Ed Kea

Adriaan Jozef Kea (January 19, 1948 – August 31, 1999) was a Dutch-born Canadian ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League with the Atlanta Flames and St. Louis Blues from 1974 to 1983.

Playing career

Born in Weesp, North Holland, Netherlands, but raised in Collingwood, Ontario (his family moved to Canada when he was four years old), Kea started his National Hockey League career with the Atlanta Flames. He also played with the St. Louis Blues. His career lasted from 1974 to 1983. Kea was the father of stand-up comedian Gabe Kea from Cincinnati, and uncle of Jeff Beukeboom and Joe Nieuwendyk.

Injury and retirement

Kea was playing for the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, the Blues' Central Hockey League affiliate in Salt Lake City in 1983 when he suffered severe head trauma as he fell and hit his head on the ice during a game. The injury left him physically and mentally disabled. Because he was playing in a minor league game, NHL benefits for catastrophic injuries did not apply to his case, and he and his family struggled financially for several years because he was unable to hold a job.

Post-playing career and death

On September 1, 1999, Kea accidentally drowned at his family's summer home in Six Mile Lake in Ontario. He was 51 years old. In 2012, Dave Bidini claimed in an opinion article for the National Post that Kea committed suicide due to undiagnosed injuries and concussions from his playing career.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1967–68 Collingwood Legionnaires OHA-C — — — — — — — — — — 1967–68 Collingwood Kings OHA Sr 2 0 1 1 0 — — — — — 1968–69 Collingwood Legionnaires OHA-C — — — — — — — — — — 1968–69 Collingwood Kings OHA Sr 8 0 1 1 4 — — — — — 1969–70 Jersey Devils EHL 52 4 18 22 130 — — — — — 1970–71 Seattle Totems WHL 5 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 1970–71 Jersey Devils EHL 74 8 26 34 148 — — — — — 1971–72 St. Petersburg Suns EHL 63 10 39 49 107 6 2 2 4 20 1972–73 Omaha Knights CHL 68 10 22 32 145 11 3 3 6 10 1973–74 Atlanta Flames NHL 3 0 2 2 0 — — — — — 1973–74 Tulsa Oilers CHL 51 6 17 23 38 — — — — — 1974–75 Atlanta Flames NHL 50 1 9 10 39 — — — — — 1974–75 Omaha Knights CHL 21 6 6 12 26 — — — — — 1975–76 Atlanta Flames NHL 78 8 19 27 101 2 0 0 0 7 1976–77 Atlanta Flames NHL 72 4 21 25 63 3 0 1 1 2 1977–78 Atlanta Flames NHL 60 3 23 26 40 1 0 0 0 0 1978–79 Atlanta Flames NHL 53 6 18 24 40 2 0 0 0 0 1978–79 Tulsa Oilers CHL 2 0 3 3 0 — — — — — 1979–80 St. Louis Blues NHL 69 3 16 19 79 3 0 0 0 2 1980–81 St. Louis Blues NHL 74 3 18 21 60 11 1 2 3 12 1981–82 St. Louis Blues NHL 78 2 14 16 62 10 1 1 2 16 1982–83 St. Louis Blues NHL 46 0 5 5 24 — — — — — 1982–83 Salt Lake Golden Eagles CHL 9 1 4 5 10 — — — — — NHL totals 583 30 145 175 508 32 2 4 6 39