Buzz Deschamps, ex-Long Island Ducks star, to be inducted into NYS Hockey Hall of Fame

Buzz Deschamps’ father brought him to a hockey rink when he was just 19 months old. He hasn't wanted to leave one since.

Over the decades, he touched almost every aspect of the sport — as a player, scout, coach and executive. Born in the small town of Penetanguishene, Ontario, Deschamps is now 86 and lives in Lido Beach. He still has his fingerprints on the game in his role as hockey ambassador for the Town of Oyster Bay.

“Hockey has been my whole life,” Deschamps said in a recent phone interview. 

The New York Hockey Hall of Fame will induct Deschamps as part of the organization's 2026 class. He will be joined by hockey pillars Nick Fotiu, Neil Smith and Don Maloney. The accolade is the latest punctuation in a career of accomplishments, including the Rangers’ Emile Francis Award in 2023. In 2010 he was inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame.

“We’re thrilled with what he’s accomplished: His years in the game, his legacy in the game, and he’s a gentleman,” Rene LeRoux, executive director and founder of the New York State Hockey Hall of Fame, said in a phone interview. “We’re thrilled to put a high-level person in the Hall of Fame whose body of work really speaks for itself.”

Deschamps played 12 seasons of minor league hockey, including with the Long Island Ducks from 1962 to 1964. He scored 95 goals with 84 assists during his time with the Ducks. The Eastern Hockey League franchise played at the Long Island Arena in Commack, which opened in 1959 and closed in 1996, Newsday reported. 

He went on to serve as an executive at Koho, the hockey equipment brand, and as a scout for the Rangers and Calgary Flames. Later he became a head coach for hockey teams at St. John’s University and Stony Brook University. A book about his life, “A Stick in the Window: The Hockey Life of Buzz Deschamps,” by Joseph Rossi, was published in 2023.

Nowadays, Deschamps can be found at the Town of Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center in Bethpage, where he works with a team to run a program with about 500 children.

The call from the Hall of Fame came in last month: The five-member board had voted unanimously to induct him into the 2026 class.

LeRoux said the organization began five years ago and weighs the impact of an individual’s career, not only their statistics on the ice.

“It’s career-based, whether you’re a sled hockey coach, a player, a writer, an announcer,” LeRoux said.

The induction ceremony will take place in July in upstate Troy.

Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino, in a statement, said Deschamps is dedicated to the sport and fostering the next generation of hockey players.

“Our Town is lucky to have him bringing so much energy and excitement to our youth hockey program,” Saladino said. “When it comes to supporting and mentoring young players, few people bring the same passion and experience as Buzz Deschamps.”

What’s next for Deschamps?

“Well, I’m going to be in it until I fall over the chair here in Bethpage,” he said with a chuckle.

By Joseph Ostapiuk

joseph.ostapiuk@newsday.com@OstapiukJ