Athlete, community activist.
Born at Kenora, Ontario on 27 June 1926 to Lucille Elizabeth Gelley (?-1982) and Frederick Patrick Raleigh (1898-1984), he spent the majority of his life in Winnipeg’s East Kildonan community and at the family cottage at Sandy Hook. He participated in sports all his life, having played hockey, baseball, golf, badminton, tennis and curling, and was a well-known sports personality.
He excelled in hockey, playing centre at the age of 16 for the Winnipeg Monarchs. He then played 12 games with the New York Rangers in 1943 as a 17-year-old. A broken jaw sent him home, and in 1946 he won the Manitoba Junior Hockey League scoring title with the Brandon Elks. This was followed by 10 years with the New York Rangers (1947-1956), including being team captain for two seasons. He played in two NHL All-Star games and established several Ranger records, including two consecutive overtime winning goals in the 1950 Stanley Cup Finals. He coached the Brandon Regals in 1956-1957 and the Saskatoon Regals in 1957-1958.
Upon leaving hockey, he entered the insurance field, eventually owning his own agency. He also served on a number of Boards: the Manitoba Hockey Foundation, the Misericordia Hospital Foundation, the Lions Club of Winnipeg, the Lions Housing Foundation, Winnipeg Winter Club, and Rainbow Stage. He established bursaries at Brandon University, which he attended while playing junior hockey. He also established the Raleigh Family Mozart Scholarships at the Manitoba Arts Festivals to express his love of Mozart's music. He was a long-time Chair of the Lindsay Street Garden Club, as well as Chair of the #6 (Jim Whitecross) Air Cadet Squadron Sponsoring Committee, on behalf of the Lions Club of Winnipeg.
He was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame (1998), Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame (1985), and the Brandon University Hockey Hall of Fame (1993). He was a co-wearer of New York Ranger sweater #7, which has been retired at Madison Square Garden.
With his wife, Janice Ruth “Jan” Pitblado (1935-2006, daughter of Edward Bruce Pitblado), he had two children. Outside of his careers, he enjoyed stamp collecting, war history, gardening, astronomy, poetry, and classical music. He moved to Kingston, Ontario in 2010 to be closer to his family.
He died at Kingston on 21 August 2012.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 25 August 2012.
“Frederick Patrick Raleigh,” Kenora Great War Project.
“Don Raleigh,” Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.
“Don Raleigh,” Hockey Database.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 16 August 2026
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