{{Short description|Canadian ice hockey player (1934–1995)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}} {{Use Canadian English|date=March 2023}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | name = Keke Mortson | image = Keke Mortson photo.JPG | alt = Headshot photo of Keke Mortson as the player-coach of the Macon Whoopees | birth_date = {{birth date|1934|03|29|mf=y}} | birth_place = Arntfield, Quebec, Canada | death_date = {{death date and age|1995|12|08|1934|03|29|mf=y}} | death_place = North Bay, Ontario, Canada | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 0 | weight_lb = 175 | position = Centre / Right wing | shoots = Right | played_for = Houston Aeros | career_start = 1951 | career_end = 1978 }}
'''Cleland Lindsay''' "'''Keke'''" '''Mortson''' (March 29, 1934{{spnd}}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.<ref name="hockeydb">{{cite web|url=http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=8742|title=Cleland 'Keke' Mortson hockey statistics and profile|website=hockeydb.com|access-date=2018-03-21}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Nugget-funeral">{{cite news|title=Cleland Lindsay "Keke" Mortson|date=December 13, 1995|newspaper=North Bay Nugget|location=North Bay, Ontario|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120877953/mortson-1995/}}</ref>
==Playing career== Mortson played the centre and right wing positions in hockey.<ref name="NBSHOF">{{cite web|url=http://www.northbaysportshalloffame.ca/Inductee.aspx?ID=248|title=Cleland Lindsay 'Keke' Mortson|date=2011-11-13|website=North Bay Sports Hall of Fame|access-date=2018-03-21}}</ref> 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.<ref name="EPHL">{{cite web|url=http://hockeyleaguehistory.com/Eastern_Professional_Hockey_League_1959.htm|title=Eastern Professional Hockey League (1959-63)|website=hockeyleaguehistory.com|publisher=|access-date=2018-03-21}}</ref> 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.<ref name="EPHL" /> Mortson moved up to the Hershey Bears partway through the 1961–62 season. He scored 32 goals in the 1962–63 season, as Hershey reached the Calder Cup finals, but lost in game seven. Mortson moved closer to home, and played four full seasons with the Quebec Aces. He scored a personal best 33 goals in the 1965–66 season, finished second in the league with 95 points, and was named an AHL second team all-star.<ref name="elitepro">{{cite web|url=http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=342031|title=Cleland Mortson|website=Eliteprospects.com|access-date=2018-03-21}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hockeygods.com/images/15250-Vancouver_Canucks_1970_Lester_Patrick_Cup_Champions___Western_Hockey_League|title=Vancouver Canucks 1970 Lester Patrick Cup Champions - Western Hockey League|date=2017-05-03|website=HockeyGods|access-date=2018-03-21}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news|last=College|first=Toni|title=Swords Debut Here Tonight|newspaper=Cincinnati Enquirer|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|pages=25|date=1971-10-08|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/100906965/|access-date=2018-03-21}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0002461973.html|title=Houston Aeros 1972-73 roster and scoring statistics|website=hockeydb.com|access-date=2018-03-21}}</ref> 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.<ref name="fierro">{{cite news|last=Fierro|first=Robert|title=Unhappy Anniversary for the Macon Whoopees|newspaper=The New York Times|location=New York City|pages=2|language=English|date=1976-02-22|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/02/22/archives/unhappy-anniversary-for-the-macon-whoopees-a-team-is-born-no-pay.html|access-date=2018-03-21}}</ref><ref name="macon">{{cite web|url=http://www.macon.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/bobby-pope/article41472372.html|title=Hockey makes its return to Macon|last=Pope|first=Bobby|date=2015-10-26|website=Macon.com|publisher=The Telegraph|access-date=2018-03-21}}</ref> Mortson was hired because he was the favourite player of team owner Jerry Pinkerton, when Mortson played in Hershey.<ref name="Grisamore">{{cite book|last1=Grisamore|first1=Ed|last2=Buckley|first2=Bill|title=Once Upon a Whoopee: A Town, a Team, a Song, a Dream|publisher=Mercer University Press|date=1998|location=Macon, Georgia|pages=12|language=English |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TH7nmIjcteQC|isbn=0-86554-625-8}}</ref> Mortson used his WHA connections to establish affiliation agreements with both the Houston Aeros and Cleveland Crusaders.<ref name="museum">{{cite web|url=http://www.georgiahockeymuseum.com/whoopees.html|title=Macon Woopees|date=2017|website=Georgia Hockey Museum|access-date=2018-03-21}}</ref> 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.<ref name="museum" /> When the Whoopees folded in February due to financial issues, Mortson had led the team to 22 wins in 62 games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hockeydb.com/stte/macon-whoopees-6707.html|title=Macon Whoopees hockey team statistics and history|website=hockeydb.com|access-date=2018-02-04|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141118154615/http://www.hockeydb.com/stte/macon-whoopees-6707.html|archivedate=2014-11-18}}</ref> Mortson finished the remainder of the 1973–74 season with the Jacksonville Barons, and was named team captain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jacksonville.com/sports/jacksonville-icemen/2017-10-11/icemen-plan-elude-jacksonville-s-past-hockey-pitfalls|title=IceMen plan to elude Jacksonville's past hockey pitfalls|last=Freeman|first=Clayton|date=2017-10-11|publisher=The Florida Times Union|access-date=2018-03-21}}</ref>
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.<ref name="hockeydb" /> When returning to the Aeros in 1978, he was warned to be careful then replied, "Be careful? That's no good – you're not trying if you do that".<ref name="Nugget-funeral" /> He retired with 1,401 points scored in 1,410 professional games played, including 348 goals.<ref name="Nugget-funeral" /><ref name="Nugget-obituary">{{cite news|title=Well-known athlete Keke Mortson dies|date=December 9, 1995|newspaper=North Bay Nugget|location=North Bay, Ontario|page=2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120877851/mortson-1995/}}</ref>
==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.<ref name="Nugget-funeral" /><ref name="Nugget-obituary" /> After his professional career, he retired to North Bay, and played oldtimers hockey and softball. In 1985, he coached the North Bay Sun Life team to an Ontario Baseball Association midget championship.<ref name="Nugget-funeral" /><ref name="NBSHOF" /> He was also involved with the annual John D'Amico skate-a-thon fundraiser for Easter Seals.<ref name="Nugget-funeral" /><ref name="Nugget-obituary" /> He also contributed annually to an academic award for a student in Swastika.<ref name="Nugget-funeral" />
Mortson had two children with his first wife was Clara, and a stepson with his second wife Jane.<ref name="Nugget-funeral" /> He died at his home in North Bay, on December 8, 1995, after a short illness.<ref name="Nugget-funeral" /><ref name="Nugget-obituary" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sihrhockey.org/__a/members/deaths_by_year.cfm?year=1995&month=12|title=Player Death Index - 1995|website=Society for International Hockey Research|access-date=2018-03-21}}</ref> His remains were cremated and interred in Terrace Lawn Cemetery in North Bay.<ref name="Nugget-funeral" />
The North Bay Sports Hall of Fame posthumously inducted Mortson in 1996.<ref name="NBSHOF" /><ref name="Posthumous">{{cite news|title=Posthumous honour for Mortson|date=January 24, 1996|newspaper=North Bay Nugget|location=North Bay, Ontario|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120877690/mortson-1996/}}</ref> He had first been elected to the hall of fame in 1989, but asked for it to be deferred.<ref name="Posthumous" /> He was remembered by the ''North Bay Nugget'' as "a very colorful and vocal individual",<ref name="Nugget-obituary" /> and posthumously named chairman of the annual old-timers softball tournament in North Bay.<ref>{{cite news|title=Keke will be keeping an eye on tourney|last=Umphrey|first=Mike|date=August 30, 1996|newspaper=North Bay Nugget|location=North Bay, Ontario|page=21|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120877648/mortson-1996/}}</ref>
==Career statistics== Regular season and playoffs statistics.<ref name="hockeydb" /><ref name="elitepro" />
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:75%" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Regular Season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season !! Team !! League !! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM !! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM |- ALIGN="center" |1951–52||Kitchener Greenshirts||OHA Jr.||3||0||0||0||0||–||–||–||–||– |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |1952–53||New Haven Nutmegs||EAHL||58||17||52||69||55||5||4||2||6||7 |- ALIGN="center" |1953–54||Barrie Flyers||OHA Jr.||align="center" colspan="10"|''statistics unavailable'' |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |1953–54||Cleveland Barons||AHL||3||0||1||1||0||–||–||–||–||– |- ALIGN="center" |1954–55||Troy Bruins||IHL||60||25||23||48||108||11||3||0||3||39 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |1955–56||Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds||OHA Sr.||align="center" colspan="10"|''statistics unavailable'' |- ALIGN="center" |1956–57||Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds||OHA Sr.||57||24||30||54||130||–||–||–||–||– |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |1957–58||Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds||OHA Sr.||23||7||12||19||18||–||–||–||–||– |- ALIGN="center" |1957–58||North Bay Trappers||OHA Sr.||33||9||20||29||64||–||–||–||–||– |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |1958–59||North Bay Trappers||OHA Sr.||53||35||42||77||69||–||–||–||–||– |- ALIGN="center" |1959–60||Sudbury Wolves||EPHL||58||25||55||80|| 70||14||4||5||9||25 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |1960–61||Sudbury Wolves||EPHL||64||25||45||70||94||–||–||–||–||– |- ALIGN="center" |1960–61||Hershey Bears||AHL||–||–||–||–||–||1||0||0||0||0 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |1961–62||Sudbury Wolves||EPHL||42||18||31||49||75||–||–||–||–||– |- ALIGN="center" |1961–62||Hershey Bears||AHL||24||13||11||24||34||7||1||2||3||15 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |1962–63||Hershey Bears||AHL||72||32||54||86||97||15||4||11||15||42 |- ALIGN="center" |1963–64||Quebec Aces||AHL||71||28||55||83||122||9||7||6||13||13 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |1964–65||Quebec Aces||AHL||71||29||43||72||75||5||1||2||3||4 |- ALIGN="center" |1965–66||Quebec Aces||AHL||65||33||62||95||56||6||1||3||4||0 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |1966–67||Quebec Aces||AHL||58||15||34||49||78||4||1||2||3||0 |- ALIGN="center" |1967–68||Seattle Totems||WHL||72||11||21||32||58||9||1||2||3||0 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |1968–69||Baltimore Clippers||AHL||74||20||49||69||141||4||0||1||1||6 |- ALIGN="center" |1969–70||Baltimore Clippers||AHL||4||2||4||6||2||–||–||–||–||– |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |1969–70||Vancouver Canucks||WHL||55||5||12||17||39||11||0||1||1||34 |- ALIGN="center" |1970–71||Rochester Americans||AHL||44||6||21||27||84||–||–||–||–||– |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |1970–71||Dallas Black Hawks||CHL||10||2||13||15||6||10||4||7||11||11 |- ALIGN="center" |1971–72||Cincinnati Swords||AHL||76||17||50||67||133||10||4||7||11||59 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |1972–73||Houston Aeros||WHA||67||13||16||29||95||10||0||3||3||16 |- ALIGN="center" |1973–74||Macon Whoopees||SHL||59||24||51||75||135||–||–||–||–||– |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |1973–74||Jacksonville Barons||AHL||14||5||16||21||18||–||–||–||–||– |- ALIGN="center" |1975–76||Buffalo Norsemen||NAHL||12||8||9||17||29||4||3||2||5||2 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" |1977–78||Houston Aeros||WHA||6||0||1||1||7||2||0||1||1||0 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3"|AHL Totals!!576!!203!!400!!603!!840!!61!!19!!34!!53!!139 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3"|EPHL Totals!!164!!68!!131!!199!!239!!14!!4!!5!!9!!25 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3"|WHL totals!!127!!16!!33!!49!!97!!20!!1!!3!!4!!34 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3"|WHA Totals!!73!!13!!17!!30!!102!!12!!0!!4!!4!!16 |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Ice hockey stats}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mortson, Keke}} Category:1934 births Category:1995 deaths Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen Category:Baltimore Clippers players Category:Barrie Flyers players Category:Buffalo Norsemen players Category:Canadian ice hockey centres Category:Canadian ice hockey right wingers Category:Cincinnati Swords players Category:Cleveland Barons (1937–1973) players Category:Dallas Black Hawks players Category:Eastern Hockey League players Category:Hershey Bears players Category:Houston Aeros (WHA) players Category:Ice hockey people from North Bay, Ontario Category:Ice hockey people from Rouyn-Noranda Category:Ice hockey player-coaches Category:Jacksonville Barons players Category:Kitchener Greenshirts players Category:Macon Whoopees (SHL) players Category:Ontario Hockey Association Senior A League (1890–1979) players Category:Quebec Aces (AHL) players Category:Rochester Americans players Category:Seattle Totems (WHL) players Category:Southern Hockey League (1973–1977) coaches Category:Sudbury Wolves (EPHL) players Category:Troy Bruins players Category:Vancouver Canucks (WHL) players