Dave Keon

David Michael Keon(born March 22, 1940) is aCanadianformer professionalice hockeycentre.He played professionally from1960to1982,including 15 seasons with theToronto Maple Leafs,and was inducted into theHockey Hall of Famein 1986. Keon was inducted into theOntario Sports Hall of Famein 2010.On October 16, 2016, as part of the Toronto Maple Leafs centennial celebrations, Keon was named the greatest player in the team's history.In 2017, Keon was named one of the100 Greatest NHL PlayersinNHLhistory.In 2018, Keon was awarded theOrder of Sport,marking his induction intoCanada's Sports Hall of Fame.

Dave Keon
Hockey Hall of Fame,1986
Keon with theToronto Maple Leafsin the 1960s
Born	(1940-03-22)March 22, 1940 Noranda, Quebec,Canada
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight	163 lb (74 kg; 11 st 9 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Toronto Maple Leafs Minnesota Fighting Saints Indianapolis Racers Hartford Whalers
Playing career	1960–1982

Playing career

Junior hockey

Keon played junior hockey inTorontofor theSt. Michael's Buzzersof theOntario Hockey Association'sMetro Junior B leaguein1956–57; on December 20, 1956, he scored seven goals in one game.In February 1957, he was named to the league's eastern all-star team and was picked byNHLscouts as the top prospect in the league. Keon was selected as the league's rookie of the year, finishing second in scoring, and his team won the league championship. He played some games that season for the Junior ASt. Michael's Majors,and moved to that club full-time for the1957–58 season.Keon played for St. Michael's through the end of the1960 season,when he turned professional and joined theSudbury Wolvesof theEastern Professional Hockey Leaguefor four playoff games. They would be the only games he would ever play in the minor leagues.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Keon joined theToronto Maple Leafsof the National Hockey League for the1960–61 season,winning theCalder Memorial Trophyas the league's top rookie with 20 goals and 45 points in his first season. It was his first of six consecutive 20-goal seasons. In his second year in the NHL, Keon was named to thesecond All-Star teamand won theLady Byng Memorial Trophyas the most gentlemanly player, taking only one minor penalty through the entire season. He repeated as Lady Byng winner in1962–63,again taking only a single minor penalty all year.

He was the Leafs' leading scorer in the1963–64,1966–67and1969–70seasons, and the team's top goal-scorer in1970–71and1972–73.Keon was considered one of the fastest skaters in the NHL, and one of the best defensive forwards of his era.He would usually play against the opposing team's top centre, and developed a reputation for neutralizing some of the league's top scorers. In 1970–71, he scored eight shorthanded goals, setting an NHL record for most shorthanded goals scored in a single season, which would later be broken byMarcel Dionnein1974–75,with 10 shorthanded goals (Dionne's record would be broken byWayne Gretzkyin1983–84with 12 shorthanded goals. In turn, Gretzky's record would be broken byMario Lemieuxin1988–89,when Lemieux scored 13 shorthanded goals in a season).

Keon won fourStanley Cupswith the Leafs, playing on the Cup-winning teams of1961–62,1962–63,1963–64and1966–67.In the 1967 Cup Final, he shut downJean Béliveau,the star centreman of theMontreal Canadiens,in the last two games of the series and was voted the most valuable player of the playoffs, winning theConn Smythe Trophy.Keon's eight points are the fewest ever by a non-goalie Conn Smythe winner, and he remains the only Leaf to have won the trophy named for theformer ownerof the club.

He was named teamcaptainon October 31, 1969, succeedingGeorge Armstrongwho was said to be retiring from hockey. Armstrong returned to the Leafs two weeks later and played for another two seasons, but Keon remained captain and would wear theCthrough the rest of his years with the Leafs.

Keon hoped to makeTeam Canadafor the 1972Summit Series,but was coming off one of the worst years of his career, finishing the1971–72 seasonwith his lowest points-per-game average since his rookie year. The final pick for Team Canada came down between Keon andBobby Clarke.It is believed that Clarke was selected because he had more points.

While Keon was not selected for Team Canada, theOttawa Nationalsof theWorld Hockey Associationmade a strong effort to sign Keon, whom they had placed on their negotiation list earlier that year.Harold Ballard,who had become the Leafs' majority owner in March 1972, said that Keon did not provide the leadership the team needed during the previous season and was refusing to give Keon a big salary increase after a poor year. Keon signed a letter of intent with the Nationals and received a $50,000 cheque from the team, but the deal fell apart just before training camp. Keon signed a three-year deal with the Leafs, and rebounded strongly in1972–73,scoring 37 goals. On November 22, 1972, he scored his 297th goal as a Leaf, passing Armstrong andFrank Mahovlichto become the team's all-time leading goal scorer.

Early into the1974–75 season,Ballard publicly blasted Keon, saying that the team was not getting good leadership from its captain and vowing never again to agree to a no-trade clause in a contract, as he had with Keon. When Keon's contract expired at the end of the season, Ballard made it clear that there was no place for him on the Leafs. The Leafs believed they had some strong young prospects at centre who needed more ice time, and Keon was again asking for a contract with a no-trade clause. The 35-year-old Keon was told he could make his own deal with another NHL team, but any club signing him would have been required to provide compensation to the Leafs. Ballard set the compensation price so high that other teams shied away from signing him, even though the Leafs had no intention of keeping him. In effect, Ballard had blocked Keon from going to another NHL team.

WHA

In August 1975, with the Leafs still controlling his NHL rights, Keon reluctantly jumped to theWorld Hockey Association,signing a deal with theMinnesota Fighting Saintsreportedly worth $300,000 over two seasons. Keon chose to play for the Saints after they agreed to a no-trade clause, and also because head coachHarry Nealewas an old friend of Keon's. The team, and Keon, played well, but the team struggled badly financially due in large part to being in direct competition with the NHL'sMinnesota North Stars.With 21 games left in the season, the team folded. Keon refused to waive his no-trade clause since he had always planned to return to the NHL once his stint with the Saints was over. He was thus not included in the dispersal sale of Saints players to other WHA teams. TheNew York Islandersexpressed a strong interest in signing Keon, but they needed to negotiate a deal for his NHL rights with the Leafs. Again, the Leafs' asking price (said to have been a first-round draft pick) was too high, and a disappointed Keon signed with the WHA'sIndianapolis Racersin March 1976.

The Fighting Saints were revived for the start of the WHA's1976–77 season,and Keon agreed to a trade back to Minnesota. However, the team folded for good in January 1977 (with Keon as its leading scorer). Keon's WHA rights were briefly claimed by theEdmonton Oilers,but they immediately agreed to trade him to theNew England Whalers.The move re-united Keon with Neale, who had taken over the Whalers after the original Fighting Saints' demise.

Return to NHL

He would remain with the Whalers through the rest of his career. In the1977–78 season,Keon was joined on the Whalers byGordie Howewho, at age 50, was the team's leading scorer that season. Keon returned to the NHL in1979when the renamedHartford Whalersbecame one of four WHA teams to join the NHL. The merger agreement allowed existing NHL teams to reclaim most of the WHA players whose NHL rights they held. Nevertheless, even though Keon was not protected from reclamation by the Whalers in the reclamation draft, the Maple Leafs declined to reclaim their former captain, allowing him to remain in Hartford.Bobby Hulljoined the Whalers that season, with Keon, Howe, and Hull sometimes playing as a forward line. Howe and Hull retired at the end of the season.Terry Harper's retirement in 1981 left Keon as the oldest active player in the NHL. Keon played two more seasons with the Whalers and announced his retirement on June 30, 1982, at age 42. Keon was the last active player who played a full season intheOriginal Six era.

Retirement

Following his retirement from hockey, Keon moved toFloridaand worked in real estate for several years.

Bitter over his treatment by Ballard and the Leafs, Keon refused for many years to have any relationship with the Leafs organization, even after Ballard's death and after the club changed ownership several times.Other Leaf players who clashed with Ballard's management did reconcile, most notably Keon's successor as club captain,Darryl Sittler,who accepted an invitation from GMCliff Fletcherto return as a consultant after the team came under the ownership ofSteve Stavro.

Keon turned down several offers of reconciliation from the team, including an invitation to the closing ceremony forMaple Leaf Gardensin 1999 and a proposed ceremony to honour his number.

On March 22, 1991, with the Leafs undernew managementafter Ballard's death, Keon played on a team of Leaf all-stars against their counterparts from theMontreal Canadiensin an old-timers game at Maple Leaf Gardens calledLegends' Night in Canada."After that, I figured out the new ownership was no different than Ballard, and I had no use for it," Keon later said.In 2005, he told theToronto Sunthat the new owners (majority equity owned by theOntario Teachers' Pension Plan,chaired byLarry Tanenbaum) "would like to say they are different, but they are all the same."

In January 2007, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that Keon would attend apre-game ceremonyto honour its 1967 Stanley Cup-winning team. Keon was one of several members of the 1967 team to appear on-ice at theAir Canada Centrebefore the Leafs' game on February 17, 2007 — the 80th anniversary of the first game played by the Toronto franchise after being renamed the Maple Leafs in 1927. Keon was introduced to the crowd second last, just before 1967 captain George Armstrong, and received a long-standing ovation. On February 16, 2013, Keon was a part of a pre-game ceremony honouring the 1963 Stanley Cup-winning Leafs team. He similarly appeared on February 8, 2014, with other members of the 1964 Cup winners.

His granddaughter, Kaitlyn Keon, played on theBrown Bears women's ice hockeyprogram from 2011 to 2015,accumulating 34 points.

On January 21, 2016, it was announced that Keon, along with former Maple LeafsTurk BrodaandTim Horton,would be commemorated with a statue on Legends Row in front of theAir Canada Centre,joining former Maple Leafs greatsSyl Apps,Teeder Kennedy,Johnny Bower,George Armstrong,Darryl Sittler,Borje Salming,andMats Sundin.

On October 14, 2016, the Toronto Maple Leafs released their list of the top 100 Leafs of all time. Based on the votes of fans and a 31-member expert panel, Keon was voted the greatest Toronto Maple Leaf.

On October 15, 2016, the Maple Leafs retired Dave Keon's number 14 at a ceremony honouring the Maple Leafs' centenary.

Personal life

Keon is of Irish descent on his father's side, with roots inCounty Sligo.

Awards and honours

• 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 onThe Hockey News'list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players
• TheAréna Dave KeoninRouyn-Noranda, Quebecis named in his honour
• Inaugural member of theWorld Hockey Association Hall of Famein the "Legends of the game" category: 2010
• Statue on Toronto's Legends Row in front ofScotiabank Arena.
• Greatest Toronto Maple Leaf
• #14 jersey retired by theToronto Maple Leafs.
• In January 2017, Keon was commemorated as one of the100 Greatest NHL Players.
• Order of Sport,Canada's Sports Hall of Fame,2018

Career statistics

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				301	102	189	291	20		36	13	23	36	8

See also

• Captain (ice hockey)
• List of NHL players with 1000 games played

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics fromNHL.com,orEliteprospects.com,orHockey-Reference.com,orLegends of Hockey,orThe Internet Hockey Database
• One for the Ages: Dave Keon's 1979-80 NHL Season