Ron Grahame

Last updated

Ron Grahame
Born (1950-06-07) June 7, 1950 (age 73)
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for Houston Aeros
Boston Bruins
Los Angeles Kings
Quebec Nordiques
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 19731981

Ronald Ian Grahame (born June 7, 1950) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played four seasons in the National Hockey League and four in World Hockey Association between 1973 and 1981.

Contents

Playing career

After a collegiate career with the University of Denver during which he was named a First Team All-American, Grahame was signed by the Houston Aeros of the WHA. He played a season for the minor league Macon Whoopees in 1973 before coming up to the Aeros at the end of the season. In the 1974–75 season he made the Aeros for good, leading the WHA in wins, shutouts and goals against average and backstopping the club to the AVCO World Trophy, winning both the Ben Hatskin Trophy for best goaltender, First Team All-Star accolades and the WHA Playoff MVP. His following two seasons saw an equal degree of success, including a Second Team All-Star berth in 1976 and a second Hatskin award in 1977.

He became a free agent after the 1977 season and signed with the NHL's Boston Bruins for the 1977–78 NHL season. He continued his starring play, having a fine season as the Bruins' number one goaltender. After that season, however, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for a first-round draft pick in the 1979 draft (which turned into Ray Bourque), and played poorly thereafter. He served with the Kings for three seasons before being sold to the Quebec Nordiques in December, 1980. He played eight games for the Nordiques before being sent down to the minors for the remainder of the season, after which he retired.

Post-playing career

After retiring, Ron Grahame worked as the athletic director at the University of Denver, where he worked with the hockey team. He also conducted goalie clinics for ice hockey and inline hockey goaltenders

In 2007 Grahame began his second year as Senior Associate Athletics Director, and his 14th year as an administrator at the University of Denver. He was responsible for the overall supervision of all 17 varsity sport programs at Denver.

Grahame graduated from the University of Denver in 1973 with a B.A. in physical education and was one of the most successful hockey players in school history. After retiring from playing, he returned to Denver as an assistant coach from 1982 to 1989.

Ron and his wife Charlotte have two sons, John, an NHL goaltender who won the Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Jason, who graduated from the University of Denver in 2003 and now lives in Vancouver. Ron and Charlotte reside in Denver. Charlotte and John are the only mother/son combination to have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup (Charlotte was a member of the Colorado Avalanche executive management during their 2001 Stanley Cup season).

Awards and honours

AwardYear
All-WCHA First Team 1972–73 [1]
AHCA West All-American 1972–73 [2]
World Hockey Association Hall of Fame - Inaugural member2010 [3]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGPWLTMINGA SO GAA SV% GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
1967–68 Victoria Cougars BCHL
1968–69Victoria CougarsBCHL2323807303.17
1969–70 University of Denver WCHA 3019101180010313.43.883
1970–71 University of DenverWCHA17117110207014.12
1971–72 University of DenverWCHA3726110220013203.60.894
1972–73 University of DenverWCHA352671209410222.92.921
1973–74 Houston Aeros WHA 4301250511.20.959
1973–74 Macon Whoopees SHL 46258817804.13.887
1974–75 Houston AerosWHA4333100259013143.03.900131217802632.00.941
1975–76 Houston AerosWHA5739170334318233.27.89614688175413.97
1976–77 Houston AerosWHA3920172334510742.74.9019455613603.85.864
1977–78 Boston Bruins NHL 402667232810732.76.874421202702.08.894
1978–79 Los Angeles Kings NHL3411192193513604.22.862
1979–80 Los Angeles KingsNHL26911414069824.18.875
1980–81 Los Angeles KingsNHL63213602804.67.859
1980–81 Quebec Nordiques NHL81514374005.49.832
1980–81 Binghamton Whalers AHL 30126212407203.48.87852892204.57
WHA totals1431023738528425122.99.900362214215811643.23
NHL totals114504315645740953.80.866421202702.08.894

See also

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References

  1. "WCHA All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  2. "Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  3. WHA Hall of Fame Members
Awards and achievements
Preceded by WCHA Most Valuable Player
1972–73
Succeeded by