Donald Dufresne
A steady, stay-at-home defenceman who carved out a decade-long NHL career through sheer reliability and a punishing physical game.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: April 10·Generation X
Biography
Donald Dufresne's path to the NHL was that of a classic blue-collar defender. Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres, he was known less for flashy plays and more for a granite-like consistency in his own zone. His game was built on intelligent positioning, a willingness to block shots, and a hard-nosed approach to clearing the front of the net. This made him a valuable, if understated, asset for several teams, including notable stretches with the Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders. While he never put up big offensive numbers, coaches trusted him in key defensive situations and on the penalty kill. Dufresne's career stands as a testament to the enduring value of dependable defensive specialists in the high-speed chaos of professional hockey.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Donald was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Donald Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Donald's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 537 regular-season games in the NHL across six teams from 1990 to 2000.
- Was a mainstay on the Boston Bruins' blue line for four seasons, playing over 70 games each year.
- Represented Canada at the 1987 World Junior Championships, winning a gold medal.
- Logged significant minutes as a defensive pillar for the New York Islanders during the mid-1990s.
Did You Know?
He was drafted 88th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft.
His younger brother, Stéphane Dufresne, was also a professional hockey player.
He finished his professional playing career in Germany, skating for the Hannover Scorpions.
“A good shift means the other team didn't get a good chance.”
