The American Hockey League is remembering AHL Hall of Fame defenseman Ralph Keller, who has passed away at the age of 82.
Keller was a standout who played parts of 13 seasons in the AHL between 1957 and 1974, primarily with the Hershey Bears. He is Hershey’s all-time leader in games played (737) and points (408) by a defenseman, and he won two Calder Cup titles with the club, captaining the championship team in 1973-74. Keller was also a First Team AHL All-Star in 1969 and a Second Team All-Star in 1973.
“Today is a sad day for the Hershey Bears organization with the passing of Ralph Keller,” said Bears Vice President of Hockey Operations and fellow AHL Hall of Fame member 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.”
Keller, whose number 3 has been retired by the Bears, also skated for the Providence Reds and the Baltimore Clippers during his AHL career. He still ranks fourth among all league defensemen with 446 career points, and he is one of six blueliners in league history to score at least 100 goals (111).
