Ken Hodge
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Raymond Hodge, Sr. (born June 25, 1944) is a retired hockey
player for the NHL
Boston Bruins
, Chicago Black Hawks
and New York Rangers
.
of the OHA
, leading the league in goals and points in the 1965 season before being called up for good to Chicago the next year.
Stereotyped as a grinding policeman - at 6'2", 215 lbs, Hodge was one of the larger forwards of his era - the rangy right wing played two mediocre seasons with the Black Hawks before being sent to Boston in a blockbuster deal with teammates Phil Esposito
and Fred Stanfield
. The trade made the Bruins into a powerhouse, as Esposito centered Hodge and left wing Ron Murphy
in the 1969 season to break the NHL record for points in a season by a forward line, and Hodge scored a spectacular 45 goals and 45 assists to match Esposito's record season of 126 points. His production fell off significantly the next season (although Boston won the Stanley Cup
bolstered by Hodge's skilled play), but the 1971 season saw the Bruins launch the greatest offensive juggernaut the league had ever seen, breaking dozens of offensive records. In that flurry, on one of the most feared forward lines of the era (with linemates Esposito and Wayne Cashman
), Hodge would break the league record for points in a season by a right winger with 105, and finish fourth in NHL scoring. Bruins Esposito, Bobby Orr
, Johnny Bucyk
and Hodge finished 1–2–3–4 in league scoring—the first time in NHL history such a feat was accomplished.
The 1972 season saw Hodge slowed down by injuries, although he recovered again in the playoffs to help the Bruins to their second Stanley Cup
in three years. In 1974 he scored 50 goals and 105 points to place third in league scoring, and with Esposito, Orr and Cashman likewise finished 1–2–3–4 in league scoring for the only other time in NHL history such a feat was accomplished.
Thereafter his production declined, his goal scoring halving the next season and never recovering. Never at his best defensively skilled, he was traded to the Rangers in 1976 to join his former teammate Esposito, who had been dealt to the Rangers the year before (the Bruins received young star Rick Middleton
, who scored nearly a thousand points in a Boston uniform).
. Hodge retired thereafter, but came out of retirement in 1979–1980 to play for the AHL
Binghamton Dusters
, which was his final professional season.
Hodge finished his NHL career with 881 games, 328 goals, 472 assists and 800 points. He still lives in the Boston area, and remains active with the Bruins' alumni team and in alumni affairs.
Most recently, Hodge has been working as a broadcaster in Boston. He served as the radio color commentator for the Boston College
men's hockey team throughout their 2007–08 NCAA Championship season, working alongside play-by-play man Jon Rish
on flagship station WTTT
(1150AM).
during his career with the Bruins; his home was instantly recognizable and well-known to local residents by its large swimming pool in the back yard in the shape of his Bruins' uniform number, 8.
Hodge's son, Ken Hodge, Jr.
, was also a professional hockey player from 1987 to 1998. Another son, Dan Hodge, was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the ninth round (194 overall) in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft
. His playing career included stints in the American Hockey League and International Hockey League, as well as winning the 2000 Kelly Cup championship in the East Coast Hockey League with the Peoria Rivermen. It concluded as the CHL's (Central Hockey League) Tulsa Oilers captain in 2005–06. He now coaches the Tulsa Oilers, whose roster includes his younger brother, Brendon Hodge who wears his father's number 8.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player for the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
and New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
.
Playing career
One of the few British-born players in NHL history, Ken Hodge was signed by the Black Hawks as a teenager, and had a stellar junior league career with the St. Catharines Black HawksSt. Catharines Black Hawks
The St. Catharines Black Hawks were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1962 to 1976. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
of the OHA
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
, leading the league in goals and points in the 1965 season before being called up for good to Chicago the next year.
Stereotyped as a grinding policeman - at 6'2", 215 lbs, Hodge was one of the larger forwards of his era - the rangy right wing played two mediocre seasons with the Black Hawks before being sent to Boston in a blockbuster deal with teammates Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
and Fred Stanfield
Fred Stanfield
Frederic William Stanfield is a former professional ice hockey left winger who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1964 until 1978.Stanfield played 914 career NHL games, scoring 211 goals and 405 assists for 616 points...
. The trade made the Bruins into a powerhouse, as Esposito centered Hodge and left wing Ron Murphy
Ron Murphy
Robert Ronald Murphy is a retired former professional ice hockey player who played for the New York Rangers, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins over the course of an 889-game NHL career....
in the 1969 season to break the NHL record for points in a season by a forward line, and Hodge scored a spectacular 45 goals and 45 assists to match Esposito's record season of 126 points. His production fell off significantly the next season (although Boston won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
bolstered by Hodge's skilled play), but the 1971 season saw the Bruins launch the greatest offensive juggernaut the league had ever seen, breaking dozens of offensive records. In that flurry, on one of the most feared forward lines of the era (with linemates Esposito and Wayne Cashman
Wayne Cashman
Wayne Cashman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and a former NHL head coach.-Playing career:Cashman played his junior hockey as a teammate of Bobby Orr's on the Oshawa Generals of the OHA...
), Hodge would break the league record for points in a season by a right winger with 105, and finish fourth in NHL scoring. Bruins Esposito, Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr
Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest...
, Johnny Bucyk
Johnny Bucyk
John Paul "Chief" Bucyk is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Having played most of his career with the Boston Bruins, he has been associated in one capacity or another with the Bruins' organization since the late 1950s.-Early life:Bucyk...
and Hodge finished 1–2–3–4 in league scoring—the first time in NHL history such a feat was accomplished.
The 1972 season saw Hodge slowed down by injuries, although he recovered again in the playoffs to help the Bruins to their second Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in three years. In 1974 he scored 50 goals and 105 points to place third in league scoring, and with Esposito, Orr and Cashman likewise finished 1–2–3–4 in league scoring for the only other time in NHL history such a feat was accomplished.
Thereafter his production declined, his goal scoring halving the next season and never recovering. Never at his best defensively skilled, he was traded to the Rangers in 1976 to join his former teammate Esposito, who had been dealt to the Rangers the year before (the Bruins received young star Rick Middleton
Rick Middleton
Richard David "Nifty" Middleton is a former professional ice hockey player for the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, who scored nearly a thousand points in a Boston uniform).
Retirement
Hodge had only modest success in New York in the 1976–1977 season, and tailed off badly the following year before being sent down to the minor league New Haven NighthawksNew Haven Nighthawks
The New Haven Nighthawks are a former ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League from 1972 to 1992. They had affiliations with the Minnesota North Stars , New York Islanders , New York Rangers , and Los Angeles Kings...
. Hodge retired thereafter, but came out of retirement in 1979–1980 to play for the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
Binghamton Dusters
Binghamton Dusters
The Binghamton Dusters were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Binghamton, New York, USA at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena...
, which was his final professional season.
Hodge finished his NHL career with 881 games, 328 goals, 472 assists and 800 points. He still lives in the Boston area, and remains active with the Bruins' alumni team and in alumni affairs.
Most recently, Hodge has been working as a broadcaster in Boston. He served as the radio color commentator for the Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
men's hockey team throughout their 2007–08 NCAA Championship season, working alongside play-by-play man Jon Rish
Jon Rish
Jon Rish is an American radio personality.Rish is a radio host for WEEI in Boston. He hosts the Boston Red Sox pre and post game show on the Boston Red Sox Radio Network. Rish has also served in the Red Sox broadcast booth alongside Joe Castiglione since 2008, sharing time with Dale Arnold and Dave...
on flagship station WTTT
WTTT
WWDJ is a radio station broadcasting an Spanish Christian format. Licensed to Boston, Massachusetts, it serves the Boston metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Salem Communications.- History :...
(1150AM).
Personal life
Hodge lived in Lynnfield, MassachusettsLynnfield, Massachusetts
Lynnfield is a wealthy town in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 11,542.- History :...
during his career with the Bruins; his home was instantly recognizable and well-known to local residents by its large swimming pool in the back yard in the shape of his Bruins' uniform number, 8.
Hodge's son, Ken Hodge, Jr.
Ken Hodge, Jr.
Kenneth David Hodge, Jr. , was a Canadian-born American-raised professional hockey player for the Minnesota North Stars, Boston Bruins, and Tampa Bay Lightning...
, was also a professional hockey player from 1987 to 1998. Another son, Dan Hodge, was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the ninth round (194 overall) in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft
1991 NHL Entry Draft
The 1991 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 22 at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. A total of 264 players were drafted. The draft was famous for the controversy surrounding star first overall draft pick, touted by some observers to be The Next One, Eric Lindros, who was drafted by the...
. His playing career included stints in the American Hockey League and International Hockey League, as well as winning the 2000 Kelly Cup championship in the East Coast Hockey League with the Peoria Rivermen. It concluded as the CHL's (Central Hockey League) Tulsa Oilers captain in 2005–06. He now coaches the Tulsa Oilers, whose roster includes his younger brother, Brendon Hodge who wears his father's number 8.
Achievements
- Named a First Team All-Star in 1971 and 1974.
- Played in the All-Star Game in 1971, 1973 and 1974.
- Two time Stanley Cup champion (1970 and 1972)
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1961–62 | St. Catharines Teepees St. Catharines Teepees The St. Catharines Teepees were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1947 to 1962. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.-History:... |
OHA Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the... |
31 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1962–63 | St. Catharines Black Hawks St. Catharines Black Hawks The St. Catharines Black Hawks were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1962 to 1976. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.-History:... |
OHA | 50 | 23 | 23 | 46 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1963–64 | St. Catharines Black Hawks | OHA | 56 | 37 | 51 | 88 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1964–65 | St. Catharines Black Hawks | OHA | 55 | 63 | 60 | 123 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1964–65 1964–65 AHL season The 1964–65 AHL season was the 29th season of the American Hockey League. The league inaugurates the James H. Ellery Memorial Award for outstanding media coverage of the AHL.Nine teams played 72 games each in the schedule... |
Buffalo Bisons Buffalo Bisons (AHL) The Buffalo Bisons were an American Hockey League ice hockey franchise that played from 1940 to 1970 in Buffalo, New York. They replaced the original Buffalo Bisons hockey team, which left the area in 1936 after its arena collapsed... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1964–65 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1965–66 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 63 | 6 | 17 | 23 | 47 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 1966–67 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 68 | 10 | 25 | 35 | 59 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 1967–68 | Boston Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
NHL | 74 | 25 | 31 | 56 | 31 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1968–69 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 75 | 45 | 45 | 90 | 75 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 4 | ||
| 1969–70 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 72 | 25 | 29 | 54 | 87 | 14 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 17 | ||
| 1970–71 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 78 | 43 | 62 | 105 | 113 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 | ||
| 1971–72 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 60 | 16 | 40 | 56 | 81 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 62 | ||
| 1972–73 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 73 | 37 | 44 | 81 | 58 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | ||
| 1973–74 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 76 | 50 | 55 | 105 | 43 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 16 | ||
| 1974–75 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 72 | 23 | 43 | 66 | 90 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1975–76 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 72 | 25 | 36 | 61 | 42 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 4 | ||
| 1976–77 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL | 78 | 21 | 41 | 62 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | New York Rangers | NHL | 18 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 1977–78 AHL season The 1977–78 AHL season was the 42nd season of the American Hockey League. The season was in jeopardy when the last of the original eight franchises of the "International-American Hockey League", the Rhode Island Reds folded in the offseason, and the AHL was left with five teams... |
New Haven Nighthawks New Haven Nighthawks The New Haven Nighthawks are a former ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League from 1972 to 1992. They had affiliations with the Minnesota North Stars , New York Islanders , New York Rangers , and Los Angeles Kings... |
AHL | 52 | 17 | 29 | 46 | 13 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 20 | ||
| 1979–80 1979–80 AHL season The 1979–80 AHL season was the 44th season of the American Hockey League. Ten teams were scheduled to play 80 games each. The New Haven Nighthawks finished first overall in the regular season... |
Binghamton Dusters Binghamton Dusters The Binghamton Dusters were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Binghamton, New York, USA at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena... |
AHL | 37 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 880 | 328 | 472 | 800 | 779 | 97 | 34 | 47 | 81 | 130 | ||||