Ken Brown facts for kids

Kenneth Murray Brown (born December 19, 1948) is a former professional ice hockey goaltender from Port Arthur, Ontario. He played in one game in the National Hockey League (NHL) and also had a career in the World Hockey Association (WHA).

Early Hockey Days

Ken Brown was born in Port Arthur, Ontario. He loved playing hockey from a young age. He became a talented goaltender. In 1967, while playing junior hockey, he won some big awards. He was named the CMJHL Goaltender of the Year. He was also chosen for the CMJHL First All-Star Team. This showed he was one of the best junior goalies around.

Starting His Pro Career

Even though Ken was a top junior player, he was not chosen by any team in the NHL draft. This is called going "undrafted." But he still wanted to play professionally. So, he signed a special agreement called a "free agent contract." He joined the Dallas Black Hawks in the Central Hockey League (CHL). This team was a minor league affiliate for the Chicago Black Hawks. This meant they helped develop players for the main NHL team.

Playing in the NHL

Ken Brown got a chance to play one game with the Chicago Black Hawks. This was his only game in the NHL. At the time, the Black Hawks had two very good goalies. These were Tony Esposito and Gerry Desjardins. Ken was behind them on the team's "depth chart." This means they were the main goalies, and he was a backup.

Time in the WHA

In 1972, Ken was picked in the WHA General Player Draft. This was for a different professional league called the World Hockey Association (WHA). He was first chosen by a team called Calgary-Cleveland. But his rights were soon traded. He went to the Alberta/Edmonton Oilers in exchange for money.

With the Oilers, Ken played as a backup goalie. He played behind a very famous goalie named Jacques Plante. Plante was a legend in hockey. Ken played two seasons with the Oilers. During that time, he helped the team win 21 games.

Career Summary

Ken Brown had a professional hockey career that included playing in the NHL and the WHA. He showed great skill in junior hockey. He also played alongside and learned from some of the sport's biggest names.

• Ken Brown's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Ken Brown's biography at Legends of Hockey