Last Team:
Brandon (WCHL)
Birthplace: Oakville,
Manitoba (Canada)
Hometown: Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS
Year
Team League
GP G
A TP
PIM
1970-71
Portage MJHL 47
20 19
39 33
1971-72
Portage MJHL
45 32
35 67
73
Brandon WCHL
1 1
0 1
0
1972-73
Brandon WCHL
68 31
62 93
70
1973-74
Brandon WCHL
67 49
81 130
122
1974-75
Brandon WCHL
65 60
52 112
65
PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
World Junior Championships: 1975 (silver) (unofficial tournament)
WCHL Rookie of Year: 1972-73 (Brandon)
Miscellaneous: Played in second World Junior Championships in Winnipeg
and Brandon, Manitoba, an unofficial tournament that helped set stage for
first official World Juniors in 1977.
NHL CAREER
Debut: October 8, 1975 (Vancouver at
Minnesota)
Numbers: 8, 10 (Vancouver); 21
(Los Angeles)
Stanley Cup: Never won.
Playing Status: Retired 1983
CAREER NHL STATISTICS
Years Teams GP G A TP PIM
1975-1983
Vancouver, Los Angeles 326
96 125 221
170
CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS
Years Teams GP G A TP PIM
1976-1979
Vancouver 5 0
5 5 2
NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Vancouver Rookie of Year: 1975-76
Vancouver Points Leader: 1976-77 (68 points)
Vancouver Goals
Leader: 1976-77 (28 goals)
Vancouver Playoffs Assists Leader:
1979 (4 assists)
Miscellaneous: Scored four goals in Vancouver's 1976-77 season-opener
at Pittsburgh on Oct. 6, 1976. ... Missed part of 1978-79 season with strained
knee ligaments, an injury suffered during Vancouver's 1978 training camp. ...
Missed most of 1979-80 season with stretched knee ligaments, a
season-ending injury suffered in Vancouver's Dec. 29, 1979, game vs. Quebec.
... Signed with Edmonton as an unrestricted free agent on
October 25, 1982, but never played for parent team. Six weeks later, Edmonton
traded him to Los Angeles for Al Hangsleben on December 7, 1982.
NON-NHL CAREER
Post-Draft Teams: Dallas, Cincinnati, Wichita (CHL);
Moncton (AHL); New Haven (AHL)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
CHL All-Star Second Team: 1980-81
(Dallas)
WHA Draft Pick: 1974 (by Michigan,
No. 19 overall in Round 2)
1978-79: Played 15 regular-season games
for Dallas team that went on to win CHL playoff title, but was not with team
during postseason.
1980-81: Played on CHL regular-season champion
(Dallas).
Miscellaneous: WHA rights initially held by Michigan/Baltimore team that folded after 1974-75 season.
His rights were claimed by Phoenix in special draft of players from
defunct WHA teams. ... Was great golfer during playing days, competing in many
amateur tournaments in British Columbia. ... Became sales manager for family
business, Blight's Portage Ltd., after his retirement. The Portage la
Prairie-based company, later renamed Blight's Case IH after opening a
location in Carman, Manitoba, sold farm equipment. ... Became active in
sport of curling after retirement, competing on one of Manitoba's top teams.
... Was reported missing by his family on April 14, 2005, after not having
been seen for 11 days. His body was eventually found on April 17, 2005,
inside his pickup truck in a farmer's
pasture, just outside St. Ambroise, Manitoba. Police said foul play was not
the cause of death.
Personal: Full name is Richard Derek Blight
HOW HE GOT AWAY
FREE AGENCY: Vancouver released Blight after
the 1980-81 season. He signed with Toronto as an unrestricted free agent in
August 1981, but never played for parent team.