Phil Doiron

By Frank Mitchell | February 25, 2018
  • Type: Athlete
  • Sport(s): Baseball and Hockey
  • Year: 2017

Phil Doiron, baseball & hockey (multi-sport athlete) from Moncton, New Brunswick. One of the finest amateur athletes hailing from the Maritimes.

 HOCKEY: Phil Doiron’s first championship success in hockey came with the Moncton Junior Beavers in 1961 winning the Maritime Junior A title against a squad from Dartmouth (Industrial Marine Union Juniors) and after defeating Quebec went on to play in the Eastern finals of the Memorial Cup against a vaunted St. Mikes team coached by Father Bauer. The Beavers played well, but against four lines and three defense pairings of future NHLers on a large ice surface, many games were lost in the third period.

Still, this was the beginning of a resurgence in Maritime Junior hockey that continues to this day. Prior to 1961-62 junior hockey in the Maritimes had waned, but with the Beavers and another MSHOF inductee (Halifax Kingfishers, 1962) junior hockey was back to stay, climbing from a low of six teams (and no leagues) in the three provinces to 25 teams (5 leagues) after 1963-4. Phil also won Maritime Senior Hockey with Moncton Hawks in 1963 and played for the Alan Cup; and later won the Hardy Cup in 1973 with the Saint John Mooseheads. While still in high school, he played in Boston Bruins pre-season games while, scoring scored 5 goals in a single game. But he was not ready to leave his hometown at that point!

BASEBALL: Phil won 2 Maritime Senior Baseball titles in 1960 (Cubs) and 1966 (Schooners); played for Canada in the Pan-American games in 1967— the only player from Maritimes to make that team. He was the best all-round player in Nova Scotia Senior Baseball league SSBL in 1964 with a .528 batting average, a record that still stands today. According to everyone who knew him, he was a great shortstop who played at highest levels of amateur sport, but wanted to remain and live in New Brunswick. Later he would be chosen as the “player of decade” in the Maritimes (NSSBL) baseball 1960-1970; this was confirmed by perhaps by two long serving players in that league; the award was presented in a special ceremony in 2003, some 35- 40 years after the fact.

Phil Doiron, a great multi-sport athlete of an earlier time, who played on no less than FIVE MARTIME CHAMPIOSHIP teams, also belongs to other halls of fame, including the Moncton Wall of Fame; New Brunswick Hall of Fame; and the 2015 Maritime Sport Hall of Fame as a member of Moncton Junior Beavers.