Before we get into the topic, first, let’s talk about Don Cherry’s personal and professional life. On February 1934, he was born in Kingston, Ontario. In his entire life, he has been in different professions, such as ice hockey player, coach, and also television commentator. Cherry’s father used to be an athlete and for living worked as an electrician. He has a younger brother who is three years younger than him.
Like Don, he was also a professional hockey player who played in National Hockey League for Philadelphia Flyers. He met his wife, Rosemarie Cherry, when he was playing in the American Hockey League for Hershey Bears. The couple had their first child, Cindy Cherry. At the time of her birth, Don was away for a match. After six years, they had another child, this time, and it was a boy, Tim Cherry.
Unfortunately, at the age of 13, Tim required a kidney transplant. Her sister at the time, who was 19, donated one of her kidneys. Sadly on 1 June 1997, their mother, Rose Cherry, died because of liver cancer. After grieving for two years, he finally managed to hold himself and married his second wife, Luba, in 1999.
During his junior years, he played in the Ontario Hockey Association until high school. He represented Barrie Flyers and Windsor Spitfires in the competition. As a defensive player, he managed to achieve a total goal contribution of 40 in 147 games. When he played for Barrie Flyers, he won the Memorial Cup in 1953. He dropped out of high school to pursue his passion for hockey.
He went on to play for Hershey Bears and played competitive games in the American Hockey Leagues. Due to his injury, which he picked up during the off-season, he was unable to perform to his best in the NHL. Though he announced his retirement in 1970, only after two years he came back to play for the Rochester Americans. During his active years, he managed to win the Calder Cup championship four times with Springfield Indians and Rochester.
Along with that, he also won Lester Patrick Cup, the Western Hockey League Championship, with the Vancouver Canucks in 1969. After his retirement, everything went downhill. To survive, he had to try his luck in different professions. Sometimes he worked as a salesman, sometimes as a construction worker, and sometimes also as a house painter.
He recalled and shared that he used to receive a wage of $2 per hour during his work as a painter. Because of low earnings, he was barely surviving and finding it hard to pay his bills. But sometime in the middle of the 1971 season, Cherry received a letter and was soon appointed as the coach of Rochester Americans.
After his amazing performance in the American Hockey League, he won the title of Coach of the Year. His team’s performance was so good that he won AHL’s “Coach of the Year” in his third year as the manager.
When he played in the minor pro league from 1954 – 55, his earnings were $4,500, which in today’s money would be equal to $49,341. In 1955 – 56, 1956 – 57, 1957 – 58, and 1958 – 59 he earned a similar salary of $4,500. From 1959 to 1962, he earned an annual salary of $4,200, and from 1963 to 1966, a net income of $6,000 per year, which are, as in today’s money, $42,418 and $57,668, respectively. In his final year, 1966 – 67, with Rochester Americans, he earned $5,000.
From 1967 to 1970, Don expressed how difficult it was for him to find good salary work. Because of this, he had to work as a construction worker, as well as a house painter, which made him around $2 per hour. In 1971 he received a job offer as a coach of Rochester Americans, where he worked for a total of 3 years, from 1971 to 1973. There he earned an annual income of $25,000. In 1974 he signed a 3-year contract with the Boston Bruins for an annual salary of $40,000 ($218,803 as per today’s money). After his 3-year contract ended with Boston Bruins, he was again offered a 2-year contract for $60,000.
Don Cherry’s Net Worth
Total up his earnings from games as a player
Now to total up his earnings from when he was a player, coach, and commentator. As of November 2022, Don Cherry’s net worth is estimated to be $14 million, which is acquired from many professions. From his career as a player, he earned around $62,300, which in today’s money is $623,134. This earning is a combined earning since he played in the minor league till when he played his last year for Rochester Americans in AHL.
His coaching earnings contributed a significant portion of his total net worth. He Made over $315,000 as the coach for Rochester Americans and Boston Bruins, which in today’s money is $1.7 million.
As a coach and a player, he made a total of $2.3 million. And as a commentator on Sportsnet, his net worth has risen from $2.3 million to $12 million, which means over $10 million he made from commentating. After he was fired in November 2019, his net worth rose $2 million more to $14 million, which he earned from his other assets.
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