-
Former Boston Bruins coach Don Del Negro poses with his award in Lake Placid on Tuesday, December 12 (News photo – Oliver Reel)
-
Former Boston Bruins coach Don Del Negro poses with the Stanley Cup inside the Olympic Convention Center in Lake Placid on July 12, 2011. (News Photo – Lou Reuter)
-
The Boston Bruins’ 2011 Stanley Cup Championship ring is engraved with Don Del Negro’s name. (News photo – Oliver Reel)
Former Boston Bruins coach Don Del Negro poses with his award in Lake Placid on Tuesday, December 12 (News photo – Oliver Reel)
LAKE PLACID — Nestled in a secluded part of town away from snow-covered roads best traveled by four-wheel drive, Don DelNegro is enjoying a well-earned retirement.
Del Negro, a longtime Lake Placid resident, moved here in 1986 to work at the Olympic Training Center as an assistant athletic trainer. On Sunday, November 12, he was inducted into the Professional Athletic Hockey Coaches Association Wall of Honor at the annual Hockey Hall of Fame Dinner in Toronto.
“This is something you dream of” Del Negro said.
This follows his retirement from the Boston Bruins in May 2022. DelNegro was the head athletic trainer for the Bruins for 29 years and participated in approximately 3,000 regular season games, including preseason and playoff games.
“Twenty-nine years is a long time.” Del Negro said.
The Boston Bruins’ 2011 Stanley Cup Championship ring is engraved with Don Del Negro’s name. (News photo – Oliver Reel)
DelNegro got his start in track and field growing up in North Adams, Massachusetts. His family owned a skate shop and he became an avid skater. He played almost every sport. His original goal was to become an athletic trainer for the U.S. Ski Team, and he says hockey just kind of fell into his lap.
Del Negro said the life of an athletic trainer for a professional hockey team is a tough one. Most of the time, he said, the coach’s job is to deliver bad news to coaches and owners, which puts a tremendous amount of pressure on coaches to prevent injuries and speed up recovery. The time commitment is also enormous. When he first started in 1993, he said he was mainly on call from September to May. The work was hard and the hours were long. Since there were no off days for the team, there were almost no off days for him either.
“You are there every day, all day.” Del Negro said.
But those 29 years were also filled with incredible memories, the most wonderful of which was the Bruins winning the Stanley Cup in 2011. DelNegro calls for victory “The Second Miracle on Ice.”
During the opening round of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Bruins lost back-to-back home games to their biggest rival, the Montreal Canadiens. With the next two games in Montreal, staying in Quebec became risky. Just a month ago, then-Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara delivered a controversial hit to Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty, sending him head-first into a stink between the bench and the boards. Pacioretty lost consciousness and suffered a broken neck.
Former Boston Bruins coach Don Del Negro poses with the Stanley Cup inside the Olympic Convention Center in Lake Placid on July 12, 2011. (News Photo – Lou Reuter)
“There were threatening emails and people calling to say they were going to arrest Chara.” Del Negro said.
As the team searched for a replacement, Del Negro suggested his hometown, Lake Placid. This village had what the team needed: ice and calm. He called the Crowne Plaza and booked rooms for the team, arranging ice time at the Olympic Center’s U.S. Rink.
“They loved this,” Del Negro said. “It was awesome.”
The Bruins went on to win the series, and eventually the Cup. For Del Nigro, the team’s visit to his home made the win even better.
“It made winning the Stanley Cup even more special.” Del Negro said.
DelNegro brought the Stanley Cup to Lake Placid on July 12, and he estimates between 1,500 and 2,000 people visited the arena to see the Cup and take pictures. He also took him to important landmarks in his life, such as the Whiteface Lodge, The Cottage Restaurant, and the Lake Placid Club Golf Course.
“It was amazing” Del Negro said.
Throughout his career, DelNegro has done more than just heal injured Bruins. He was the athletic trainer for the U.S. luge and bobsleigh teams at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, a year before he signed with the Bruins. Later, he was the athletic trainer for Team USA’s 2000, 2005 and 2007 World Hockey Championships, as well as the Olympic Hockey Team coach for the 2006 Games in Turin, Italy.
When it came time for Del Negro to retire, the team wouldn’t let him go without showing their immense gratitude. After the 5-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres, the entire team lined up to hug Del Negro one by one. Patrice Bergeron, the team’s captain at the time, pulled Del Negro to center ice so the entire stadium could bid him farewell.
“That was crazy” Del Negro said.
Today, DelNegro enjoys a quiet life in Lake Placid. He is still an avid skier, and has taken on two jobs that he enjoys very much. An avid golfer, DelNegro mows the grass on the golf course in the summer, a job he describes as beautiful and peaceful.
“No one bothers me, no one asks questions, I don’t have to save anyone’s life. There is no pressure.” Del Negro said.
In his second job, he works as a consultant for the Athlete Records Management System, which indexes medical records for nearly every professional sports organization except the NFL. He creates educational videos from home to show new employees how to use the system.
“Consulting is fun because it keeps me professionally engaged.” Del Negro said.
DelNegro attributes his successful career to his family. His wife Claire, a former Olympic luge athlete and current Vice President of the International Luge Federation, has been instrumental in his longevity in the field. Work kept him away from home for nearly a third of the year each year. He says that without Claire, none of this would have been possible. He says they wouldn’t have been able to raise their daughter Renee without everything Claire did. DelNegro also praises and calls the Lake Placid community an important support “private.” There is no doubt that it is home.
“I’ve had the opportunity to move on to other places. I would never do that again. Del Negro said.
The Wall of Honor is a place where we celebrate the achievements and contributions of individuals in various fields including news, sports, and jobs. This is a platform where we acknowledge and recognize individuals who have made significant impact in their respective fields. From groundbreaking journalism to inspiring athletic feats and exceptional career accomplishments, the Wall of Honor is a place where these individuals are celebrated and honored for their outstanding achievements. Join us in paying tribute to these remarkable individuals who have made a lasting impression in the world of news, sports, and careers.