On a team full of future Hall of Fame players like Gretzky, Messier, Kurri and Coffey, it was Kingston’s Ken Linseman that scored Edmonton’s Stanley Cup winning goal to give the Oilers dynasty its first Cup win in 1984 – defeating the four-time defending champion New York Islanders.

Linseman, a little older than most of the Oilers core of young, talented forwards, brought playoff experience, intensity, and savvy to Edmonton. Linseman led by example, showing what it takes to be a champion. His grit, determination, and leadership helped get Edmonton over the hump to win their first Cup.

During the Oilers playoff run, Linseman had three series-winning goals, tying an NHL record. Linseman was highly motivated, having lost two previous Cup finals, both to the Islanders.

So, what’s it like to score a Stanley Cup winning goal, something every Canadian kid dreams about, “Probably ‘relief’ is the best word for it,” says Linseman over 40 years later. “After losing twice in the finals, it’s three strikes you’re out. Just getting there, that’s what you want to do, just to win your last game.”

Linseman, Kirk Muller, Doug Gilmour, Bill Cook and Allan (Scotty) Davidson (pre-NHL era) are all players from Kingston that have scored Stanley Cup winning goals.

In the long history of the National Hockey League, fewer than forty players have averaged more than a point per game in the playoffs over their career. Linseman is number 26 on the all-time list, ahead of Hall of Famers like Howe, Esposito, Lafleur, Gilmour and Hawerchuk.

In the biggest games, on the biggest stage, in the biggest moments – Linseman shone. Not every pro athlete is built that way. “I think I enjoyed the pressure, for some reason I was way more relaxed than during the regular season. Knowing that if we won our last game we had accomplished what we all set out to do. Finally can think of myself as a winner,” said Linseman.

“It was hard for me at times to play well every night over an 80-game schedule. It was tough to convince yourself mentally to go hard every night. It’s a long season, so the playoffs were where I was most relaxed.” 

Ken Linseman was a phenom at the age of three, already playing some games in the Church Athletic League and displaying hockey skills well beyond his age. In 1962, he was profiled in a cover story of ‘Weekend Magazine’, a popular national magazine inserted into Canadian newspapers in the 1960’s.

Today, at age 67, he’s still playing, suiting up for the Philadelphia Flyers alumni team at the recent Brockville, ON Winter Classic. Linseman took a moment to reflect on his minor hockey days in Kingston, “What stands out is playing for Doc Wagar’s midget team in 1974, we went to the Wrigley Cup final, we badly outplayed Verdun but still lost the game.” Linseman had 19 points in six games and was named MVP of the tournament. At the age of fifteen, he was on every scout’s radar as a can’t miss prospect.

“To get to the Wrigley Cup, I remember we beat the Toronto Marlies in the provincial finals, we were down by five goals at one point. My father came into the dressing room and told us the Marlies parents were telling the Kingston parents what a ‘nice’ team we had, thinking it was over. We came back and beat them 8-6.”

“I loved Doc Wagar, a special man, he coached us all the way through minor hockey.” That included Wagar’s Peewee team led by Linseman, that won the prestigious North American Silver Stick tournament in Port Huron, Michigan.

After the Wrigley Tournament, Linseman made the jump to Major Junior A with his hometown Kingston Canadians. An electric player, he had three stellar seasons in Kingston, culminating with a 127-point season in 1976-77. His time in Kingston included memorable playoff battles with the Toronto Marlboros and Ottawa 67’s, Linseman remembers the excitement the city had for the Canadians in those early years, loyal fans filled the Memorial Centre and lined up overnight to buy playoff tickets.

Linseman was saddened to learn of the recent passing of his former Kingston coach Jim Morrison, “He treated us really well with the Canadians, treated us like young men even though we were still kids. Jim didn’t over coach, and he helped me play like a pro, before I turned pro.”

Ken and his four younger brothers; John, Mike, Steve and Ted all played in the OHL and collectively they are the highest scoring family in OHL history – accumulating 946 career points. Only the Sutter’s have more total points in the CHL – and there were six Sutter’s that played for Red Deer.

After his third year with the Canadians, Linseman wanted to turn pro as an 18-year-old, but the NHL would not allow amateur players to be drafted and turn pro until age twenty. Linseman challenged the system, he filed a lawsuit and was ultimately allowed to sign a pro contract and play with the WHA’s Birmingham Bulls.

It was a smooth adjustment for Linseman, he scored 38-goals as a first-year pro in Birmingham, ”We had such a cross section of guys, teammates like Frank Mahovlich, who played Junior A hockey with my Dad, Paul Henderson and John Garrett, young guys like Mark Napier and Rod Langway – who was right out of college. We made the playoffs and we were the only team to win a game against the Winnipeg Jets in the playoffs.” The Jets would win the Avco Cup championship in 1978.

The NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers purchased his playing rights from Birmingham and drafted Linseman in the ’78 NHL Entry Draft. Philadelphia fans loved Linseman’s tenacious style of play, he helped them get to the Stanley Cup finals in 1980. Two years later after Linseman had a 92-point season, the Flyers traded him to Hartford in a three-way deal for Mark Howe – with the Whalers sending Linseman to Edmonton.

When Linseman scored his Cup winning goal for Edmonton in ’84, the Cup celebration had barely ended when he was traded to Boston in June. Bruins fans immediately embraced Linseman, he played six seasons in Boston – was part of the Bruins Cup run in 1988, but they lost to Edmonton.

Linseman is still one of the most popular players on the Bruins alumni team, making regular appearances in charity hockey games. Two years ago Linseman was named as one of the Top 100 Bruins of all-time, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Bruins.

Ken was traded back to Philadelphia in 1990, then he signed as a free agent for one more season in Edmonton, before finishing up his NHL career with a brief stop in Toronto during the 1991-92 season.

Linseman was one of the most exciting and dynamic players I’ve seen in junior hockey, great speed, amazing hockey sense and a fierce competitor. It was his burning desire to win, raising his game to a higher level in the playoffs that cemented his legacy. An agitator that played much bigger than his size, bringing a ‘win-at-all-cost’ attitude into every meaningful game he played.

After his hockey career ended in the early 1990’s, Linseman brought the same competitive edge into the business world, building a very successful career in commercial real estate development. “I learned what it takes to win as a team in hockey, and I think that helped me be successful in business.”

Linseman lives in an ocean front home in New Hampshire and he is an avid surfer. In winter months he often travels to Puerto Rico where he has a home, Linseman says, “Puerto Rico is the east coast Hawaii for surfing.”

Ken Linseman is a Kingston hockey legend that lived up to high expectations from an early age, culminating with his Stanley Cup winning goal. In the prime of his career, Linseman played in four Stanley Cup finals with three teams in the 1980’s.

In 2005, Linseman was inducted into the Kingston & District Sports Hall of Fame.

Mark Potter is a longtime Kingston broadcaster and author. And an honoured member of the Kingston & District Sports Hall of Fame (2012).