What is Don Cherry's Net Worth and Salary?
Don Cherry is a Canadian ice hockey commentator retired professional hockey player/NHL coach who has a net worth of $14 million. Although Don Cherry was once a successful hockey player in the NHL and the AHL, he is probably best known by hockey fans today as a commentator and analyst. After his NHL career came to an end, he started coaching the Boston Bruins, leading them to a number of titles.
In terms of his broadcasting career, Don is famous for hosting "Coach's Corner." He hosted this segment from 1986 to 2019. Cherry was ultimately removed from Sportsnet in 2019 after making comments that offended various parties. Despite "Coach's Corner" coming to an end, he continued to host his radio show, "Grapeline." After his removal from Sportsnet, this radio show was continued in podcast form.
Over the course of his broadcasting career, Don has become known for his sense of style and his outspoken (and sometimes controversial) personality. Some of his more controversial statements include the denial of climate change and the support of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He is particularly appreciated in Canada, and many Canadians consider him to be one of the most iconic Canadians of all time.
Early Life
Donald Stewart Cherry was born on February 5th, 1934, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Don quickly pursued a career as a junior hockey and minor-league hockey player, which caused his family to move around frequently. His wife, Rosemarie, was very supportive of Cherry's career, and the family moved a total of 53 times. Due to Don's hockey commitments, he missed the birth of many of their children. In 1997, Rose passed away from cancer. In 1999, he married his second wife, Luba.
Playing Career
Don started his hockey career by playing in the juniors with the Barrie Flyers and the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey Association. After dropping out of high school, Cherry joined the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League. One year later, he played his one and only game in the NHL for the Boston Bruins. Don claims that a baseball injury suffered early in his career stopped him from making it in the NHL. He initially retired in 1970, but he returned from retirement in 1972 to play for the Rochester Americans. Over the course of his career, he won the Calder Cup championship with the Springfield Indians. He went on to win the cup three more times with Rochester. He also won the Western Hockey League Championship with the Vancouver Canucks in 1969.
Coaching Career
Despite trying to make it as a car salesman and a construction worker after his career ended, Don ventured back towards hockey with a career as a coach. He was eventually named head coach of the Boston Bruins for the 1974-75 season. During the 70s, the Bruins became one of the better teams in the NHL under Cherry's leadership. He ended his career by coaching the Colorado Rockies before finishing off with teams like the Saskatoon Blues.
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Broadcasting Career
In 1980, Don Cherry was hired by the CBC as a color commentator. "Coach's Corner" was soon created and this was aired in tandem with "Hockey Night in Canada." During this period, he also started hosting "Don Cherry's Grapeline," a radio show that aired on numerous stations in the United States and Canada.
Other Entertainment Work
Outside of his work in the sports world, Don Cherry has appeared in TV series such as "Mickey Mouse," "Goosebumps," "Holmes on Homes," and "Power Play." He also voiced an animated version of himself in "Zeroman." In addition, he voiced a character in the animated film "The Wild."
Business Ventures
During the 80s, Don opened up a chain of restaurants in Hamilton. Don Cherry's Sports Grill has since opened locations across various provinces throughout Canada. In addition, Cherry has partnered with Pethealth Inc. to create the CherryBlue Pet Insurance program. The program was named after his bull terrier, whose name is Blue.
Charity Work
Cherry is also well known for his charitable work over the years. He created the Don Cherry Pet Rescue Foundation. He also has his own lines of pet snacks sold under the Simply Pets brand, and all of the profits from these products go towards animal charities. In addition, Don is an advocate for organ donation.
Controversy
While Don Cherry has made numerous controversial statements over the course of his career, arguably his most controversial statement of all finally resulted in his removal from Sportsnet. His exact words were: "You people that come here… you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey, at least you can pay a couple bucks for a poppy or something like that… These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada, these guys paid the biggest price."
These comments were perceived to be racist, and a number of organizations immediately sought to distance themselves from Cherry. Sportsnet called his words "discriminatory and offensive," while NHL echoed this sentiment, adding that Cherry's phrasing was "contrary to the values we believe in." The Royal Canadian Legion also criticized Don and reminded audiences that they did not condone Cherry's words in any way.
Don Cherry had the opportunity to apologize, but he chose not to. He stood by his words and refused to clarify them or step backwards in any way. The fact that Cherry had been fired meant that "Coach's Corner" was soon canceled. Don wasn't completely left out to dry, as several figures within the hockey world came to his defense. These included current players in the NHL.
