Darrell Davis: Derek Dorsett, proud product of Kindersley

Reading and hearing stories about the end of Derek Dorsett’s NHL career brought back memories of Kindersley, his hometown.

I left the west-central, Saskatchewan town five years before Dorsett was born but as the lone sports writer at the Kindersley Clarion, I got to regularly meet Derek’s father, Dean Dorsett.

Dean Dorsett was the stocky, feisty, playing coach with the Kindersley Red Lions. He was the senior hockey team’s top scorer, fearless about standing in front of the net or digging in the corners.

Dean was a hard worker. So was his wife, Donna; Derek’s mother ran the A&W franchise in town and later became Kindersley’s mayor.

I last met Dean 10 years ago in Swift Current, when he drove there to watch Derek play a WHL game for the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Derek didn’t score as proficiently as his dad, but his never-ending effort made him a popular teammate.

A spine injury has forced Derek to retire from the Vancouver Canucks, so he’s been thanking everyone who helped him get to the NHL, starting with his parents and coaches like a true Saskatchewan hockey player.