Ken Wharram: In the Shadow of Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita in Chicago

Impossibly small in stature by today’s standards at 5’9″ and 155 pounds, Ken Wharram played a big role in the world of hockey for two decades. A standout in junior in the early 1950’s with the Galt Black Hawks, Wharram starred in the AHL before becoming a regular with the Chicago Black Hawks for the glory days of the 1960’s.

Ken Wharram – Junior Hockey

Ken Wharram – Buffalo Bisons

Ken Wharram Hockey Cards

Ken Wharram – NHL

Ken Wharram Rookie Card

Ken Wharram Career Stats

Ken Wharram – Junior Hockey

Wharram played three years in the OHA with the Galt Black Hawks from 1950-51 to 1952-53. The Black Hawks ceased to exist after the following year, 1954-55. Over his junior career, Ken played 152 regular season games, scoring 104 and and assisting on 157 for 261 points.

His second year with Galt saw Wharram explode offensively. Over 45 regular season games, he scored 35 and assisted on 79 for 114 points. He placed second in the league for assists and fifth for points. The following year, he excelled in the playoffs. Galt fell to Toronto St. Michael’s in the Robertson Cup finals. In that 1952-53 playoff season, Ken scored 9 and assisted on 14 for 23 points over eleven games.

Ken Wharram – Buffalo Bisons

Before becoming a full time NHLer with Chicago starting in 1958-59, Ken played sporadically with the Black Hawks but spent most of his time with the Buffalo Bisons in the American Hockey League. Two years stood out with the Bisons, 1954-55 and 1955-56.

Ken Wharram Collection

In 1954-55, Wharram scored 33 and assisted on 49 for 82 points over 63 regular season games with Buffalo. He tied for fourth in the league for goals, placed fourth for assists and finished tied for second for points. He was the Bisons team leader in both the playoffs in his first full year in the league, yet he was limited to a Second Team All-Star role and was not awarded the Dudley ‘Red’ Garrett Award as rookie of the year. Instead, that honour went to Jim Anderson of the Springfield Indians.

In the Calder Cup playoffs, Kenny scored nine and totalled 16 points over ten games. Buffalo reached the finals before losing to the Howie Meeker coached Pittsburgh Hornets in seven games.

The following year, 1955-56, Wharram showed off his playmaking skills but the Bisons were not nearly as successful as a team. Ken scored 27 and assisted on 63 for 90 points over 59 regular season games. He placed second for assists and fourth for points.

Ken Wharram – NHL

Wharram was a regular with the Chicago Black Hawks from 1958-59 to 1968-69. He would have continued on into the 1970’s if not for a career ending incident at the 1969-70 training camp. After complaining of chest pains, Ken was diagnosed with Myocarditis. He never played again and officially announced his retirement at the start of the 1970-71 season.

Ken played 766 regular season games over his National Hockey League career, scoring 252 and assisting on 281 for 533 points. He played an additional 80 games in the Stanley Cup playoffs, adding 43 points.

Wharram played an important role in Chicago capturing the 1960-61 Stanley Cup championship. Over 12 games, he added eight points. However, on an individual level, 1963-64 was the pinnacle of his NHL career. He scored 39 and totalled 71 points while playing the full 70 game schedule.

That year, he tied for second in the goals department with teammate Stan Mikita. They were both behind teammate Bobby Hull who led the NHL with 43 goals. Chicago was such an offensive threat that year that the next player behind the trio was Camille Henry of the New York Rangers with ten less goals that Wharram and Mikita.

Ken was awarded the Lady Byng Trophy in 1963-64 as the league’s most gentlemanly player. He sat just nine minor penalties for 18 PIM. Between him, Mikita and Hull, they would win the Byng in four of five seasons from 1963-64 to 1967-68.

In 1966-67 on a Chicago team that dominated the league offensively and should have dominated the playoffs, but didn’t, Ken tied for second in goals with 31, once again behind Hull (52) and tied with Mikita. He also tied for fourth in points with Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings, both with 65.

Even in his final year, Wharram was still an offensive threat. In 1968-69, he scored 30 and totalled 69 points over 76 regular season games. The game had changed, though, and his numbers distanced him from the leaders.

Ken Wharram – Rookie Card

The Ken Wharram rookie card appears as number 14 in the 1958-59 Topps set. His teammate Bobby Hull also has his rookie card appear in that set and that card is valued at $3,000. Wharram’s rookie card is a bit overlooked and is valued as a common card. That is a bit of a shame but I’m sure the card fetches much more in the Chicago area.

Ken Wharram Career Stats

Season	Team	Lge	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1950-51	Galt Black Hawks	OHA	53	35	38	73	28
1951-52	Galt Black Hawks	OHA	45	35	79	114	37
1951-52	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	1	0	0	0	0
1952-53	Galt Black Hawks	OHA	54	34	40	74	42
1953-54	Quebec Aces	QHL	29	7	10	17	8
1953-54	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	29	1	7	8	8
1954-55	Buffalo Bisons	AHL	63	33	49	82	15
1955-56	Buffalo Bisons	AHL	59	27	63	90	27
1955-56	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	3	0	0	0	0
1956-57	Buffalo Bisons	AHL	64	28	49	77	18
1957-58	Buffalo Bisons	AHL	58	31	26	57	14
1958-59	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	66	10	9	19	14
1959-60	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	59	14	11	25	16
1960-61	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	64	16	29	45	12
1961-62	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	62	14	23	37	24
1962-63	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	55	20	18	38	17
1963-64	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	70	39	32	71	18
1964-65	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	68	24	20	44	27
1965-66	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	69	26	17	43	28
1966-67	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	70	31	34	65	21
1967-68	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	74	27	42	69	18
1968-69	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	76	30	39	69	19
	NHL Totals		766	252	281	533	222