Ken Reardon played a decade in the National Hockey League, minus three years spent in the Canadian Army during World War II. He played in a Memorial Cup final, won an Allan Cup championship and was a player on one Stanley Cup champion in Montreal.
Reardon was one of the masterminds behind the Canadiens dynasty in the 1950’s and that certainly helped him enter the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966.
Ken Reardon – Playing Career
As a junior Reardon played two years with the Edmonton Athletic Club, 1938-39 and 1939-40. In the first year, Edmonton reached the Memorial Cup finals before falling to the Oshawa Generals. He would have one more shot at an amateur championship in 1942-43 while playing for the Ottawa Army Commandos. The Commandos were crowned Allan Cup champions with a victory over Victoria Army.
Ken played in the National Hockey League from 1940-41 to 1949-50, all with the Montreal Canadiens. He played 341 regular season games, scoring 26 and assisting on 96 for 122 points as a defenseman. In the Stanley Cup playoffs, Reardon appeared in an additional 31 games, adding seven points.
In his first year back from the military, 1945-46, the Dick Irvin coached Canadiens finished first overall in the six team NHL and reached the Stanley Cup finals. In a series against the Boston Bruins, Montreal won in five games with three games going to overtime. It would mark the only Stanley Cup championship for Ken as a player.
The following year, 1946-47, the Canadiens once again placed first overall. The Habs once again reached the Stanley Cup finals. However, they fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games with each team scoring 13 goals over the series.
During his short NHL career, Reardon was twice a First Team All-Star defenseman, 1946-47 and 1949-50. Ken was a Second Team All-Star three times, 1945-46, 1947-48 and 1948-49.
Not a stranger to the penalty box, Reardon placed second in the NHL in 1947-48 with 129 PIM. He was behind just Bill Barilko of the Toronto Maple Leafs who sat 147. The following year, he dropped to fifth with 103 PIM. In 1949-50, his final year in the NHL, Ken placed eighth with 109 PIM.
In 1966, Ken Reardon was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Along with him, Max Bentley, Toe Blake, Emile Bouchard, Frank Brimsek, Ted Kennedy, Elmer Lach, Ted Lindsay and Babe Pratt. In 1996, he was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. Reardon passed away in 2008.
Ken’s brother Terry Reardon was a long time player in the American Hockey League and also appeared in 193 regular season National Hockey League games with the Boston Bruins and Montreal. In 1941-42, the Reardon brothers were teammates with the Canadiens. Terry was also a long time head coach in the AHL with the Providence Reds and Baltimore Clippers.
Ken Reardon – Front Office
Reardon remained with the Canadiens organization after retiring as a player. In 1955-56, he was Assistant General Manager of the Habs as they won their first of five consecutive Stanley Cup championships. Ken was instrumental in building that dynastic club. From 1956-57 to 1966, Reardon was the vice-president of the Canadiens.
Ken Reardon – Hockey Cards
Reardon did not appear on a hockey card during his playing days. The official Ken Reardon rookie card is number 64 in the 1955-56 Parkhurst set and is one of the ‘Old Time Greats’. That Reardon card is valued at three times that of a common card.
In 1959-60, Parkhurst included executives in their set and Reardon got his face on one more hockey card. Ken appears on number 22 of the that 1959-60 Parkhurst set as vice-president of the Canadiens.
Ken Reardon Career Stats
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1940-41 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 34 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 41 |
| 1941-42 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 41 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 93 |
| 1942-43 | Ottawa Commandos | OCHL | 26 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 77 |
| 1942-43 | Ottawa Army | OCHL | 10 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 15 |
| 1943-44 | Ottawa Commandos | OCHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1945-46 | Montreal Royals | QSHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1945-46 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 43 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 45 |
| 1946-47 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 52 | 5 | 17 | 22 | 84 |
| 1947-48 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 58 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 129 |
| 1948-49 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 46 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 103 |
| 1949-50 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 67 | 1 | 27 | 28 | 109 |
| NHL Totals | 341 | 26 | 96 | 122 | 604 |