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Kenny Wharram

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Kenny Wharram
Born (1933-07-02)July 2, 1933
Ferris, Ontario, Canada
Died January 10, 2017(2017-01-10) (aged 83)
North Bay, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight 155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shot Right
Played for NHL
Chicago Black Hawks
AHL
Buffalo Bisons
Playing career 1951–1969

Kenneth Malcolm Wharram (July 2, 1933 – January 10, 2017) was a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League, all with the Chicago Black Hawks, wearing number 17. He won a Stanley Cup in 1961.

Early life and career

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Wharram started his hockey career with his hometown team the North Bay Black Hawks in 1949 before switching the next season to the Galt Black Hawks for whom he played three seasons. He played one match for the Galt team's parent club the Chicago Black Hawks in 1951 before returning for another season to Galt. He played 29 matches for the Hawks in 1953–54 but spent an equal amount of time at the Quebec Aces in the Quebec Hockey League before joining the American Hockey League Buffalo Bisons in 1954. Under the training of Bisons' coach Harry Watson he enjoyed four productive seasons, made the AHL's second all star team in 1955, and returned to Chicago to stay in 1958.

The Scooter Line

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Wharram still seemed to struggle to find a spot on the Hawks until he was teamed on a line with Stan Mikita. Mikita and Wharram meshed well together and Wharram's production - attributable to his considerable speed and puck-handling skills - soared. He would have seven straight seasons scoring 20 or more goals.

All that was needed was a left winger, and the Hawks got one in veteran Ted Lindsay, then near the end of his career. It would be Lindsay, Mikita and Wharram who formed the original Scooter Line. After Lindsay retired, Ab McDonald assumed the honors, and it would be this version of the Scooter Line in force when the Hawks won the 1961 Stanley Cup. After McDonald was traded to the Boston Bruins, Doug Mohns was placed in the left wing spot.

Sudden retirement and death

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Wharram was attending the Black Hawks' training camp on September 16, 1969, when he noticed he was having chest pains. He was quickly sent to a hospital intensive care unit where he was diagnosed with myocarditis. Wharram's condition worsened to the point where he needed to be trained how to stay awake. The process took weeks, and while Wharram's life was eventually out of danger, the stress of playing hockey made a comeback out of the question. He officially retired in September 1970 and settled down in North Bay as a carpenter. He was inducted to the North Bay Hall of Fame in 1980. Wharram died on January 10, 2017, at the age of 83.[1]

Career statistics

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    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1949–50 North Bay Black Hawks EOHL 2 0 1 1 0
1950–51 Galt Black Hawks OHA-Jr. 53 35 38 73 28 3 2 3 5 2
1951–52 Galt Black Hawks OHA-Jr. 45 35 79 114 37
1951–52 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 1 0 0 0 0
1952–53 Galt Black Hawks OHA-Jr. 54 34 40 74 42 11 9 14 23 2
1953–54 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 29 1 7 8 8
1953–54 Quebec Aces QHL 29 7 10 17 8
1954–55 Buffalo Bisons AHL 63 33 49 82 15 10 9 7 16 4
1955–56 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 3 0 0 0 0
1955–56 Buffalo Bisons AHL 59 27 63 90 27 5 4 2 6 2
1956–57 Buffalo Bisons AHL 64 28 49 77 18
1957–58 Buffalo Bisons AHL 58 31 26 57 14
1958–59 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 66 10 9 19 14 6 0 2 2 2
1959–60 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 59 14 11 25 16 4 1 1 2 0
1960–61 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 64 16 29 45 12 12 3 5 8 12
1961–62 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 62 14 23 37 24 12 3 4 7 8
1962–63 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 55 20 18 38 17 6 1 5 6 0
1963–64 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 70 39 32 71 18 7 2 2 4 6
1964–65 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 68 20 24 44 27 12 2 3 5 4
1965–66 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 69 26 17 43 28 6 1 0 1 4
1966–67 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 70 31 34 65 21 6 2 2 4 2
1967–68 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 74 27 42 69 18 9 1 3 4 0
1968–69 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 76 30 39 69 19
NHL totals 766 252 281 533 222 80 16 27 43 38

References

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Legends of Hockey article on Ken Wharram

Preceded by Winner of the Lady Byng Trophy
1964
Succeeded by
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