New book highlights grandfather’s impact on hockey
Ken Randall was the founding captain of the Toronto Arenas
Ken Randall was the first player ever signed by the Toronto Arenas, the team’s first captain and the star defenceman on the Arenas’ first two Stanley Cup championships.
And yet while many of hiBNs teammates are In the Hockey Hall of Fame, Randall is not. His picture hangs on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ wall of captains at the Air Canada Centre. The Arenas, the original Toronto team when the National Hockey League formed in 1917, later became the Toronto St. Patrick’s before Conn Smythe renamed them the Maple Leafs.
Shayne Randall, who moved to Peterborough as a golf pro in 1963, is Ken Randall’s grandson. He has authored a biography on his grandfather called The Pepper Kid: The Life and Times of Ken Randall, Hockey’s Bad Hombre.
Shayne Randall said he released the book to bring attention to Randall’s legacy before he spearheads a campaign to nominate him for hockey’s hallowed shrine.
Shayne Randall was five years old in 1947 when his grandfather died at age 59.
Shayne’s family lived with Randall for a short time while Shayne’s father, Fen, transitioned out of the army into civilian life following the Second World War. It was during that time Randall passed away.
“I remember listening to a hockey game on the radio with him by Foster Hewitt. He played in the first game that Foster Hewitt broadcast on the radio in 1923,” said Randall, who signed copies of his book at Chapters on Saturday.
Shayne’s cousin Ken, named after his grandfather, kept a lot of memorabilia of the senior Randall’s hockey career.
“When I retired I started digging into it more and thought if I could get enough information I’d start a campaign to get him into the Hockey Hall of Fame. As I gathered all the information I realized I had a book,” said Shayne, who owned the first Subway franchise in Peterborough and authored a book in 2011 called So You Want to Own a Subway Franchise?
After playing in the National Hockey Association, the NHL’s predecessor, Ken Randall played 219 NHL games over 10 seasons, scoring 70 goals with 15 game winners.
“That’s 21 per cent,” said Shayne. “I looked back at 100 years of NHL history and nobody has 21 per cent (game winners). The next closest is Bernie Geoffrion at 20.”
Randall was traded in 1923 to the Hamilton Tigers. When they suspended operations, his contract was purchased by the New York Americans where he played in the first game at Madison Square Garden. He later went on to coach and refereed more than 400 professional games.
Shayne Randall discovered his grandfather was one of the most vicious and feared players of his time. He was once charged for taking a man’s eye out with his hockey stick. He was exonerated at trial.
Randall said his grandfather had two hockey sticks for each game.
“One he kept on the bench. He had the end of it honed so sharp you could shave with it. He’d switch sticks and go out and carve guys with it,” he said. “They were butchers, some of them. Anyone who reads the book will realize it was a brutal time.”
Randall wonders if that fierce reputation has anything to do with him not getting Hall of Fame consideration. He believes the statistics and his historical significance make him worthy. He’ll nominate him for the 2019 induction class.
The book is available at Chapters and on Amazon.com.