One of the few British-born players in NHL history, Ken Hodge was signed by the Black Hawks as a teenager, and had a stellar junior league career with the St. Catharines Black Hawks of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA), leading the league in goals and points in the 1965 season before being called up for good to Chicago the next year.

His offensive production negatively impacted by Esposito’s trade to the New York Rangers in early-November 1975, Hodge’s remaining time with the Bruins was spent in head coach Don Cherry’s doghouse. Hodge was reunited with Esposito on May 26, 1976 when he was dealt to the Rangers who were hoping for a replication of their successes with the Bruins. The transaction cost the team Rick Middleton who was ten years younger and a swifter skater than Hodge.

Hodge’s son, Ken Hodge, Jr., was also a professional hockey player from 1987 to 1998. Hodge Jr. went on to coach the Tulsa Oilers, whose roster included his younger brother Brendon, who wore their father’s number 8. Brendon Hodge is now the assistant coach of the Rapid City Rushmore Thunder varsity hockey team, who won the 2014 state championship. Another son, Dan Hodge, was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the ninth round (194th overall) in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft, and played in the American Hockey League and International Hockey League, and won the 2000 Kelly Cup championship in the East Coast Hockey League with the Peoria Rivermen.