Hockey's always been my first love. I've apprenticed as a hockey player. I knew I'd get the chance to play regularly in this league." Skating on a line with Bryan Campbell and Don 0'Donoghue, Lawson had his biggest game as a pro when he scored four goals in Cleveland November 1 as the Blazers won their second game. He also came out of the game with a black eye, courtesy of Paul Shmyr, who doesn't like people scoring four goals against his team. "Scoring the goals makes you feel a part of the team. You know you're in the game. I'm a leader on this team. That's a position I've never been in before." Danny thinks what the team may be lacking is enough leadership. "I think most of the pros have been ignoring the younger guys," he says, "This includes myself. I don't think those of us who've played in the NHL paid much attention to the kids just out of junior and the guys from the Eastern League. The rookies look up to us, but I think we've been letting them down. The team has been too cliqueish." "But I think we've straightened that out. After our loss in Minnesota (3-1, November 5), the whole team went out to a bar after the game. It was the first time we've done anything together. We just sat around for a couple hours talking about what's wrong. I know I got a lot out of that, and I think it's helped to bring the team together." Group therapy may be good for peace of mind, but it won't heal injuries. "I think Bernie Parent's broken foot is hurting us more than anything," Danny says, "He was the most important member of our team. I think he ought to take off the cast, tell the doctors to shoot him with some needles, and start playing again. When I was in junior, I did that because I was going for 50 goals. It was painful, but I had to score 50. I guess it would be tougher on a goalie because he's on his feet the whole game. But we were counting on having Bernie behind us all season." The injuries to Parent, John McKenzie and Derek Sanderson have sidetracked one of Danny's goals for this season. "I've never played on a championship team before, This looked like my big chance, I still think once we get everybody back we'll be fighting for the championship." The Blazers have had just about all that could go wrong go wrong. Danny Lawson has kept a few things going right. |
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Excerpts from Pro Hockey, WHA 1975-76 (by Dan Proudfoot)
For the first two years of the World Hockey Association, Danny Lawson was the league's leading scorer. He shot 111 goals while Bobby Hull shot 104 and Tom Webster 96 and so on ... and then came last year when Hull scored 77 and Lawson hit for 33, and there went the lesser known player's lead. "Maybe it's me," says Cowboy manager-coach Joe Crozier. "When I come around, he doesn't score the same. I mean, in 1971-72 I had him with the Buffalo Sabres and he wasn't a big scorer. "Then he took off for the WHA and started getting goals in bunches. I join him in the WHA, he stops scoring again. I'd be willing to make some kind of a deal with him, you know — whatever he dislikes, I'll change, just as long as he starts hitting for 50 and 60 again." |
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Excerpts from Zander Hollander Complete Hockey Handbook, 1975-76 (by Reyn Davis) A premier right winger, known for his burst of speed and hard shot ... Loves to victimize cheating clubs, those that have a tendency to be a bit overenthusiastic about their scoring and a touch forgetful of their checking ... Goal production dipped from 61 in 1972-73 and 50 in 1973-74, to 33 in 1974-75 ... Fired 52 goals in 50 games in his final junior year at Hamilton ... Coach Joe Crozier believes he became a better hockey player last season, paying more attention to his checking ... flashy dresser who has modeled clothes for firms ... A WHA original who has never missed a game in its three seasons. |
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Excerpts from Pro Hockey, WHA 1976-77 (by Dan Proudfoot)
Danny Lawson is a contradiction of Calgary's no-star policy; he's one of the greatest WHA points-getters. Only Andre Lacroix and Bobby Hull earned more points in the WHA's first four years and, as expected, he led the Cowboys again in 1975-76 with 44 goals and 52 assists. What many fans fail to notice is that Lawson deserves to be known for his longevity as well as his production. The right wing didn't miss a game after joining Philadelphia Blazers in 1972-73. Up to the start of 1976-77 he'd played in 324 games, the same number as Lacroix, who also was an ironman as well as a producer. |
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