Keke Mortson

Cleland Lindsay "Keke" Mortson (March 29, 1934 – December 8, 1995) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 73 games in the World Hockey Association for the Houston Aeros. His hockey career spanned 27 years, which included playing more than 1,000 games in minor league hockey, and 576 games in the American Hockey League. Mortson was posthumously inducted into the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.

Early life Cleland Lindsay Mortson was born on March 29, 1934, in Arntfield, Quebec. He was the second of five children to parents Malcolm and Irene Mortson. He grew up in Swastika, Ontario, then lived in Cobalt, Ontario during World War II.

Playing career Mortson played the centre and right wing positions in hockey. His first semi-professional season was in 1952–53, with the New Haven Nutmegs. After briefly returning to junior hockey, he finished the 1953–54 season playing his first three professional games with the Cleveland Barons. His first complete professional season was in 1954–55, with the Troy Bruins in the International Hockey League, scoring 25 goals. The Bruins played in the Turner Cup finals, losing in seven games. He then returned to Canada, playing four seasons of senior hockey before getting another chance to play professionally.

The National Hockey League established the Eastern Professional Hockey League in 1959, and Mortson joined the Sudbury Wolves team. Sudbury finished first place in 1960, and were runners up for the Tom Foley Memorial Trophy in the playoffs. Mortson played two and a half seasons in the EPHL with Sudbury, and still had the fourth most assists, and eighth most points in the history of the four-year league.

Mortson was recruited by Murray Costello to move west in 1967, and join the Seattle Totems. At age 34, he played in all 72 games that regular season, and in the playoffs won his first team championship as a player, winning the Lester Patrick Cup, as champions of the Western Hockey League. Mortson returned to the AHL for the 1968–69 season with the Baltimore Clippers, but partway through the next season, he went back to the WHL with the Vancouver Canucks. In the 1970 playoffs, the Canucks won the Lester Patrick Cup, giving Mortson his second championship.

Mortson would end up playing with a different team each season, for the remainder of his career. He played with the Rochester Americans in the 1970–71 season, then the Dallas Black Hawks in the 1970–71 season. Playing with Dallas, his team reached the Adams Cup finals in the Central Hockey League, but lost in six games. Mortson who was now 37 years old, returned to the AHL in the 1971–72 season, and was named captain of the Cincinnati Swords. His team placed third in the regular season, only one point out of first place, and reach the second round of the playoffs. The World Hockey Association was founded in 1972, and Mortson at age 38, made his major league debut with the Houston Aeros in the 1972–73 season. He played 67 games in the season, scoring 13 goals, as the oldest player on the team.

The Southern Hockey League was founded in 1973, and Mortson played for the Macon Whoopees. While playing, he was also hired to be the team's head coach, and general manager. Mortson was hired because he was the favourite player of team owner Jerry Pinkerton, when Mortson played in Hershey. Mortson used his WHA connections to establish affiliation agreements with both the Houston Aeros and Cleveland Crusaders. Mortson was the team's leading scorer, with 24 goals, and 51 assists in 59 games, and was also the first hockey player to wear the number 99. Mortson finished the remainder of the 1973–74 season with the Jacksonville Barons, and was named team captain.

After taking a year off, at age 42 Mortson played 16 games including playoffs, for the Buffalo Norsemen of the North American Hockey League. Mortson returned briefly two years later with the Houston Aeros as a late season replacement, playing six games during the season, and two more in the WHA playoffs at age 44.

Personal life Mortson spent summers in North Bay, Ontario, playing fastpitch softball from the late-1950s until 1975, then umpired softball from 1975 to 1985. His remains were cremated and interred in Terrace Lawn Cemetery in North Bay. He had first been elected to the hall of fame in 1989, but asked for it to be deferred.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs statistics.