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Doug Jarrett, Canadian-born defenceman in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Black Hawks. Photo published April 14, 1970.

Doug Jarrett, whose skill at controlling the puck along the boards during a 13-year NHL career as a defenceman earned him the nickname Chairman of the Boards, died on Feb. 10 in Fort Erie, Ont. He was 69.

A posting on Facebook by Mr. Jarrett's brother-in-law, Paul Spriet, said he died of lung cancer just 10 days after being diagnosed. Mr. Jarrett was the second member of the 1960s Chicago Blackhawks to pass away in recent days. On Feb. 7, Doug Mohns, who played for 22 seasons in the NHL, died in Reading, Mass., at the age of 80.

Mr. Jarrett played 11 seasons for the Blackhawks from 1964 through the 1974-75 season before being traded to the New York Rangers. He was a contemporary of stars such as Bobby and Dennis Hull and Stan Mikita, who kept the Blackhawks in Stanley Cup contention through the 1960s and early 1970s. By the time he retired in 1976 at the age of 32 due to back problems, Mr. Jarrett had played 778 NHL games.

While he was usually not an offensive threat, Mr. Jarrett earned a reputation as a solid defenceman for his work in his own end of the ice. Along with his ability to control the puck, Mr. Jarrett was skilled at steering opponents into the boards and out of the play. He was also known for his punishing hip checks in open ice.

On the Blackhawks' website, team historian Bob Verdi wrote that Mr. Jarrett was "a popular teammate, was one of several characters who kept the Blackhawks loose and laughing through good times and bad. He and Dennis Hull were close friends; whenever those two got together on a plane or bus ride, laughter ensued. Mr. Jarrett was not a comfortable flier and when asked why he always requested the last row of an aircraft, he replied, 'Have you ever seen one of these things back into a mountain?'" Mr. Jarrett was a native of London, Ont., and in 2011, he was elected to the London Sports Hall of Fame.

According to the London Free Press, after retiring from the NHL Mr. Jarrett moved to Windsor, Ont., and worked for many years in the steel industry as a salesman. He later moved to Stevensville, Ont., near Fort Erie.

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