Ken Wregget facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ken Wregget |
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| Born | March 25, 1964 Brandon, Manitoba, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for | Toronto Maple Leafs Philadelphia Flyers Pittsburgh Penguins Calgary Flames Detroit Red Wings |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| NHL Draft | 45th overall, 1982 Toronto Maple Leafs |
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| Playing career | 1984–2001 | ||
Ken Wregget (born March 25, 1964) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was a goaltender, which is the player who guards the net to stop the puck.
Ken played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for almost 20 years. He played for several famous teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, and Detroit Red Wings. He even won the amazing Stanley Cup in 1992 with the Pittsburgh Penguins!
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Ken Wregget's Hockey Journey
Ken Wregget started his hockey journey playing for the Lethbridge Broncos in the Western Hockey League (WHL). He played there for three seasons. In 1984, he was named the WHL's Top Goaltender, which is a big award!
The Toronto Maple Leafs picked him in the 1982 NHL draft. He was the 45th player chosen overall. After that, he played for both the Maple Leafs and their minor league team, the St. Catharines Saints.
Playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Ken first played in the NHL during the 1983-84 season. In his very first game, he stopped an incredible 48 shots! This helped him get his first NHL win against the Hartford Whalers.
For a couple of years, he split his time between the Maple Leafs and the St. Catharines Saints. In the 1986-87 season, Ken became the main goalie for the Maple Leafs. He played in 56 games that year. He played 56 games again the next season. In 1989, he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Time with the Philadelphia Flyers
When Ken joined the Philadelphia Flyers, their main goalie, Ron Hextall, was often injured. This meant Ken got to play a lot! He played 51 games for the Flyers in his first full year with the team.
Later, in 1992, Ken was part of a big trade. He moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins along with two other players. In return, the Flyers got a player named Mark Recchi.
Winning with the Pittsburgh Penguins
With the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ken was usually the backup goalie to Tom Barrasso. But Ken was a very good goalie himself. He played well in many games when Barrasso was injured. Ken won his only Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 1992. This is a huge achievement for any hockey player!
One of Ken's best seasons was in 1994-95. He played in 38 games and won 25 of them! He also had a good goals against average (GAA) of 3.21 and a save percentage (SV%) of .903. He even led the NHL in wins that year.
In 1996, Ken faced a very rare moment in hockey: a penalty shot during overtime in a playoff game! He stopped the shot, which helped his team win a very long game. It was the third-longest game in NHL history at the time.
Ken played many games for the Penguins. As of 2015, he was fourth in games played for the team. He was also third in wins and tied for fifth in shutouts. In 1998, he was traded to the Calgary Flames.
Playing for the Calgary Flames
In Calgary, Ken was an experienced goalie on a team that was changing. He was one of six goalies who played for the Flames that year. Many of them were young players getting their first taste of the NHL. Ken played 27 games for the Flames and won 10 of them. He also had his best goals against average of his career, at 2.53. After this season, he became a free agent.
Joining the Detroit Red Wings
Ken signed a two-year deal with the strong Detroit Red Wings. He was the backup goalie to Chris Osgood. Ken won 14 games for the Red Wings. In 2000, he lost his backup spot to another goalie, Manny Legace. So, the Red Wings sent him to play for a team in the IHL.
Final Season with Manitoba Moose
Ken played his last season of professional hockey with the Manitoba Moose in the International Hockey League (IHL). He was born in Brandon, Manitoba, so playing for the Moose was like coming home. He shared goalie duties with Johan Hedberg. Ken won 11 games for the Moose and had two shutouts before he retired from hockey.
In 2009, Ken Wregget was honored by being added to the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.
Life After Hockey
When Ken was growing up, he lived in Cold Lake, Alberta. He went to Grand Centre High School there.
He has a daughter named Courtney and a son named Matthew.
Ken also owns a restaurant called "31" Bar and Grille in Collier Township, Pennsylvania.
Awards and Honors
- WHL East First All-Star Team – 1984
- WHL Top Goaltender Award – 1984
- Stanley Cup Champion - 1992
