Ralph Klassen facts for kids

Ralph Leo Klassen (born September 15, 1955 – died August 3, 2020) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played 497 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). During his ten-year career, Klassen played for four different teams. These teams were the California Golden Seals, Cleveland Barons, Colorado Rockies, and St. Louis Blues.

Junior Hockey Career

Playing Hockey as a Junior

Ralph Klassen was born in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Canada. He started playing major junior hockey when he was just 15 years old. This was in the Western Canadian Hockey League (WCHL).

Klassen played his entire junior career with the Saskatoon Blades. He was a center and a left wing for five seasons. His best scoring year was 1973–74. That season, he earned 77 points, including 23 goals.

He became the captain of the Blades in the 1974–75 season. Klassen also played for the Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships. He helped his team win a silver medal in 1975. Klassen played 300 games for the Blades. This was the second-highest number of games for the team.

Professional Career

Starting in the NHL

Ralph Klassen was known as a very skilled player. He was also an explosive skater. In 1975, many scouts thought he was one of the best young players in North America. He was picked early in two different drafts that year.

The California Golden Seals chose him 3rd overall in the first round of the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft. The Cleveland Crusaders of the World Hockey Association (WHA) picked him 5th overall. Many players chose to play in the WHA because they offered big contracts. But Klassen decided to play in the NHL. He signed his first contract with the California Golden Seals for US$70,000 per season.

In his first professional season (1975–76), Klassen started in the minor leagues. He played for the Central Hockey League's Salt Lake Golden Eagles. After only four games, he was called up to the California Golden Seals.

Klassen made his NHL debut on October 8, 1975. He was 19 years old, one of the youngest players on the team. He even scored a goal in his very first game! He played 71 games for the Seals that year. He scored 6 goals and had 15 assists in his first season.

Moving Teams

In 1976, the California Golden Seals team moved to Cleveland. They became the Cleveland Barons. In the 1976–77 season, Klassen played for the Barons. He scored 14 goals in 80 games. He was a strong player who helped both offense and defense. However, the Barons struggled and did not win many games.

In the 1977–78 season, Klassen played 13 games for the Barons. Then, he was traded to the Colorado Rockies on January 9, 1978. He played 44 games for the Rockies that season.

During the 1978–79 season, Klassen played 64 games for the Colorado Rockies. He scored 19 points for the team. He also spent some time in the minor leagues. He played 18 games for the Philadelphia Firebirds, which was Colorado's minor league team.

Time with the St. Louis Blues

Ralph Klassen holds a unique record. He was part of three different NHL teams in one day! On June 13, 1979, the Hartford Whalers picked him from Colorado. Hartford then traded him to the New York Islanders. The Islanders then traded him to the St. Louis Blues. This completed a big three-team trade.

From 1979 to 1983, Klassen played for the St. Louis Blues. He played alongside famous players like Bernie Federko and Brian Sutter. The Blues made the playoffs every year Klassen played for them. They reached the second round in 1981, 1982, and 1984.

Almost half of Klassen's NHL career was with the Blues. He played 225 games for them. His best scoring year with the Blues was 1979–80. He scored 9 goals and had 16 assists for 25 points. In total, he scored 52 goals in his NHL career. He retired in November 1983 when he was 28 years old.

Life After Hockey

After his NHL career, Ralph Klassen lived in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He worked as a mail carrier for Canada Post. Later, he moved to the village of Kinley, Saskatchewan. He coached a local senior hockey team called the "Perdue Pirates." He also took part in many community events.

Ralph Klassen passed away on August 3, 2020. He died from cancer.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International