Wayne Carleton (Beeton Stingers)

He was a talented junior with tremendous size and strength, a blue chip prospect, one to watch out for, for sure. But he suffered two debilitating knee injuries as a teenager, once playing hockey, once playing baseball. Serious surgery was required.

Carleton broke his elbow in 1969 followed quickly by a viral infection that sent him to the hospital. He broke his wrist twice and his leg once, but for the first five years of his career his greatest obstacle was Toronto coach Punch Imlach, who sent Swoop up and down to the farm with the same windswept ease that Carleton skated when given the chance.

He was traded to Boston midway through the 1969-70 season, was on the bench when Orr flew through the air and won the Stanley Cup, and was just as quickly dispatched to California in the summer of 1971, the greatest dive of all. He showed up to camp weighing 245 pounds, unhappy and unfit. But Swoop moved on to the WHA where he made an impact as a scorer and signed a huge five-year contract.

After being traded from Hartford to Edmonton during his WHA days, he claimed Edmonton owed him $2,300 for moving expenses. A judge agreed, and ordered the Oilers equipment confiscated just hours before a game. He got his money. After retiring, he turned to his farm in Stayner called Springwater Stables. Some of his horses were named Frosty’s Bretta, Sly Hal, Minto Don, and Won To Victory. He later worked as a financial planner for an investment syndicate in Kitchener.

WHA Second All-Star Team (1974) Played in NHL All-Star Game (1968) Traded to Boston by Toronto for Jim Harrison, December 10, 1969. Claimed by California from Boston in Intra-League Draft, June 8, 1971. Selected by Ontario-Ottawa (WHA) in 1972 WHA General Player Draft, February 12, 1972. Transferred to Toronto (WHA) after Ottawa (WHA) franchise relocated, May, 1973. Traded to New England (WHA) by Toronto (WHA) for future considerations (Jim Dorey, December, 1974), September, 1974. Traded to Edmonton (WHA) by New England (WHA) for Mike Rogers and future considerations, January, 1976. Signed as a free agent by Birmingham (WHA), January, 1977.