Ralph Klassen - Major League Years

Major League Years

Ralph Klassen made his National Hockey League debut as one of two youngest players on the squad at the age of 19 (with Dennis Maruk, also 19, who notched 30 goals in his rookie year) with the California Golden Seals on October 8, 1975, in Atlanta against the now defunct Flames. Klassen did not disappoint his draft team, quickly notching a goal in his first game. That year, Klassen remained in the NHL and played the remaining 71 scheduled games for the Seals, racking up 6 goals and 15 assists, in his rookie year. In 1976, due to lack of success at the gate and low attendance records for a number of years, the California Golden Seals franchise was moved to Cleveland, where they were renamed, and became the "Barons". Most players who had contracts with the Seals moved along with them, including Klassen. In 1976-'77, Klassen played for the struggling Cleveland Barons (who had displaced the WHA's Cleveland Crusaders who moved to Minnesota) and increased his scoring to a respectable 14 goals in 80 games. A solid two way player, he was a consistent contributor to the team, however it did not help the dismal play of the hapless Barons who won only 47 games in the two seasons in which they survived in the National Hockey League. Following the '76-'77 season, he was traded again to the Colorado Rockies (who had folded and moved from Kansas City ) where he played 44 games, and oddly, was traded back to the Cleveland Barons for the remainder of the schedule. At the start of the '1978-'79 season, he was again on the trade block when Colorado picked him up once again as a utility player. In Colorado, Klassen played 64 games, tallying up a disappointing total of only 19 points. As a result, he was sent down to the minors where he split the year playing 18 games for the Philadelphia Firebirds, Colorado's affiliate in the American Hockey League. A series of trades (see "NHL Record Still Stands" below) resulted in Klassen landing with the NHL's Blues of St. Louis after the disappointing season with Colorado and Philadelphia. From 1979 to 1983, Klassen played for the St. Louis Blues, skating with the likes of Blue's top point-getters and future all stars, Bernie Federko, (another Saskatchewan born player who would play 1000 NHL games and tally 1130 total points) Brian Sutter and Wayne Babych. The Blues made the playoffs each year Klassen played for them, however the best they would do was advancing to, and losing in round 2 in 1981, '82 and '84 playoff series. In all, almost half of Klassen's NHL playing career was in St. Louis where he played 225 games. His highest point total in St. Louis was in his first year in 1979-80, where he chalked up 9 goals and 16 assists for 25 total points. In total, he managed 25 goals and 37 assists in 4 plus seasons with the Blues. After playing in only 5 games and not registering a point with St. Louis in the 1983-84 season, Klassen retired just short of playing 500 NHL games. Despite his high draft status and rapid ascension to the NHL, Klassen performed less like an expected star and more as a utility player, where he provided solid contributions to his teams with consistent and regular play over his tenure in the NHL. His promise as an NHL star may not have been fully realized, however, Klassen chalked up a solid pro career, respectably playing in more NHL games than many players of today. In Klassen's ten year career, he played for 4 teams; the California Golden Seals, Cleveland Barons, Colorado Rockies, and St. Louis Blues. After his NHL tenure which produced only 52 goals in total, he retired in November 1983 at the age of only 28, an age when many players are still in their prime.