He started his junior career in 1954. He played his last major league game with the WHA’s Quebec Nordiques in 1976. He played periodically in the CHL up until the 1980-81 season while taking on a General Manager/Head Coach role.
Ted Hampson played hockey at a high level for nearly 30 years. Yet, the man holds his position in the shadows of the hockey world.
Junior and Minor Pro
Hockey Card Collection
NHL/WHA Career
Coaching Career
Rookie Card
Career Stats
Ted Hampson – Junior and Minor Pro
Long before the Manitoba town was known for Bobby Clarke, Ted Hampson starred with the Flin Flon Bombers from 1954-55 to 1956-57. At the time, the team played in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL).
In 1955-56, Hampson scored 51 and assisted on 62 for 113 points over 48 regular season games for the Bombers. He led the league in points and assists, his point total setting a league record at the time. Flin Flon won the SJHL championship over the Prince Albert Mintos before falling to the Regina Pats in the Memorial Cup Western Canada semi-finals.
Ted Hampson Collection
The following year, Ted led the SJHL in scoring again. The award for such a feat was the C.W. McCool Trophy. Over 55 regular season games, he scored 48 and assisted on 70 for a new league record of 118 points. Hampson was the SJHL’s All-Star centre.
In 1956-57, the Bombers once again defeated Prince Albert for the league championship. In the Memorial Cup western finals, Flin Flon took out the Fort Williams Canadiens to earn a showdown with the Ottawa Junior Canadiens. The Bombers took that series in seven for the Canadian Major Junior championship. That year, Hampson also found time to see his first pro action, playing two games for the Brandon Regals of the WHL.
His rookie season in pro hockey came in 1957-58 in the American Hockey League with the Providence Reds. His first impact season came the year after with the Vancouver Canucks of the WHL. Hampson led the team with 41 assists and 68 points. The Canucks finished third overall in the nine team WHL and lost in the semi-finals to the Seattle Totems.
1959-60 would be the closest he’d ever come to a pro hockey championship. Playing 29 regular season games for the Rochester Americans of the AHL after appearing in 41 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ted was all in for the Calder Cup playoffs. He appeared in all 12 games for the Amerks but Rochester came up short, losing to the powerful Springfield Indians in the finals.
In all, Ted played in 330 regular season AHL games, scoring 84 and assisting on 162 for 246 points. He played in 32 Calder Cup playoff games, adding 19 points.
Ted Hampson – Major League Hockey
Hampson played 676 regular season games in the National Hockey League between 1959-60 and 1971-72 with the Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Oakland Seals and Minnesota North Stars. Over that time, he scored 108 goals and assisted on 245 for 353 points. In the Stanley Cup playoffs, he played 35 more games and added 17 points.
Originally the property of the Rangers, the Maple Leafs bought him off waivers for the 1959-60 season. He played just 41 games for Toronto before returning to the Rangers system.
In January, 1968, Ted was traded from the Red Wings to the Seals with John Brenneman and Bert Marshall, in exchange for Kent Douglas. During his stay in Oakland, Hampson would take on the role of team captain.
In 1968-69, Ted enjoyed by far his best season in the National Hockey League. Over 76 regular season games with the Fred Glover coached Seals, Hampson scored 26 and assisted on 49 for 75 points. He led the team in assists and points. His assist total tied him for sixth in the NHL with three others. All those other three are now in the Hockey Hall of Fame: Rod Gilbert of the Rangers, Jean Beliveau of the Canadiens and Bobby Hull of the Blackhawks.
Despite outscoring the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round of the 1968-69 Stanley Cup playoffs, Oakland fell in seven games. Hampson did all he could with seven points over those seven games. That year, he was honoured with the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance.
In March, 1971, 60 games into the 1970-71 NHL season, Ted was traded to the North Stars in exchange for Dick Redmond. The following summer, he was taken by the New York Islanders in the 1972 NHL Expansion Draft. He chose to jump to the World Hockey Association and never played in the NHL again.
Hampson played in the WHA from 1972-73 to 1975-76, mostly all with the Minnesota Fighting Saints. He played in 304 regular season games, scoring 60 and assisting on 144 for 204 points. In 33 playoff games, he added 22 points.
In his first WHA season, Ted was honoured with the Paul Deneau Trophy as the league’s most gentlemanly player. Over 76 games for the Fighting Saints, he sat just 20 minutes in the penalty box. Other Deneau winners include Ralph Backstrom, Mike Rogers, Vaclav Nedomansky, Dave Keon and Kent Nilsson.
In his final year of play in the WHA, the Minnesota franchise folded after 59 games. Hampson appeared in all 59. The team was coached by Harry Neale with Jack McCartan as his assistant. The Fighting Saints by no means lacked talent with their roster filled with the likes of Mike Walton, Dave Keon, Fran Huck, John McKenzie, Paul Holmgren and Bruce Boudreau. The team also had all three Carlsons, Jeff, Steve and Jack.
Ted hooked up with the Quebec Nordiques for the remainder of the 1975-76 season and called it quits at the end of the year. Sort of.
Ted Hampson – Coaching/Staff
Ted was head coach of the Oklahoma City Stars in the Central Hockey League for three years from 1978-79 to 1980-81. The team finished out of the playoffs in the first two years and lost in the opening round to the Tulsa Oilers in 1980-81. The Stars existed for just four years and Tom McVie replaced Hampson as head coach for their final season. Along the way, players like Warren Young, Henry Taylor and Hall of Famer Dino Ciccarelli spent time with the club.
Hampson was Director of Amateur Scouting with the St. Louis Blues from 1983-84 to 2003-04. After a brief stint as a scout with the Colorado Avalanche, Ted has been an amateur scout with the Vancouver Canucks since 2012-13.
Ted Hampson – Rookie Card
The Ted Hampson rookie card appears as number 34 in the 1959-60 Parkhurst set. He is shown with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He played just 41 games with the Maple Leafs, all in 1959-60.
Hampson did not appear on cardboard for four years from 1963-64 to 1966-67. During that time, he played sparingly with the Red Wings, appearing mostly with the Pittsburgh Hornets, Detroit’s AHL affiliate.
Ted Hampson Career Stats
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1954-55 | Flin Flon Bombers | SJHL | 13 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 4 |
| 1955-56 | Flin Flon Bombers | SJHL | 48 | 51 | 62 | 113 | 16 |
| 1956-57 | Flin Flon Bombers | SJHL | 55 | 48 | 70 | 118 | 37 |
| 1956-57 | Brandon Regals | WHL | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| 1957-58 | Providence Reds | AHL | 70 | 15 | 25 | 40 | 22 |
| 1958-59 | Vancouver Canucks | WHL | 66 | 27 | 41 | 68 | 23 |
| 1959-60 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 29 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 9 |
| 1959-60 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 41 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 17 |
| 1960-61 | New York Rangers | NHL | 69 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 4 |
| 1961-62 | New York Rangers | NHL | 68 | 4 | 24 | 28 | 10 |
| 1962-63 | Baltimore Clippers | AHL | 22 | 12 | 14 | 26 | 4 |
| 1962-63 | New York Rangers | NHL | 46 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| 1963-64 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 66 | 15 | 33 | 48 | 6 |
| 1963-64 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1964-65 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 64 | 15 | 39 | 54 | 39 |
| 1964-65 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965-66 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 72 | 20 | 29 | 49 | 6 |
| 1966-67 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| 1966-67 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 65 | 13 | 35 | 48 | 4 |
| 1967-68 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 37 | 9 | 18 | 27 | 10 |
| 1967-68 | Oakland Seals | NHL | 34 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 4 |
| 1968-69 | Oakland Seals | NHL | 76 | 26 | 49 | 75 | 6 |
| 1969-70 | Oakland Seals | NHL | 76 | 17 | 35 | 52 | 13 |
| 1970-71 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 60 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 14 |
| 1970-71 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 18 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 4 |
| 1971-72 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 78 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 6 |
| 1972-73 | Minnesota Fighting Saints | WHA | 77 | 17 | 45 | 62 | 20 |
| 1973-74 | Minnesota Fighting Saints | WHA | 77 | 17 | 38 | 55 | 9 |
| 1974-75 | Minnesota Fighting Saints | WHA | 78 | 17 | 36 | 53 | 6 |
| 1975-76 | Minnesota Fighting Saints | WHA | 59 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 14 |
| 1975-76 | Quebec Nordiques | WHA | 14 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 2 |
| 1978-79 | Oklahoma City Stars | CHL | 23 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 |
| 1979-80 | Oklahoma City Stars | CHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1980-81 | Oklahoma City Stars | CHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| NHL Totals | 676 | 108 | 245 | 353 | 94 | ||
| WHA Totals | 305 | 60 | 143 | 203 | 51 |