Don Perry was the face of the wildly popular, oft controversial, and typically combative New Haven Blades of the defunct Eastern Hockey League.

Perry, born in Edmonton in 1930, began his stint with the Blades in 1954 as a player/coach and ended in 1972. In between the team won its only title, titillating its rabid fan base with large-scale brawls in the rowdy venue.

Read Bill Cloutier's full story.

Don Perry's Los Angeles Kings profile page.

Here's some videos on the Eastern Hockey League from YouTube.