June 19--Walt McKechnie

Walt McKechnie

Selected in first round by Toronto Maple Leafs, number 6 overall in the 1963 NHL draft.

CAREER NHL STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1968-1983 MIN, CAL/CLE, BOS, DET, WAS, TOR, COL 955 214 392 606 469

CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1968-1979 Minnesota, Toronto 15 7 5 12 7 His arrival marked the beginning of a lengthy big-league career that became one of the most nomadic in NHL history. In total, he changed major-league teams 12 times with stops in the minors coming on four occasions. In fact, he was once on the rosters of five different clubs over a 12-month period, although one was only on paper. But perhaps the most defining characteristic of McKechnie's career was that he played for nine teams that finished in last place or were destined to be tail enders before he was traded. But through it all, he consistently brought his strong playmaking skills and effective ability to dig puck from the corners to all of the teams he represented. Today, McKechnie owns and operates "McKeck's", a family-style restaurant on Highland Street in Haliburton, Ontario