Born in Kamloops, BC, in 1960, Doug Lidster grew up playing hockey in the Kamloops Minor Hockey Association. After graduating from Kamloops Senior Secondary in 1978, he played a second season with the Kamloops Rockets of the BCJHL before receiving a scholarship to Colorado College in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Doug graduated with a Business Degree in 1983; earning All-American honors his senior year. The following season, he was a member of the ’84 Canadian Olympic Team that finished fourth in Sarajevo.
His NHL career began with the Vancouver Canucks where he remained for nearly ten years. During this time, Doug played in three world championships with Canada’s National Team, winning the silver medal in ’85 and ’91. In 1993, he was traded to the New York Rangers where later that same year they defeated the Canucks to win the Stanley Cup. The following season he played briefly with the St. Louis Blues before returning to the Rangers for three more years. In 1999, Doug joined the Canadian National Team as a player/assistant coach before finishing his playing career winning the Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars.
Doug began coaching while in St. Louis at Parkway West High School. He has spent several years coaching minor hockey in New York and Kamloops. In 2002-03, Doug was assistant coach with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL. The following year, he rejoined Hockey Canada as an assistant coach with both the Spengler Cup Champion National Men’s Team and the World Champion National Women’s Team. He is currently Head Coach with the Saginaw Spirit Team of the OHL.
Doug and his wife Joanne (Piper ’78) have three children, Ryan – 19, Brianna – 17, and Colin – 15.
