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| 1963 NHL DRAFT PICK |
 | Jim
McKenny
Selected in
third round
No. 17 overall by Toronto Maple Leafs
Born
December 1, 1946
 |
Position:
Defense
Height: 5-11 Weight: 185
Shot: R
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|
| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Neil McNeil Maroons (MTJHL)
Birthplace:
Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario |
 |
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| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year | Team | League | GP | G | A | TP | PIM | | 1962-63 | Neil
McNeil | MTJHL | 37 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 43 |
|
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: February 26, 1966 (Boston at
Toronto)
Numbers: 25, 18 (Toronto); 18 (Minnesota)
Stanley Cup: Never won.
Playing Status:
Retired 1979 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | | Years | Teams | GP | G | A | TP | PIM | | 1966-1978 | Toronto,
Minnesota | 604 | 82 | 247 | 329 | 294 |
|
| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS | | Years | Teams | GP | G | A | TP | PIM | | 1971-1977 | Toronto | 37 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 10 |
|
NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
All-Star Game: 1974
Miscellaneous:
Scored game-winning goal for Toronto in 1-0 win over Boston at Maple Leaf
Gardens on Feb. 24, 1968. The goal was the second of his NHL career. ..
Began 1969-70 season at right wing for Toronto, but was eventually moved
back to natural position of defense. ... Missed start of 1970-71 season with
dislocated elbow, suffered in Toronto's 1970 preseason. He did not make his 1970-71
season debut until Toronto's Nov. 6 game at
California. ... Paired on defense with Brian Glennie for Toronto in 1973-74
and 1974-75. ... Named
Toronto team NHLPA representative prior to 1974-75 season and remained in
that role until he left team following 1977-78 season. ... Missed part of
1974-75 season with charley horse, an injury suffered during Toronto's Oct.
19 game vs. Vancouver. He did not return to action until Toronto's Nov. 6
game vs. Minnesota. ... Missed part of 1974-75 season with broken left
thumb, suffered during Toronto's Jan. 8 game vs. Vancouver. He did not
return until Toronto's Jan. 23 game at Los Angeles. ... Played right wing
for Toronto in 1975-76. ... Played on line with Greg Hubick and Darryl
Sittler for Toronto in 1975-76. ... Missed part of 1975-76 season with knee
injury, suffered during Toronto's Dec. 20 game vs. Kansas City. he did not
return to action until Toronto's Feb. 25 game vs. Detroit. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams: Toronto (OHA); Rochester (AHL);
Tulsa (CHL); Vancouver (WHL); Dallas (CHL); Oklahoma City (CHL); Lyon
(France)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Memorial Cup: 1964 (Toronto)
AHL
Calder Cup:
1968 (Rochester)
WHL Patrick Cup: 1969 (Vancouver)
OHA
All-Star First Team:
1964-65, 1965-66 (Toronto)
CHL All-Star Second Team: 1977-78 (Dallas)
WHA Draft Pick:
1972 (by Chicago)
Coaching Career: Spent 1979-80 season coaching
teams in France and Switzerland after playing first half of season with his
French team.
Broadcasting Career: After his playing days,
McKenny went on to a broadcasting career that made him one of the most
popular TV sports. Initially working as sportscaster at CHUM radio, he moved
on to become Q107 radio's Sports Director in 1983 and eventually found his
signature job as a sports anchor Citytv in Toronto. Working under his nickname of "Howie",
McKenny became a regular sports anchor for Citytv's 6 p.m. news broadcast.
He has held that role since 1984. He was named the Top Sportscaster at the
1986 Walt Disney World Games and the Top Videographer at the 1987 Walt
Disney World Games. He was also named Toronto's Best Sportscaster by the
Toronto Sun newspaper in 1992 and placed third in that newspaper's
Sportscaster of the Year awards for 1998.
Miscellaneous:
Grew one inch after his draft year. ...
Missed part of 1967-68 season with broken left ankle. ... Roomed with Don
Cherry while playing for Rochester (AHL) in 1967-68 and 1968-69. ... Began
playing right wing for Rochester and
Vancouver (WHL) during the 1968-69 season. At Rochester, he scored 19 goals
and 50 points in 47 games, and at Vancouver he scored seven goals and 21
points in 18 games. ... Led WHL champion Vancouver Canucks in postseason
scoring with five goals and five assists in eight games. ... Played for Team
Canada in exhibition tour of Europe and Russia during the summer of
1969. ... Was second-highest scoring NHL defenseman in his rookie season of
1969-70 with 44 points. Only Bobby Orr had more points among NHL defensemen.
... Attended acting school in summer of 1970 because he was considering
becoming an actor after his NHL career ended. He played the leading role of
Billy Duke for on-ice scenes of a 1971 film called Face-Off about
a female singer who falls in love with a hockey star. ... Worked at hockey
school in Finland during summer of 1971. ... Worked in bicycle importing
business during summer of 1972. ... Demoted by Toronto to minor-league team
in Dallas in early December 1977, ending a run of eight years as a Maple Leafs regular.
... Took psychology classes at Carleton University during his years in
Toronto. ... Worked as male model (high-fashion men's clothing) in early
1980s before entering broadcasting.
McKenny's Heart Attack: At the age of 55, McKenny survived
a heart
attack. The heart attack took place while McKenny and his family were on
vacation in Jamaica in earlyNovember 2002. After playing golf and tennis in
the morning, an otherwise physically fit McKenny suffered the heart attack
despite having no warning signs or family history of heart disease. He was
rushed to a hospital in Montego Bay, where doctors tended to him until his
life was ultimately saved by an emergency
angioplasty in a Miami hospital. After the experience, McKenny became a
spokesman for the Toronto Chapter of the Heart and Stroke Foundation,
serving as its Heart Month Ambassador. He became part of a grassroots,
door-to-door effort to raise money to help fight heart disease throughout
Canada.
Personal: Full name is James
Claude McKenny. ... Nicknamed "Howie"
during his minor-league career for his resemblance to former NHL player Howie
Young. ... Considered one of the funniest players in NHL and a master of the
one-liner during his playing days, which helped pave way for career in
broadcasting after hockey. Most famous line: "Half of the game is mental
and the other half is being mental." |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| TRADE: Toronto traded McKenny to Minnesota in
exchange for cash and future considerations (rights to Owen Lloyd) on March
15, 1978. The deal, however, did not take effect until end of 1977-78
season. | |
AUTOGRAPH |
 | AUTOGRAPH SOURCE:
1976-77 Toronto media guide |
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|
SNAPSHOT '63 | | Total Selected: |
21 | | Forwards: |
13 | | Defense: |
6 | | Goaltenders: |
0 | | Position n/a: |
2 | | Major Junior: |
4 |
| College Players: |
0 |
| Canadian: |
21 |
| American: |
0 |
| European: |
0 |
| Reached NHL: |
5 |
| Won Stanley Cup: |
1 | | Hall of Fame: |
0 |
| All-Star Game: |
2
|
| Year-end All-Star: |
0
|
| Olympians: |
0
|
| Picks Traded: |
0 |
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