Dave Keon

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David Michael Keon (born March 22, 1940 in Noranda, Quebec, Canada), is a retired professional ice hockey player. He played Centre.

Contents

[edit] Playing career

He played professionally from 1960-61 until 1974-75 for the Toronto Maple Leafs, 1979-80 until 1981-82 for the Hartford Whalers of the NHL as well as the Minnesota Fighting Saints, the Indianapolis Racers, and the New England Whalers of the WHA from 1975-76 until 1978-79.

Dave Keon was Captain of Toronto Maple Leafs from 1969-70 until 1974-75. He was the last (and so far, only) member of the Leafs to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, when the Leafs last won the Stanley Cup in 1966-67. (The Smythe Trophy is named for the late Leafs owner and depicts a miniature Maple Leaf Gardens.)

Keon is remembered as one of the Maple Leafs most productive offensive stars of the 1960's. He was also one of the fastest skaters in the NHL. Dave Keon was one of the best defensive forwards of his era, before the Frank J. Selke Trophy was awarded. He set the NHL Record for the most shorthanded goals in one season (8) in 1970-71 (a record that has since been broken).

He dominated opposing centers against many teams during his early years with the Leafs at play off time. Keon had many memorable games against the Montreal Canadiens' Jean Beliveau during the 1960s, shutting down the Habs' centerman during the 1967 Stanley Cup finals to lead the Leafs to their last Stanley Cup.

Dave Keon switched to the WHA in the summer of 1975 because the Toronto Maple Leafs (and owner Harold Ballard) owned his rights and blocked him from joining or being traded to another NHL team. It is because of this that Keon is one of the few Leafs alumni who refused to repair his relationship with the Leafs organization. To this day, Keon has turned down all offers of reconciliation from the Leafs, including the ceremony to close the Maple Leaf Gardens in 1999 and another one to honour his number. He returned to the NHL when the NHL agreed to merge with the WHA in the summer of 1979. Dave Keon was a member of the New England Whalers at the time during the absorption and his team changed its name to the "Hartford Whalers". He was forced to finish his career with the Whalers because Ballard continued to hold his rights, preventing Keon from joining another NHL team.

Dave was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986.

The Arena Dave Keon in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec is named after him in his honor.

[edit] Awards

[edit] Records

[edit] Career statistics

    Regular Season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1956-57 St. Michael's OHA 4 1 3 4 0 -- -- -- -- --
1957-58 St. Michael's OHA 45 23 27 50 29 9 8 5 13 10
1958-59 St. Michael's OHA 47 33 38 71 31 15 4 9 13 8
1959-60 St. Michael's OHA 46 16 29 45 8 10 8 10 18 2
1959-60 Kitchener-Waterloo OHA Sr. 1 0 1 1 0 -- -- -- -- --
1959-60 Sudbury EPHL -- -- -- -- -- 4 2 2 4 2
1960-61 Toronto NHL 70 20 25 45 6 5 1 1 2 0
1961-62 Toronto NHL 64 26 35 61 2 12 5 3 8 0
1962-63 Toronto NHL 68 28 28 56 2 10 7 5 12 0
1963-64 Toronto NHL 70 23 37 60 6 14 7 2 9 2
1964-65 Toronto NHL 65 21 29 50 10 6 2 2 4 2
1965-66 Toronto NHL 69 24 30 54 4 4 0 2 2 0
1966-67 Toronto NHL 66 19 33 52 2 12 3 5 8 0
1967-68 Toronto NHL 67 11 37 48 4 -- -- -- -- --
1968-69 Toronto NHL 75 27 34 61 12 4 1 3 4 2
1969-70 Toronto NHL 72 32 30 62 6 -- -- -- -- --
1970-71 Toronto NHL 76 38 38 76 4 6 3 2 5 0
1971-72 Toronto NHL 72 18 30 48 4 5 2 3 5 0
1972-73 Toronto NHL 76 37 36 73 2 -- -- -- -- --
1973-74 Toronto NHL 74 25 28 53 7 4 1 2 3 0
1974-75 Toronto NHL 78 16 43 59 4 7 0 5 5 0
1975-76 Minnesota WHA 57 26 38 64 4 -- -- -- -- --
1975-76 Indianapolis WHA 12 3 7 10 2 7 2 2 4 2
1976-77 Minnesota WHA 42 13 38 51 2 -- -- -- -- --
1976-77 New England WHA 34 14 25 39 8 5 3 1 4 0
1977-78 New England WHA 77 24 38 62 2 14 5 11 16 4
1978-79 New England WHA 79 22 43 65 2 10 3 9 12 2
1979-80 Hartford NHL 76 10 52 62 10 3 0 1 1 0
1980-81 Hartford NHL 80 13 34 47 26 -- -- -- -- --
1981-82 Hartford NHL 78 8 11 19 6 -- -- -- -- --
NHL Totals 1296 396 590 986 117 92 32 36 68 6
WHA Totals 301 102 189 291 20 36 13 23 36 8

[edit] See also

[edit] Sources

Preceded by
Rick Ley
Hartford Whalers captains
1981-82
Succeeded by
Russ Anderson
Preceded by
George Armstrong
Toronto Maple Leafs captains
1969-75
Succeeded by
Darryl Sittler
Preceded by
Roger Crozier
Winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy
1967
Succeeded by
Glenn Hall
Preceded by
Bill Hay
Winner of the Calder Trophy
1961
Succeeded by
Bobby Rousseau
Preceded by
Red Kelly
Winner of the Lady Byng Trophy
1962, 1963
Succeeded by
Ken Wharram
In other languages