Dave Keon Hall of Fame
Early Life
Dave Keon was born on March 22, 1940, in Noranda, Quebec, a mining town in the Abitibi region. He was the eldest of six children of Laura and David Keon, who worked as a schoolteacher and a miner, respectively. Dave grew up idolizing his cousin Tod Sloan, who was a star player for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Dave showed great talent and passion for hockey early on and played for various local teams in Noranda. He attracted the attention of the Detroit Red Wings, who wanted him to join their junior affiliate in Burlington, Ontario, but his mother refused to let him move so far away. Instead, Dave enrolled at St. Michael’s School in Toronto, a boarding school run by the Basilian Fathers, where he received a Catholic education and played for the school’s hockey teams. He excelled as a center for the St. Michael’s Majors in the Ontario Hockey Association, leading the team in scoring and winning several championships. He also developed his defensive skills and his reputation as a gentlemanly player under the guidance of Father David Bauer and coach Bob Goldham. Dave turned professional in 1960 and joined the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League, where he would spend 15 seasons and become one of the greatest players in franchise history.
Toronto Maple Leafs
He was one of the best centers in the NHL, known for his speed, skill, defense, and sportsmanship. He rarely took penalties and often played against the opposing team’s top scorers, shutting them down with his defensive prowess. He won four Stanley Cups with the Leafs and was awarded the Calder Trophy as the Rookie of the Year in 1961, the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the Playoffs in 1967, and the Lady Byng Trophy as the Most Gentlemanly Player in 1962 and 1963. He was also a member of Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union. After playing seven seasons with other teams, he retired from professional hockey in 1982. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986 and voted the greatest player in Maple Leafs history in 2016. He played 15 seasons with the Leafs, from 1960 to 1975, and helped them win four Stanley Cups. He was a fast skater, a skilled scorer, and a superb defensive forward. He won the Calder Trophy as the best rookie in 1961, the Lady Byng Trophy twice as the most gentlemanly player, and the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP in 1967. He was also named to the NHL Second All-Star Team three times and to the First All-Star Team once. He scored 396 goals and 590 assists for 986 points in 1296 regular season games and 32 goals, and 36 assists for 68 points in 92 playoff games with the Leafs. He is the franchise leader in shorthanded goals with 31 and ranks second in games played, third in goals, fourth in assists and points, and fifth in plus/minus. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986, the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2010, and the list of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017. In 2016, fans voted him the greatest player in Maple Leafs history and had his number 14 retired by the team.
Retirement
Dave Keon retired from hockey in 1982 after a remarkable career spanned 22 seasons and two leagues. He was the Leafs’ leading scorer in three seasons and their top goal-scorer in two. He left the Leafs in 1975 following a contract dispute with owner Harold Ballard. He had a bitter relationship with Ballard, the controversial owner of the Maple Leafs, who refused to pay him what he deserved and accused him of lacking leadership. Keon left the Maple Leafs and joined the World Hockey Association’s Minnesota Fighting Saints. He later played for the Indianapolis Racers and the New England Whalers before returning to the NHL with the Hartford Whalers in 1979. He played three more seasons with Hartford, becoming one of the oldest players in the league at age 42. He retired with 396 goals and 986 points in 1,296 NHL games and 102 goals and 291 points in 301 WHA games. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986 and was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017. In 2016, he was honored by the Maple Leafs as their greatest player of all time and was added to Legends Row outside Air Canada Centre.
Keon Snubs Leafs
Keon, who won four Stanley Cups with the Leafs in the 1960s, declined an invitation to attend a ceremony honoring the 1967 championship team, the last Leafs squad to win the Cup. Keon has had a bitter relationship with the Leafs organization for decades, stemming from his contract disputes and trade demands in the early 1970s. He has refused to participate in any events involving the Leafs, including unveiling his statue outside the Air Canada Centre in 2017. Keon has said he does not want to be associated with a team that has not won anything in over 50 years and feels disrespected by how the Leafs management treated him. Keon’s snub disappoints fans who admire his skill, leadership, and loyalty to the blue and white. He is widely regarded as one of the best two-way forwards ever. Keon’s absence from the ceremony will remind him of the long-standing rift between him and the team he once led to glory.
Reconciliation
However, in 2016, he accepted an invitation from team president Brendan Shanahan to be honored as part of the Leafs’ centennial celebrations. Fans voted him the greatest Leaf of all time, and he received a statue on Legends Row outside the Air Canada Centre. He also agreed to have his number honored along with 16 other players, ending his long feud with the franchise. Keon said he was happy to be back and to share the honor with his family and former teammates.
HealthAwards and honors
- Calder Memorial Trophy: 1961
- Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: 1962, 1963
- NHL Second All-Star Team: 1962, 1971
- NHL All-Star Game: 1962, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1973
- Stanley Cup: 1962, 1963, 1964, 1967
- J. P. Bickell Cup: 1962, 1963
- Conn Smythe Trophy: 1967
- Paul Deneau Trophy: 1977, 1978
- Hockey Hall of Fame: 1986
- In 1998, Keon was ranked number 69 on The Hockey News’ list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
- The Aréna Dave Keon in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, is named in his honor.
- Inaugural member of the World Hockey Association Hall of Fame in the “Legends of the Game” category: 2010
- The statue is on Toronto’s Legends Row in front of Scotiabank Arena.
- Greatest Toronto Maple Leaf
- The #14 jersey was retired by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- In January 2017, Keon was commemorated as one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players.
- In 2018, Keon was inducted into the Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Career statistics (Dave Keon Hall of Fame)
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1956–57 | St. Michael’s Buzzers | MetJHL | 23 | 30 | 22 | 52 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1956–57 | Toronto St. Michael’s Majors | OHA-Jr. | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1957–58 | Toronto St. Michael’s Majors | OHA-Jr. | 45 | 23 | 27 | 50 | 29 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 10 | ||
| 1958–59 | Toronto St. Michael’s Majors | OHA-Jr. | 47 | 33 | 38 | 71 | 31 | 15 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 8 | ||
| 1959–60 | Toronto St. Michael’s Majors | OHA-Jr. | 46 | 16 | 29 | 45 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 2 | ||
| 1959–60 | Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen | OHA-Sr. | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1959–60 | Sudbury Wolves | EPHL | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1960–61 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 70 | 20 | 25 | 45 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1961–62 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 64 | 26 | 35 | 61 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 1962–63 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 68 | 28 | 38 | 66 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 1963–64 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 70 | 23 | 37 | 60 | 6 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 2 | ||
| 1964–65 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 65 | 21 | 29 | 50 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1965–66 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 69 | 24 | 30 | 54 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1966–67 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 66 | 19 | 33 | 52 | 2 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 1967–68 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 67 | 11 | 37 | 48 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1968–69 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 75 | 27 | 34 | 61 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1969–70 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 72 | 32 | 30 | 62 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1970–71 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 76 | 38 | 38 | 76 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1971–72 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 72 | 18 | 30 | 48 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1972–73 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 76 | 37 | 36 | 73 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 74 | 25 | 28 | 53 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1974–75 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 78 | 16 | 43 | 59 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1975–76 | Minnesota Fighting Saints | WHA | 57 | 26 | 38 | 64 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Indianapolis Racers | WHA | 12 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1976–77 | Minnesota Fighting Saints | WHA | 42 | 13 | 38 | 51 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | New England Whalers | WHA | 34 | 14 | 25 | 39 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 1977–78 | New England Whalers | WHA | 77 | 24 | 38 | 62 | 2 | 14 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 4 | ||
| 1978–79 | New England Whalers | WHA | 79 | 22 | 43 | 65 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 2 | ||
| 1979–80 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 76 | 10 | 52 | 62 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1980–81 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 80 | 13 | 34 | 47 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 78 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 1,296 | 396 | 590 | 986 | 117 | 92 | 32 | 36 | 68 | 6 | ||||
| WHA totals | ||||||||||||||
Keep Your Stick on the Ice.
Great site, Dave Keon was an absolute gem, he deserved tom play for a better organization than he had under Ballard.