Mike Walton
Encyclopedia
Michael Robert "Shakey" Walton (born January 3, 1945 in Kirkland Lake, Ontario
) is a retired
Canadian
professional ice hockey
player in the National Hockey League (NHL)
and World Hockey Association (WHA)
. He was a forward
with explosive offensive skills who made up for his lack of size with blazing speed and superior puckhandling. It was also generally considered that he never lived up to his superstar
potential.
. They operated a restaurant
/garage
in Sutton
, about 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) north of the city. He inherited his nickname
"Shakey" from his father
Bobby, who would shake his head
to throw off opponents as a hockey player in England
.
He spent each of his first two years of junior hockey
with the only champions in the Metro Junior A League
's brief history. He first attended St. Michael's College School
on a partial scholarship
. When the Majors' famous hockey program was discontinued after the 1961–62 season, Walton and the rest of the players were transferred to Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School
, where he scored 22 goal
s in 38 games for the Maroons in 1962–63.
' talent pipeline when he joined its Ontario Hockey Association
farm team
, the Marlboros
, where he was the club's second leading scorer with 92 points (41 goals, 51 assist
s) in 53 games, while helping them win the league championship and Memorial Cup
in 1964. He then earned back-to-back minor league Rookie of the Year honors, first with the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Professional Hockey League (CPHL)
in 1965, then with the Calder Cup
-winning Rochester Americans
of the American Hockey League (AHL)
in 1966.
Walton made his Leafs debut in 1965–66, appearing in only six matches. He established himself on the veteran-dominated team midway through the next campaign. Working exclusively on power-play
situations, he scored four goals with three assists while playing in all twelve games of Toronto's postseason
run to the 1967 Stanley Cup Championship
. He was the club's leading scorer with 59 points (30 goals, 29 assists) in 1967–68, his first full season in the league and most productive with the Leafs.
His time with the Leafs was marred by constant conflict with head coach Punch Imlach
and team president
Stafford Smythe
. Prior to his dismissal
in April 1969, the domineering Imlach, disdainful of younger players, clashed with Walton over hairstyle
, bombarded him with negative comments about his on-ice performance and threw him into the doghouse
. Smythe just simply hated him for having as his agent
Alan Eagleson
, who helped establish the NHL Players' Association. Further complicating matters was the fact that Walton was married
to Smythe's niece
. When an independent psychiatrist
appointed by the NHL diagnosed
him with depression
in the middle of the 1970–71 season, Walton's departure from the Leafs was imminent.
with Bruce Gamble
and the Leafs' first-round choice in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft
(Pierre Plante
) for Bernie Parent
and the Flyers' second-round pick in the same draft (Rick Kehoe
). He was then acquired by the defending Stanley Cup
Champion Boston Bruins
for Rick MacLeish
and Danny Schock
.
He blended in well with the Bruins' prolific scorers led by Phil Esposito
and Bobby Orr
, his business partner at the time with the Orr-Walton Sports Camp in Orillia, Ontario. He became a part of his second Stanley Cup Championship when the Bruins defeated the New York Rangers
in the 1972 Finals
.
He was injured in a bizarre accident
in the middle of the 1972–73 season when he tripped and fell through a plate glass
door
at a St. Louis
hotel
. Despite needing over 200 stitches and a complete transfusion
after losing five pint
s of blood
, he made a complete recovery
.
NHL players with expiring contract
s. Even though still under contract with the Bruins, Walton was selected by the Los Angeles Sharks
. His WHA rights were traded in June 1973 to the Minnesota Fighting Saints
, who succeeded in signing him to a three-year deal worth $450,000.
He made an immediate impact as the WHA's leading scorer with a career-high 117 points (57 goals, 60 assists) in 1973–74. He continued as the team's top scorer for the next two seasons, but left the team on Feb. 25, 1976, three days before financial
problems forced the Fighting Saints to cease operations.
He also played for Team Canada when it lost the 1974 Summit Series
to the Soviet Union 1–4–3. Observers considered his performance to be the biggest disappointment in the series.
and Fred O'Donnell
, to the Vancouver Canucks
for Bobby Schmautz
. Even though his 66 points (29 goals, 37 assists) in 1977–78 led the Canucks and were the best numbers in his NHL career, he was still dealt to the St. Louis Blues
on June 12, 1978. His subsequent season was split between the Blues, Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks
and the latter two's AHL affiliates. His final year of professional hockey in 1979–80 was spent with Kölner EC
of the 1. Bundesliga in West Germany
.
from professional hockey, Walton has worked as a real estate agent
for RE/MAX Professionals Inc.
in Toronto. Many of his clients are current and former Leafs players, including Doug Gilmour
and Mats Sundin
. He was the eponym
ous and initial proprietor
of Shakey's Original Bar and Grill on Bloor Street
in the western part of the city.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
) is a retired
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player in the National Hockey League (NHL)
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
and World Hockey Association (WHA)
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
. He was a forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
with explosive offensive skills who made up for his lack of size with blazing speed and superior puckhandling. It was also generally considered that he never lived up to his superstar
Superstar
A superstar is a widely acclaimed celebrity.Superstar or superstars may also refer to:-People:* Warhol Superstar, associates of Andy Warhol* WWE Superstar, the term used to refer to entertainers from the WWE...
potential.
Formative years
Walton was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, but his family lived a transient existence during his youth before settling north of TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. They operated a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
/garage
Automobile repair shop
An automobile repair shop is a place where automobiles are repaired by auto mechanics and electricians.- Types :The automotive garage can be divided in so many category....
in Sutton
Sutton, Ontario
Sutton is a suburban community located nearly 2 km south of Lake Simcoe in Ontario, Canada. The community was formerly a village but is now part of the Town of Georgina after amalgamation with it and North Gwillimbury in 1971.-Geography and information:...
, about 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) north of the city. He inherited his nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
"Shakey" from his father
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
Bobby, who would shake his head
Head
In anatomy, the head of an animal is the rostral part that usually comprises the brain, eyes, ears, nose and mouth . Some very simple animals may not have a head, but many bilaterally symmetric forms do....
to throw off opponents as a hockey player in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
He spent each of his first two years of junior hockey
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
with the only champions in the Metro Junior A League
Metro Junior A League
The Metro Junior A League was a junior ice hockey league created in 1961 by Toronto Maple Leafs owner Stafford Smythe in an attempt to rival the OHA, and act as a farm system for his NHL team. The league operated for two seasons from 1961 to 1963...
's brief history. He first attended St. Michael's College School
St. Michael's College School
St. Michael's College School is a private, all-boys Roman Catholic day school in Toronto, Canada. Currently administered by the Basilian Fathers, it is the largest school of its kind in Canada, with an enrollment of approximately 1,080 students from grades 7 to 12. St...
on a partial scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
. When the Majors' famous hockey program was discontinued after the 1961–62 season, Walton and the rest of the players were transferred to Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School
Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School
Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School is a private, all-boys Roman Catholic secondary school of the Toronto Catholic District School Board in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Neil McNeil is one of 31 high schools run by the TCDSB and one of four all-boys schools, and currently has an enrollment of 811...
, where he scored 22 goal
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...
s in 38 games for the Maroons in 1962–63.
Toronto Maple Leafs
He became a part of the Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
' talent pipeline when he joined its Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
farm team
Farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...
, the Marlboros
Toronto Marlboros
The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was founded in 1903. It operated a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association and Ontario Hockey League from 1904 to 1989...
, where he was the club's second leading scorer with 92 points (41 goals, 51 assist
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...
s) in 53 games, while helping them win the league championship and Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
in 1964. He then earned back-to-back minor league Rookie of the Year honors, first with the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Professional Hockey League (CPHL)
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
in 1965, then with the Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
-winning Rochester Americans
Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...
of the American Hockey League (AHL)
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
in 1966.
Walton made his Leafs debut in 1965–66, appearing in only six matches. He established himself on the veteran-dominated team midway through the next campaign. Working exclusively on power-play
Powerplay
"Power play" is a sporting term used in various games.*In ice hockey, a team is said to be on a power play when at least one opposing player is serving a penalty, and the team has a numerical advantage on the ice...
situations, he scored four goals with three assists while playing in all twelve games of Toronto's postseason
1967 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 1967 Stanley Cup playoffs, to decide the 1967 championship of the National Hockey League was the last before the expansion from six to twelve teams. The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the defending champion Montreal Canadiens in six games to win the Stanley Cup. As of 2011, it is the most recent...
run to the 1967 Stanley Cup Championship
1967 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1967 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven series played between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs would win the series four games to two to win their thirteenth Stanley Cup...
. He was the club's leading scorer with 59 points (30 goals, 29 assists) in 1967–68, his first full season in the league and most productive with the Leafs.
His time with the Leafs was marred by constant conflict with head coach Punch Imlach
Punch Imlach
George "Punch" Imlach , was an NHL coach and general manager. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.-Early career:...
and team president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Stafford Smythe
Stafford Smythe
Conn Stafford Smythe was the son of Conn Smythe and president of Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. and the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team from 1961–1969 and from 1970 until his death.-Early years:...
. Prior to his dismissal
Termination of employment
-Involuntary termination:Involuntary termination is the employee's departure at the hands of the employer. There are two basic types of involuntary termination, known often as being "fired" and "laid off." To be fired, as opposed to being laid off, is generally thought of to be the employee's...
in April 1969, the domineering Imlach, disdainful of younger players, clashed with Walton over hairstyle
Hairstyle
A hairstyle, hairdo, or haircut refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human head. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence some hairstyles.-History of...
, bombarded him with negative comments about his on-ice performance and threw him into the doghouse
Doghouse
A doghouse, known in British English as a kennel, is a small shed commonly built in the shape of a little house intended for a dog. It is a structure in which a dog is kept or can run into for shelter from the elements.-Architecture:...
. Smythe just simply hated him for having as his agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
Alan Eagleson
Alan Eagleson
Robert Alan Eagleson is a disbarred Canadian lawyer, convicted felon in two countries, former politician, hockey agent and promoter...
, who helped establish the NHL Players' Association. Further complicating matters was the fact that Walton was married
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
to Smythe's niece
Nephew
Nephew is a son of one's sibling or sibling-in-law, and niece is a daughter of one's sibling or a sibling-in-law. Sons and daughters of siblings-in-law are also informally referred to as nephews and nieces respectively, even though there is no blood relation...
. When an independent psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
appointed by the NHL diagnosed
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of anything. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines with variations in the use of logics, analytics, and experience to determine the cause and effect relationships...
him with depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
in the middle of the 1970–71 season, Walton's departure from the Leafs was imminent.
Boston Bruins
Walton was traded twice on February 1, 1971. He was first dealt to the Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
with Bruce Gamble
Bruce Gamble
Bruce George Gamble was a professional ice hockey goaltender who played 10 seasons in the NHL between 1962 and 1972, with some years in the minor leagues in between...
and the Leafs' first-round choice in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft
1971 NHL Amateur Draft
The 1971 NHL Amateur Draft was held on June 10, 1971 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
(Pierre Plante
Pierre Plante
Pierre Renald Plante is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 599 National Hockey League games for the Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, Chicago Black Hawks, New York Rangers and Quebec Nordiques. Plante had a reputation as a durable, flashy winger who rarely missed a...
) for Bernie Parent
Bernie Parent
Bernard Marcel Parent , better known as Bernie Parent, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association with the...
and the Flyers' second-round pick in the same draft (Rick Kehoe
Rick Kehoe
Rick Thomas Kehoe is a retired professional ice hockey player and coach, most notably for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League.- Playing career :...
). He was then acquired by the defending Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
Champion Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
for Rick MacLeish
Rick MacLeish
Richard George MacLeish is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Philadelphia Flyers, Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Detroit Red Wings...
and Danny Schock
Danny Schock
Daniel Patrick Schock is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 20 games in the National Hockey League. He played with the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers...
.
He blended in well with the Bruins' prolific scorers led by Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
and Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr
Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest...
, his business partner at the time with the Orr-Walton Sports Camp in Orillia, Ontario. He became a part of his second Stanley Cup Championship when the Bruins defeated the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
in the 1972 Finals
1972 Stanley Cup Finals
-Boston Bruins 1972 Stanley Cup champions:-See also:* List of Stanley Cup champions* 1971–72 Boston Bruins season* 1971–72 NHL season* 1971–72 New York Rangers season-References:...
.
He was injured in a bizarre accident
Accident
An accident or mishap is an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance, often with lack of intention or necessity. It implies a generally negative outcome which may have been avoided or prevented had circumstances leading up to the accident been recognized, and acted upon, prior to its...
in the middle of the 1972–73 season when he tripped and fell through a plate glass
Flat glass
Flat glass, sheet glass, or plate glass is a type of glass, initially produced in plane form, commonly used for windows, glass doors, transparent walls, and windshields. For modern architectural and automotive applications, the flat glass is sometimes bent after production of the plane sheet...
door
Door
A door is a movable structure used to open and close off an entrance, typically consisting of a panel that swings on hinges or that slides or rotates inside of a space....
at a St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
. Despite needing over 200 stitches and a complete transfusion
Blood transfusion
Blood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...
after losing five pint
Pint
The pint is a unit of volume or capacity that was once used across much of Europe with values varying from state to state from less than half a litre to over one litre. Within continental Europe, the pint was replaced with the metric system during the nineteenth century...
s of blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
, he made a complete recovery
Healing
Physiological healing is the restoration of damaged living tissue, organs and biological system to normal function. It is the process by which the cells in the body regenerate and repair to reduce the size of a damaged or necrotic area....
.
Minnesota Fighting Saints (WHA)
The upstart World Hockey Association, attempting to lure talent away from the established league, conducted its General Player Draft on February 12, 1972 to evenly distribute amongst its franchisesProfessional sports league organization
Professional sports leagues are organized in numerous ways. The two most significant types are a European model, characterised by a tiered structure using promotion and relegation to determine participation in a hierarchy of leagues or divisions and a North American model characterized by its use...
NHL players with expiring contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
s. Even though still under contract with the Bruins, Walton was selected by the Los Angeles Sharks
Los Angeles Sharks
The Los Angeles Sharks were an ice hockey team that played in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1974. Their primary home arena was the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena but they sometimes played at the Long Beach Sports Arena when the Sports Arena had other contractual obligations...
. His WHA rights were traded in June 1973 to the Minnesota Fighting Saints
Minnesota Fighting Saints
The Minnesota Fighting Saints was the name of two professional ice hockey teams based in Saint Paul, Minnesota that played in the World Hockey Association. The first team was one of the WHA's original twelve franchises, playing from 1972–76. The second team was relocated from Cleveland, Ohio, and...
, who succeeded in signing him to a three-year deal worth $450,000.
He made an immediate impact as the WHA's leading scorer with a career-high 117 points (57 goals, 60 assists) in 1973–74. He continued as the team's top scorer for the next two seasons, but left the team on Feb. 25, 1976, three days before financial
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
problems forced the Fighting Saints to cease operations.
He also played for Team Canada when it lost the 1974 Summit Series
1974 Summit Series
The 1974 Summit Series was the second of two competitions between Soviet and Canadian professional ice hockey players. Canada was represented by World Hockey Association players instead of National Hockey League players, as it had been in the 1972 Summit Series. The Soviet team won the series 4-1-3...
to the Soviet Union 1–4–3. Observers considered his performance to be the biggest disappointment in the series.
End of a career
Walton returned to the NHL to finish his 1975–76 campaign, but it was not with the Bruins. Two years earlier on February 7, 1974, they had traded his NHL rights, along with Chris OddleifsonChris Oddleifson
Christopher Roy Oddleifson is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1972 until 1981...
and Fred O'Donnell
Fred O'Donnell
Frederick James O'Donnell is a retired professional ice hockey player, and a retired professional ice hockey coach. During his professional playing career, he played 115 games in the National Hockey League and 155 games in the World Hockey Association, mainly at left wing...
, to the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
for Bobby Schmautz
Bobby Schmautz
Robert James Schmautz is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.Schmautz started his National Hockey League career with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1968. Schmautz would also play for the Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, Colorado Rockies, and Edmonton Oilers.-External links:...
. Even though his 66 points (29 goals, 37 assists) in 1977–78 led the Canucks and were the best numbers in his NHL career, he was still dealt to the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
on June 12, 1978. His subsequent season was split between the Blues, Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
and the latter two's AHL affiliates. His final year of professional hockey in 1979–80 was spent with Kölner EC
Kölner Haie
The Kölner Haie are an ice hockey club based in Cologne, Germany that plays in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The team was one of the founding members of the DEL.The team colours are red and white....
of the 1. Bundesliga in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
.
Life after hockey
Since his retirementRetirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
from professional hockey, Walton has worked as a real estate agent
Real estate broker
A real estate broker, real estate agent or realtor is a party who acts as an intermediary between sellers and buyers of real estate/real property and attempts to find sellers who wish to sell and buyers who wish to buy...
for RE/MAX Professionals Inc.
RE/MAX
RE/MAX International is an international real estate company. It was founded in 1973 by David and Gail Liniger in Denver, Colorado, and is still owned by its founders. RE/MAX is an acronym for Real Estate MAXimum....
in Toronto. Many of his clients are current and former Leafs players, including Doug Gilmour
Doug Gilmour
Douglas Robert Gilmour is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is the current general manager of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League . During his National Hockey League career, Gilmour played for 7 NHL clubs: the St...
and Mats Sundin
Mats Sundin
Mats Johan Sundin is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player. Originally drafted first overall in 1989, Sundin played his first four seasons in the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques. He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1994, where he played the majority of his career, serving 11...
. He was the eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous and initial proprietor
Ownership
Ownership is the state or fact of exclusive rights and control over property, which may be an object, land/real estate or intellectual property. Ownership involves multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different parties. The concept of ownership has...
of Shakey's Original Bar and Grill on Bloor Street
Bloor Street
Bloor Street is a major east–west residential and commercial thoroughfare in Toronto, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct westward into Mississauga, where it ends at Central Parkway. East of the viaduct, Danforth Avenue continues along the same...
in the western part of the city.
Awards
- 1964 J. Ross Robertson CupJ. Ross Robertson CupThe J. Ross Robertson Cup is an ice hockey trophy awarded annually to the winner of the Ontario Hockey League playoff championship. It was presented by and named for John Ross Robertson, the president of the Ontario Hockey Association who served from 1899 to 1905.Originally it was awarded to the...
Championship (OHA) – Toronto Marlboros - 1964 Memorial Cup Championship – Toronto Marlboros
- 1965 Ken McKenzie TrophyKen McKenzie TrophyThe Ken McKenzie Trophy is awarded annually to the Central Hockey League's leading points scorer in the regular season. The award is named for Ken McKenzie, the co-founder and longtime president and publisher of The Hockey News....
(Rookie of the Year - CPHL) – Tulsa Oilers - 1966 Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award (Rookie of the Year - AHL) – Rochester Americans
- 1966 Calder Cup Championship (AHL) – Rochester Americans
- 1967 Stanley Cup Championship – Toronto Maple Leafs
- 1968 NHL All StarNational Hockey League All-Star GameThe National Hockey League All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held at the midway point of the regular season of the National Hockey League , with many of the league's star players playing against each other...
– Toronto Maple Leafs - 1972 Stanley Cup Championship – Boston Bruins
- 1974 Bill Hunter TrophyBill Hunter TrophyThe Bill Hunter Trophy was presented to the World Hockey Association's scoring leader in the regular season.It was named in honour of Bill Hunter, who founded the Alberta Oilers hockey club ....
(Scoring Leader - WHA) – Minnesota Fighting Saints