Forbes Kennedy

Forbes Taylor Kennedy (born August 18, 1935 in Dorchester, New Brunswick) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. In 603 career NHL games Kennedy recorded 70 goals and 108 assists for 178 points and 988 penalty minutes.

Born in New Brunswick, Kennedy was raised on Prince Edward Island. He was a solid performer for the junior Halifax St Marys in 1952-53 before playing three years with the Montreal Junior Canadiens.

On May 24, 1956, he was traded by the Montreal Canadiens to the weak Chicago Black Hawks, a move that gave Kennedy a better shot at reaching the NHL. It was also, with other player trades, meant to strengthen the weak Chicago franchise.

He made his NHL debut with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1956-57 and centred a useful checking line with Hec Lalande and Harry Watson. In July 1957 he was part of the package sent to the Detroit Red Wings in the mean-spirited trade that brought Ted Lindsay to Chicago. He played two full seasons for the Wings but soon found himself spending more time in the minors.

Kennedy received a new lease on life when he was traded to the woeful Boston Bruins in December 1962. He spent four years in Boston before the Bruins started to improve their depth at forward. Kennedy spent the 1966-67 season with the old Califiornia Seals of the WHL before being selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft. He spent nearly two full years as a checker for the young club.

He was then traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs where he played his last 13 NHL games in 1968-69. During Game 1 of the 1969 Quarter-finals versus the Boston Bruins, Kennedy was involved in multiple fights and punched a linesman. He was suspended for 4 games, which ended his season. He had knee surgery during the off-season and never played in the NHL again.

After one last season of minor pro in 1969-70 he went back to Halifax to coach the junior Halifax Canadiens. He later moved back to PEI to coach a junior club in Charlottetown.

He later coached the Winston-Salem Polar Twins in 1975-76 and the Richmond Wildcats in 1976-77. They were both teams in the Southern Hockey League

Video
Footage of the third period melee between the Bruins and Leafs during Game 1 of the 1969 Quarter-finals in which Forbes Kennedy has multiple fights, April 2, 1969.