Ken Block (ice hockey)

Ken Block
Born	(1944-03-18) March 18, 1944 Steinbach, MB, CAN
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	Vancouver Canucks New York Raiders (WHA) New Jersey Knights (WHA) San Diego Mariners (WHA) Indianapolis Racers (WHA)
Playing career	1964–1979

Kenneth Richard Block (born March 18, 1944) is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 455 games in the World Hockey Association and one game in the National Hockey League.

Playing career

After a solid junior career with the Flin Flon Bombers, Block turned pro in 1964 and spent three seasons in the New York Rangers farm system without seeing any NHL action before being selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft. He would be a King for just two days before he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the rights to Hall of Famer Red Kelly, who had retired as a player but accepted a job coaching the Kings. Opportunities to break into a deep Toronto squad were slim, and Block spent the next five seasons toiling for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League, where he played on the same blueline with and was later coached by Don Cherry.

Block would catch a break in 1970 when the owners of the WHL Vancouver Canucks were granted an NHL expansion franchise of the same name. Since the Canucks still owned his WHL rights from a stint there several years prior, his NHL rights were transferred to Vancouver. In 1970–71, Vancouver's inaugural season, Block would play his first and only NHL game.

Well-established as one of the better offensive defenders in the AHL, Block jumped at the chance to play at a higher level and move to the upstart World Hockey Association in 1972, joining the New York Raiders. His first season in the WHA would be the best of his career, as he recorded 5 goals and 53 assists for 58 points, good for 3rd amongst WHA defenders in assists and 6th in points. He would have another strong season in 1973–74, recording 3 goals and 43 assists for 46 points. However, the franchise proved unstable moving first to New Jersey and then to San Diego for the 1974–75 season.

Mid-way through the 1974–75 campaign, Block was dealt to the Indianapolis Racers, where he would play his final 5 seasons before retiring in 1979. In his last season, he played briefly with a young Wayne Gretzky before Gretzky was dealt to the Edmonton Oilers. With the dissolution of the WHA in 1979 and merger with the NHL, Block would be one of the few players to stay in the WHA from the beginning to end of its existence.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1962–63	Flin Flon Bombers	SJHL		54	5	11	16	34		6	2	5	7	4
1963–64	Flin Flon Bombers	MJHL		62	14	43	57	59		2	1	3	4	0
1964–65	New York Rovers	EHL		70	5	31	36	51		—	—	—	—	—
1964–65	Baltimore Clippers	AHL		5	0	2	2	2		5	1	0	1	2
1965–66	Baltimore Clippers	AHL		37	2	8	10	6		—	—	—	—	—
1965–66	Minnesota Rangers	CPHL		30	0	6	6	8		—	—	—	—	—
1966–67	Omaha Knights	CPHL		10	0	4	4	6		—	—	—	—	—
1966–67	Vancouver Canucks	WHL		62	8	22	30	18		8	1	3	4	0
1967–68	Memphis South Stars	CPHL		18	5	5	10	24		—	—	—	—	—
1967–68	Vancouver Canucks	WHL		17	2	6	8	4		—	—	—	—	—
1967–68	Rochester Americans	AHL		24	1	1	2	0		—	—	—	—	—
1968–69	Vancouver Canucks	WHL		22	1	2	3	6		—	—	—	—	—
1968–69	Rochester Americans	AHL		45	4	15	19	10		—	—	—	—	—
1969–70	Rochester Americans	AHL		69	9	35	44	51		—	—	—	—	—
1970–71	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1970–71	Rochester Americans	AHL		71	5	33	38	38		—	—	—	—	—
1971–72	Rochester Americans	AHL		71	4	29	33	69		—	—	—	—	—
1972–73	New York Raiders	WHA		78	5	53	58	43		—	—	—	—	—
1973–74	New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights	WHA		74	3	43	46	22		—	—	—	—	—
1974–75	San Diego Mariners	WHA		36	1	11	12	12		—	—	—	—	—
1974–75	Indianapolis Racers	WHA		37	0	17	17	18		—	—	—	—	—
1975–76	Indianapolis Racers	WHA		79	1	25	26	28		7	0	4	4	2
1976–77	Indianapolis Racers	WHA		52	3	10	13	25		9	0	2	2	6
1977–78	Indianapolis Racers	WHA		77	1	25	26	34		—	—	—	—	—
1978–79	Indianapolis Racers	WHA		22	2	3	5	10		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
WHA totals				455	16	187	203	192		16	0	6	6	8
AHL totals				322	25	123	148	178		5	1	0	1	2
WHL totals				101	11	30	41	28		8	1	3	4	0
CPHL totals				48	5	11	16	30		—	—	—	—	—

See also

• List of players who played only one game in the NHL

External links

• Ken Block career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Ken Block biography at Legends of Hockey (archived)
• Ken Block player profile at NHL.com