Butch Keeling

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Melville Sydney “Butch” Keeling (August 10, 1905 – November 12, 1984) was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger. Born in Owen Sound, Ontario, he learned the game at Victoria Public School and starred for the Owen Sound Greys, helping them win the Memorial Cup in 1924 by scoring 37 playoff goals in 15 games.

Keeling turned pro in 1926, starting with the London Panthers before moving to the NHL with the Toronto St. Patricks (which later became the Maple Leafs). He was among the team’s top scorers in his early seasons, finishing fourth in 1926–27 with 11 goals and 13 points in 30 games. In 1928 he was traded to the New York Rangers, where he posted a career year in 1929–30 with 19 goals and 26 points. The Rangers reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 1932 and 1933, finally winning the Cup in 1933; Keeling contributed to the victory in the Final rounds.

His peak came in 1936–37 when he led the Rangers with 22 goals and 26 points, and the team again reached the Cup Finals. He left the NHL after the 1937–38 season, finishing his playing career with the Philadelphia Ramblers (IAHL) and later serving as a player-coach for the Kansas City Greyhounds (AHA) before working as a referee for three NHL seasons. In 526 NHL games, Keeling scored 157 goals and 220 points, with 5 goals and 11 playoff points in 26 playoff games.

Keeling died in Toronto in 1984 at age 79 and is buried in Park Lawn Cemetery. In a 2009 book, he was ranked No. 45 among the New York Rangers’ all-time players.