Juha Widing Death
Juha passed away on December 30, 1984 at the age of 37 in Kelowna, Canada. Juha's cause of death was heart attack.
When did Juha Widing die?
December 30, 1984How did Juha Widing die? What was the cause of death?
Heart attackHow old was Juha Widing when died?
37Where did Juha Widing die? What was the location of death?
Kelowna, Canada
Juha Widing Birthday and Date of Death
Juha Widing was born on July 4, 1947 and died on December 30, 1984. Juha was 37 years old at the time of death.
Birthday: July 4, 1947
Date of Death: December 30, 1984
Age at Death: 37
Juha Widing - Biography
Juha Markku "Whitey, Flying Finn" Widing (July 4, 1947 – December 30, 1984) was a professional ice hockey centre who was the third Finnish-born player to play in the National Hockey League. Widing played in the National Hockey League for eight seasons, mostly with the Los Angeles Kings.
Widing, born in Finland to Finnish parents, his father was a Finland-Swede, moved to Sweden with his family when he was four years old. In 1964 his family moved to Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, so he could play junior hockey for the Brandon Wheat Kings. He played three seasons there, improving his point total each season from 38 to 114 and then finally to 144 in only a 50-game schedule. Widing joined the New York Rangers of the NHL in 1969–70, thus becoming the first mostly European-trained player with a full-time contract in the NHL.
However, after only 44 games he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings along with Réal Lemieux for Ted Irvine. In Los Angeles he developed into a legitimate scoring threat, garnering at least 55 points in five consecutive seasons. Kings' owner Jack Kent Cooke gave him the nickname "Whitey" and instructed his announcers to pronounce his last name as "why-ding" as opposed to the real pronunciation of "vee-ding." He often played on a line with Bob Berry and Mike Corrigan known as "the hot line."
However, by 1976 his productivity had dropped considerably, and he was traded to the Cleveland Barons the following season. In 1977–78, Widing played for the Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association, scoring 42 points in his final professional season. After the season, he was traded to the Indianapolis Racers for Bill Goldsworthy, but chose instead to retire. Widing settled in British Columbia thereafter, but died following a heart attack on December 30, 1984, aged 37.
