North Bay Sports Hall of Fame Chair Bill Jacko announced today that North Bay born Kevin Kerr would be inducted into the Hall at the annual awards and induction banquet on May 3rd at the Best Western.
“Kevin Kerr became the all time goal scorer in minor pro hockey in 2005 when he scored his 664th goal in just over a thousand minor professional games over some 18 seasons”, Jacko noted in a Hall of Fame Press Release.
“He also played roller hockey and helped Canada win a pair of World In-Line titles and Pan-Am Games gold. We look forward to his induction in May.” Kerr, the son of multi-sport athlete Ted Kerr, played his minor hockey in the West Ferris program, mostly for Butch Turcotte and when he scored 45 goals for Pinehill Midgets in 1983 he was given a tryout by Bert Templeton and made the roster of the OHL Centennials a year before he was draft eligible. After the 16 year old recorded 26 points and 138 penalty minutes in 66 games for the ‘Cents he was drafted by OHL Windsor and over the next three seasons carded 186 points and 841 penalty minutes before being drafted 56th overall in 1986 by the Buffalo Sabres who determined the 5 foot ten inch 190 pound “feisty” forward wasn’t ready for the NHL.
Kerr spent most of his first three professional seasons with Rochester of the American Hockey league where he played 151 games, picked up 39 goals and 72 points while spending 722 minutes in the penalty box.
His professional career started in 1987 and when it concluded in 2005 he had played 1193 games, scored 718 goals, added 700 assists for 1418 points and 3915 penalty minutes; he averaged 1.19 points a game and 3.28 penalty minutes per contest. He played in 14 different cities in six leagues – the AHL (44 goals), UHL (243) IHL (32), COHL (262), ECHL (119) and WCHL (18). He played with Flint Generals in the COHL and UHL – scored 382 goals for them – helped them to the COHL championship in 1996 and won the league MVP award, also with Flint, in 1994 when he scored 64 goals. He played for teams in Fort Wayne, Phoenix, Portland, Cincinnati, Quad City, Mobile, Birmingham, Toledo, Rockford, Utica and Elmira as well as Rochester, Kalamazoo and Flint.
After retiring as an active player with United Hockey League Kalamazoo Wings in 2005 at age 38 he spent a year as an assistant coach with the NOJHL North Bay Skyhawks, was an assistant with United Hockey League minor pro team in Flint and then coached Junior hockey in Atlanta and Vermont.
Kerr resides in New York city area where he is currently the head coach of the New York Bobcats of the Eastern Jr. Hockey League.
While playing pro hockey in the winter Kerr often spent the off-season playing Roller Hockey in California, Florida and Virginia, winning a pair of titles. He played for Canada and won two World In Line Championships and helped this country take gold in the Pan-Am Games.
Kerr will be one of five individuals to be inducted into the NBSHF on May 3rd.
File Photo of Kevin Kerr, when he was named the head ccoach of the North Bay Jr. Skyhawks.
