Eddie Kachur
| Eddie Kachur | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1934 |
| Died | 2014 |
| Years in Thunder Bay | by 1947–1953; from 1970 |
Edward Charles "Ed" Kachur (April 22, 1934 – December 16, 2014) was a Canadian ice hockey forward who played 96 games in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks during the 1956–57 and 1957–58 seasons. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1953 to 1972, was spent in the minor leagues.[1]
Thunder Bay connections
Edward Charles "Ed" Kachur (April 22, 1934 – December 16, 2014) was a Canadian ice hockey forward who was born in Fort William, Ontario, and died in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Early in his career he played junior hockey for the Fort William Canadiens in the Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League from 1949 to 1953, including appearances in the 1952 and 1953 Memorial Cup playoffs.
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
Eddie Kachur was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 as an athlete (ceremony date given as 26 September 1998), for hockey.[2]
Kachur began his competitive Hockey career in Fort William, where he was named the most valuable player of the Fort William Bantam Hockey Club for the 1947-48 season. He progressed to the Fort William Canadiens of the District junior league, playing there from 1949 to 1953. During his tenure with the Canadiens, he established himself as a high-scoring threat, once recording six goals in a single match, and concluded his junior career by winning the Northwestern Ontario junior championship.[2]
In 1953, Kachur entered the professional ranks with the Cincinnati Mohawks of the International Hockey League. He helped the club secure the National Senior Championship and set a league milestone as the first player to score four goals in one game. He then joined the Shawinigan Falls Cataracts, a farm team for the Montreal Canadiens in the Quebec Hockey League. During his two seasons in Shawinigan Falls, he recorded 56 goals and 48 assists, winning a QHL title and earning a spot on the league's second All-Star team for 1955-56.[2]
After narrowly missing a roster spot with the Montreal Canadiens in favor of Henri Richard, Kachur joined the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League. He played for the Black Hawks from 1956 to 1958 before moving to the American Hockey League with the Buffalo Bisons, reaching the Calder Cup finals in 1959. Following a stint with the Sault Ste. Marie Thunderbirds of the Eastern Professional Hockey League, where he was a first-team All-Star and the third-highest point scorer in 1960-61, he returned to the Bisons and won the Calder Cup in 1963.[2]
Kachur was traded to the Los Angeles Blades of the Western Hockey League in 1964 before beginning a six-year tenure with the Providence Reds. During the 1967-68 season, he was named an AHL All-Star after scoring 47 goals, a total that surpassed every other player in both the NHL and the AHL that year. He finished his career in the early 1970s as a playing coach for the Thunder Bay Twins and the Johnstown Jets of the Eastern Hockey League. He retired in 1972 due to persistent shoulder injuries and later played for the Thunder Bay Oldtimers.[2]
In recognition of his contributions to the sport, Kachur was inducted into the Providence Reds Sports Hall of Fame in 1973 and the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.[2]
Residence in the Thunder Bay area (by 1947–1953; from 1970) rests on the following dated evidence. Played for Fort William hockey clubs from 1947 to 1953 and returned to the area to play for and coach the Thunder Bay Twins in the early 1970s.[2]
Achievements listed in the profile:
- Named Most Valuable Player of the Fort William Bantam Hockey Club for 1947-48
- Won the Northwestern Ontario District junior title with the Fort William Canadiens in 1952-53
- Became the first player in the International Hockey League to score four goals in a single game
- Won the Quebec Hockey League Championship with the Shawinigan Falls Cataracts
- Selected to the Quebec Hockey League second All-Star team for the 1955-56 season
- Reached the Calder Cup finals with the Buffalo Bisons in 1958-59
- Named an Eastern Professional Hockey League first-team All-Star in 1960-61
- Won the Calder Cup with the Buffalo Bisons in 1962-63
- Led both the NHL and AHL in goals scored during the 1967-68 season with 47 goals
- Voted an American Hockey League All-Star for the 1967-68 season
- Inducted into the Providence Reds Sports Hall of Fame in 1973[2]
Associates
- Henri Richard, professional rival for a roster spot[2]
References
- ↑ This article incorporates text from the Wikipedia article on Eddie Kachur, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 "Eddie Kachur", athlete profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/athlete-profile/c3095e88-e87e-4e89-b44a-a18d825c4629 (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.