Hershey Bears Mourn the Loss of Ralph Keller
March 8, 2018 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
Ralph Keller and the Hershey Bears celebrate winning the Calder Cup
(Hershey Bears)
(Hershey, PA)-The Hershey Bears are saddened to learn of the passing of Ralph Keller, a former defender, captain, Calder Cup champion, and Hall of Fame member. Keller was 82.
"Today is a sad day for the Hershey Bears organization with the passing of Ralph Keller," said Vice President of Hockey Operations, Bryan Helmer. "Ralph was one of the all-time greats to wear the Chocolate and White. He was part of our family, and he will be dearly missed. The entire organization offers our condolences to Ralph's family and friends at this difficult time."
Keller played for the Bears from 1963-74 and ranks first in club history for points by a defenseman (408) and games played by a defenseman (737). The native of Wilkie, Saskatchewan held the AHL record for goals scored by a defenseman (111) at the time of his retirement. Keller was named a first-team AHL All-Star in 1968-69 and captained the 1973-74 Calder Cup championship team.
Keller's number three is retired by the Bears. He was inducted into the Hershey Bears Hockey Club Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of the inaugural class, and he was inducted in the AHL Hall of Fame in 2016.
The Bears will hold a moment of recognition for Keller prior to puck drop on Sunday, Mar. 11 as the club hosts the Grand Rapids Griffins at Giant Center at 5 p.m.
Images from this story
 Ralph Keller and the Hershey Bears celebrate winning the Calder Cup |
American Hockey League Stories from March 8, 2018
- Kaser Wins Ninth Broadcast Excellence Award from Michigan Association of Broadcasters - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Blue Jackets Assign Goaltender Jeff Zatkoff to Monsters - Cleveland Monsters
- Canucks Sign Defenseman Ashton Sautner to a Two-Year Contract Extension - Utica Comets
- Country Music Star Hunter Hayes to Perform Post-Game Friday Night - Milwaukee Admirals
- "Salute Our Military Night" to Highlight Roadrunners Weekend against Texas - Tucson Roadrunners
- Riverview Ice House Advances to Finals to Win Free LED Lighting Upgrade - Rockford IceHogs
- Wolf Pack Add Two to Roster - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Ottawa Reassigns Hogberg Back to Belleville - Belleville Senators
- Another 3-In-3 Begins Friday in Utica for Thunderbirds - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Bears Summon Gustafsson, Geiger from Stingrays - Hershey Bears
- Hurricanes Re-Assign Wallmark to Charlotte - Charlotte Checkers
- Phillips Reassigned to Moose - Manitoba Moose
- Amerks Recall Kile and Karabacek from Cincinnati - Rochester Americans
- Reign Release Cory Ward from PTO - Ontario Reign
- Winnipeg Jets Release - Jets Recall Hutchinson from the Moose - Manitoba Moose
- Beaver Dam Family Center in Finals for Winning Free Ephesus LED Sports Lighting System - Milwaukee Admirals
- Whitecaps Night, Lashoff Bobblehead Giveaway and Winning Wednesday Among Promotions for Homestand - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Wagner Signs PTO with Wolves - Chicago Wolves
- San Antonio Recalls Forward Michael Joly from Colorado Eagles - San Antonio Rampage
- Springfield Mummers on Parade Tour to Begin at Thunderbirds Game - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Hershey Bears Mourn the Loss of Ralph Keller - Hershey Bears
- Texas Stars Announce Changes to Team's Business Structure - Texas Stars
- Detroit Recalls Svechnikov and Reassigns Sadowy - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Sound Tigers Add Yale University Product - Bridgeport Islanders
- Heat Comeback Falls Just Short in 3-1 Loss - Stockton Heat
- Bruins Score Two on the Power Play in 6-3 Victory over Laval - Laval Rocket
- Iowa Drops Game to Texas 4-2 - Iowa Wild
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
