Ronald James Chipperfield (born March 28, 1954) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who served as the Edmonton Oilers' first National Hockey League (NHL) captain. He played for the Oilers in both the World Hockey Association (WHA) and the NHL, as well as the Vancouver Blazers and the Calgary Cowboys of the WHA, and the Quebec Nordiques of the NHL. Chipperfield was born in Brandon, Manitoba.
Playing career
Chipperfield started his junior career in 1969–70 with the Dauphin Kings of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), leading the league in scoring. The Kings won the MJHL championship and advanced to the 1970 Memorial Cup western semi-final before bowing out. Next, he spent four years with Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Canadian Hockey League (WCHL), where he set numerous team and league records. His most successful year there was his last, 1973–74, when he scored 90 goals, setting a league record at the time, won the scoring title, and was named league MVP.
Chipperfield was drafted in 1974 by the California Golden Seals in the first round, 17th overall, of the 1974 NHL amateur draft, and in the second round, 20th overall of the 1974 WHA Amateur Draft by the Vancouver Blazers. He joined the Blazers, spending a year with the team before it moved to Calgary and became the Calgary Cowboys. Chipperfield played two seasons for the Cowboys, then a three-year run with the Edmonton Oilers. In his third season with the team, the Oilers joined the National Hockey League. Chipperfield made his NHL debut in 1979 and went on to score 22 goals and 45 points that season. In March of that season, the Oilers traded him to the Quebec Nordiques for goaltender Ron Low, a former teammate in Dauphin. Chipperfield played just four games with the Nordiques the following year and then took his skills to the top league in Italy in 1981. That season he scored a league-leading 78 goals and 128 points in just 39 games. His final three seasons were spent there, playing for HC Bolzano.
Awards and achievements MJHL Co-Goal Scoring Leader (1970) Turnbull Cup MJHL Champions (1970) WCHL All-Star Team (1974) WCHL Scoring Champion (1974) WCHL MVP (1974) Honoured Member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM1969–70Dauphin KingsMJHL3439407918—————1969–70Dauphin KingsM-Cup—————631401970–71Brandon Wheat KingsWCJHL6440438362—————1971–72Brandon Wheat KingsWCJHL6359531122911851301972–73Brandon Wheat KingsWCJHL59724111363613421973–74Brandon Wheat KingsWCJHL66907216282—————1974–75Vancouver BlazersWHA7819203930—————1975-76Calgary CowboysWHA75424183321054961976–77Calgary CowboysWHA8127275432—————1977–78Edmonton OilersWHA8033528548511201978–79Edmonton OilersWHA5532376947139101981979–80Edmonton OilersNHL6718193724—————1979–80Quebec NordiquesNHL124488—————1980–81Rochester AmericansAHL63256—————1980–81Quebec NordiquesNHL40112—————1981–82HC BozenSerie A30785012840610818101982–83HC BozenSerie A32785813654—————1983–84HC BozenSerie A2219244314548128 WHA totals3691531773301892815153014 NHL totals8322244634————— Serie A totals841751323071081114163018
References
External links Profile at hockeydraftcentral.com
Ron Chipperfield's biography at Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame