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Ken Wharram: In the Shadow of Hull and Mikita

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ken wharram rookie card 1958-59 topps chicago blackhawksImpossibly small in stature by today’s standards at 5’9″ and 155 pounds, Ken Wharram played a big role in the world of hockey for two decades. A standout in junior in the early 1950’s with the Galt Black Hawks, Wharram starred in the AHL before becoming a regular with the Chicago Black Hawks for the glory days of the 1960’s.

Ken Wharram – Junior Hockey
Ken Wharram – Buffalo Bisons
Ken Wharram Hockey Cards
Ken Wharram – NHL
Ken Wharram Rookie Card
Ken Wharram Career Stats

Ken Wharram – Junior Hockey

Wharram played three years in the OHA with the Galt Black Hawks from 1950-51 to 1952-53. The Black Hawks ceased to exist after the following year, 1954-55. Over his junior career, Ken played 152 regular season games, scoring 104 and and assisting on 157 for 261 points.

His second year with Galt saw Wharram explode offensively. Over 45 regular season games, he scored 35 and assisted on 79 for 114 points. He placed second in the league for assists and fifth for points. The following year, he excelled in the playoffs. Galt fell to Toronto St. Michael’s in the Robertson Cup finals. In that 1952-53 playoff season, Ken scored 9 and assisted on 14 for 23 points over eleven games.

Ken Wharram – Buffalo Bisons

Before becoming a full time NHLer with Chicago starting in 1958-59, Ken played sporadically with the Black Hawks but spent most of his time with the Buffalo Bisons in the American Hockey League. Two years stood out with the Bisons, 1954-55 and 1955-56.


Ken Wharram Collection

1958-59 topps button

topps 1961-62 button

1962-63 topps button

 

1963-64 topps button

1964-65 topps button

1965-66 topps button

 

1966-67 topps button

 

opc 1968-69 button

 

opc 1969-70 button

 


In 1954-55, Wharram scored 33 and assisted on 49 for 82 points over 63 regular season games with Buffalo. He tied for fourth in the league for goals, placed fourth for assists and finished tied for second for points. He was the Bisons team leader in both the playoffs in his first full year in the league, yet he was limited to a Second Team All-Star role and was not awarded the Dudley ‘Red’ Garrett Award as rookie of the year. Instead, that honour went to Jim Anderson of the Springfield Indians.

In the Calder Cup playoffs, Kenny scored nine and totalled 16 points over ten games. Buffalo reached the finals before losing to the Howie Meeker coached Pittsburgh Hornets in seven games.

The following year, 1955-56, Wharram showed off his playmaking skills but the Bisons were not nearly as successful as a team. Ken scored 27 and assisted on 63 for 90 points over 59 regular season games. He placed second for assists and fourth for points.

Ken Wharram – NHL

Wharram was a regular with the Chicago Black Hawks from 1958-59 to 1968-69. He would have continued on into the 1970’s if not for a career ending incident at the 1969-70 training camp. After complaining of chest pains, Ken was diagnosed with Myocarditis. He never played again and officially announced his retirement at the start of the 1970-71 season.



Ken played 766 regular season games over his National Hockey League career, scoring 252 and assisting on 281 for 533 points. He played an additional 80 games in the Stanley Cup playoffs, adding 43 points.

Wharram played an important role in Chicago capturing the 1960-61 Stanley Cup championship. Over 12 games, he added eight points. However, on an individual level, 1963-64 was the pinnacle of his NHL career. He scored 39 and totalled 71 points while playing the full 70 game schedule.

That year, he tied for second in the goals department with teammate Stan Mikita. They were both behind teammate Bobby Hull who led the NHL with 43 goals. Chicago was such an offensive threat that year that the next player behind the trio was Camille Henry of the New York Rangers with ten less goals that Wharram and Mikita.

Ken was awarded the Lady Byng Trophy in 1963-64 as the league’s most gentlemanly player. He sat just nine minor penalties for 18 PIM. Between him, Mikita and Hull, they would win the Byng in four of five seasons from 1963-64 to 1967-68.

In 1966-67 on a Chicago team that dominated the league offensively and should have dominated the playoffs, but didn’t, Ken tied for second in goals with 31, once again behind Hull (52) and tied with Mikita. He also tied for fourth in points with Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings, both with 65.

Even in his final year, Wharram was still an offensive threat. In 1968-69, he scored 30 and totalled 69 points over 76 regular season games. The game had changed, though, and his numbers distanced him from the leaders.

Ken Wharram – Rookie Card

The Ken Wharram rookie card appears as number 14 in the 1958-59 Topps set. His teammate Bobby Hull also has his rookie card appear in that set and that card is valued at $3,000. Wharram’s rookie card is a bit overlooked and is valued as a common card. That is a bit of a shame but I’m sure the card fetches much more in the Chicago area.

Ken Wharram Career Stats

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

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