| Round | Overall |
| 2 | 15 |
 |
 |
Left-hand shot
Pre-Draft Statistics
| Year | Team | League | GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
| 1969-70 | Estevan | -- | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Flin Flon | WCHL | 47 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 126 | |
| 1970-71 | Flin Flon | WCHL | 66 | 35 | 40 | 75 | 211 |
Pre-Draft Notes
Led WCHL playoffs with 119 penalty minutes for Flin Flon in 1971.
Career Vitals
| First contract: | July 27, 1971 |
| Debut: | October 13, 1971 (California vs. Philadelphia) |
| Final NHL game: | February 9, 1972 (California vs. Philadelphia) |
| Retired: | 1982 |
| Stanley Cup: | Never won |
| Number: | 6 |
Career NHL Statistics
Team: California
Years: 1971-1972. Playoffs:
None
| Regular Season | |||||
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
| 1 year | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 15 |
| Stanley Cup Playoffs | |||||
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
| 0 years | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Complete statistics available at NHL.com | |||||
Pre-Draft Highlights
Set Flin Flon (WCHL) single-season record (later broken) for points by a
defenseman with 75 in 1970-71. ... Named to WCHL All-Star Second Team with
Flin Flon in 1970-71.
Career Highlights
Played left wing for most of his pro career, after being moved from defense with Alberta (WHA) in 1972-73.. ... Played on first Alberta/Edmonton Oilers WHA team in league's inaugural 1972-73 season. ... Played on 1977-78 Winnipeg team that won WHA regular-season title. ... Scored hat trick playing left wing for Winnipeg (WHA) in Dec. 11, 1977, game vs. Indianapolis while he was playing under a tryout contract. ... Won WHA AVCO World Trophy with Winnipeg in 1978.
Transaction History
July 7, 1972 -- Signed WHA contract with Alberta. Oct. 21, 1976 -- Released by Edmonton. Oct. 22, 1976 -- Signed with Calgary (WHA) as an unrestricted free agent. June 1977 -- Signed with Edmonton (WHA) as unrestricted free agent. Dec. 7, 1977 -- Signed tryout contract with Winnipeg (WHA) as an unrestricted free agent after being released by Edmonton. The tryout contract was later upgraded to a full contract for the remainder of the 1977-78 season.
Life Outside the NHL
Full Name: Kenneth
Stewart Baird
Other Post-Draft Teams: Oklahoma City (CHL); Alberta/Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg (WHA); Duisburg (West Germany)
Career Beyond Hockey: Returned to
his hometown of Snow Lake, Manitoba, after his retirement, and was
active in Oldtimers' hockey.
Significant Injuries
Missed part of 1973-74 season with inflamed sac around heart, an injury suffered when he crashed into an open door along the visiting team's bench during Edmonton's Nov. 20, 1973, WHA game vs. Cleveland. He was hospitalized for a few days as a result of the injury. ... Missed part of 1975-76 season with torn ligaments in knee, an injury suffered during Edmonton's Dec. 30, 1975, game at Toronto. The injury required surgery in January 1976.
Miscellaneous:
| Selected by Alberta Oilers in 1972 WHA Draft -- the first-ever WHA Draft -- in February 1972. | Came from a family in Snow Lake, Manitoba, that ran a butcher shop, where he worked.. | Was on "Go-Go line" with Ross Perkins and Rusty Patenaude for Alberta in 1972-73. | Was member of Calgary (WHA) team that folded on May 31, 1977, making him a free agent. |
| Selected by Chicago Cougars in 1972 WHA Draft -- the first-ever WHA Draft -- in February 1972. | Played left wing on a line with Dave Keon and Billy MacMillan for Toronto in 1970-71. | Worked as a penalty-killer on pairing with Gerry O'Flaherty for Vancouver in 1975-76 season. | Played for Vancouver Canucks Alumni team after his retirement. |
| SNAPSHOT '71 | |
| Total Selected: | 117 |
| Forwards: | 63 |
| Defense: | 45 |
| Goaltenders: | 9 |
| Major Junior: | 84 |
| College Players: | 19 |
| Canadian: | 107 |
| Euro-Canadian: | 2 |
| American: | 8 |
| European: | 0 |
| Reached NHL: | 50 |
| Won Stanley Cup: | 5 |
| Hall of Fame: | 3 |
| All-Star Game: | 10 |
| Year-end All-Star: | 5 |
| Olympians: | 4 |
| Picks Traded: | 18 |
| 1971 PICKS BY TEAM | ||
| Boston | Buffalo | California |
| Chicago | Detroit | Los Angeles |
| Minnesota | Montreal | New York |
| Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | St. Louis |
| Toronto | Vancouver | |
OTHERS DRAFTED IN 1971