Johnny Bucyk
Johnny Bucyk | |||
---|---|---|---|
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1981 | |||
![]() Bucyk in 2010 | |||
Born |
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | May 12, 1935||
Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
Weight | 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb) | ||
Position | Left Wing | ||
Shot | Left | ||
Played for |
Detroit Red Wings Boston Bruins | ||
Playing career | 1955–1978 |
John Paul "Chief" Bucyk (born May 12, 1935) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Having played most of his career with the Boston Bruins, he has been associated in one capacity or another with the Bruins' organization since the late 1950s. Bucyk was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in 2017.[1]
Bucyk was a skilled left winger who was the largest of his day.[2] While he never was regarded as the best at his position (being a contemporary of superstars Bobby Hull and Frank Mahovlich), he had a long and stellar career, and retired as the fourth leading point scorer of all time and having played the third-most games in history, and recorded sixteen seasons of scoring twenty goals or more.[3] Despite his reputation for devastating hip checks,[4] he was a notably clean player who won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship in 1971 and 1974. Bucyk was the senior assistant captain of the Bruins when they won Stanley Cups in 1970 and 1972.
Early life
Bucyk was born in Edmonton to Sam and Pearl Bucyk, Ukrainian immigrants from the village of Butsiv, in what is now Yavoriv Raion, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine.[5] The family was poor, with Pearl working two jobs and his father, Sam, was unemployed for over four years. His father died when Bucyk was 11 years old.[4] Poverty prevented Bucyk from owning a pair of ice skates until he was 13 years old.[6]
During the offseason, Bucyk returned to Edmonton and worked at the car dealership that sponsored his junior team.[7]
Junior and minor-league career
Bucyk played junior hockey for four seasons for his hometown Edmonton Oil Kings before signing with the Detroit Red Wings in 1955.[2] Originally an awkward skater, Oil Kings coach Ken McAuley arranged for Bucyk to train offseason with a figure skater until his technique improved.[4] He went on to be one of the leading scorers on a strong Oil Kings squad that included future Hall of Famer Norm Ullman. Bucyk and the Oil Kings went to the 1954 Memorial Cup final against the St. Catharines Teepees, with Bucyk scoring a blistering 28 goals in 21 playoff games to lead the WCHL, as well as 14 goals in 14 Memorial Cup games to lead all scorers that season.[8]
Following the Memorial Cup final, Bucyk signed a professional contract with the Edmonton Flyers of the Western Hockey League, the minor league affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. There, he was reunited with junior teammate Ullman, and paired on a line with future Bruins teammates Bronco Horvath and Vic Stasiuk.[9] It was during this time that Horvath was responsible for nicknaming Bucyk "Chief," purportedly out of Horvath's admiration for how Bucyk used his stick like a tomahawk to fight for pucks along the boards.[4] In 1955, his lone full season with the Flyers, he finished second on the team to Horvath with 30 goals, 58 assists and 88 points as the Flyers won the league championship.[10][11]
NHL career
Detroit Red Wings
Following the 1955 WHL playoffs, Detroit called Bucyk up for the
Boston Bruins
1950s
Going into the 1958 season, the Boston Bruins had acquired Horvath and Stasiuk, and general manager Lynn Patrick believed that reuniting them with Bucyk would recapture the success they had in Edmonton.[4] Detroit dealt him to the Bruins in a surprising deal for Terry Sawchuk, one of the greatest goaltenders of the day.[3]
Bucyk became the top left wing in Boston playing with his "Uke Line" partners of Stasiuk and Horvath, who had previously played together in Edmonton.[9] The trio had an immediate impact, leading the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Finals, with Horvath finishing fifth in league scoring, and Bucyk and Stasiuk each scoring 21 goals.[13] The moniker "Uke Line" came from the trio's purported Ukrainian background (in fact, Stasiuk was of Hungarian origins). Bucyk's first hat trick was scored in one of the first nationally televised games, a 7-4 over the New York Rangers.[14]
1960s
Bucyk and his Uke Line linemates continued to star together (Horvath losing the league scoring championship to Bobby Hull by a single point in 1960), but by the 1961 season, the trio's defensive deficiencies caused coach Milt Schmidt to break the lineup.[15] Bucyk was paired with Stasiuk and Jerry Toppazzini, before the Ukes were reunited, but the line was permanently broken up with Stasiuk and Horvath both being traded by the 1961 offseason, with the team missing the playoffs for a second straight year.
Boston fell on hard times in the 1960s, finishing in last place five straight seasons, during which time Bucyk — generally paired with centre
Return to glory
Assembling a team behind the acquisitions of
Bucyk played for his second and final Stanley Cup-winning team in 1972, finishing eighth in league scoring. He would remain a star for most of the 1970s, being named team captain again in 1973, winning the Lady Byng again in 1974, and finishing in the top ten of the league scoring twice more. In 1977, he was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy for contributions to hockey in the United States.
Retirement and legacy
Bucyk starred into his penultimate season (during which he surrendered his team captaincy, while suffering an injury, to Wayne Cashman), and ended his playing career after the 1978 season, after which the Bruins retired his number #9 jersey in 1980.[24]
At the time of his retirement, Bucyk was fourth all-time in points (behind Gordie Howe, Esposito and Stan Mikita) (currently 28th) and in goals (currently 27th), third in games played behind Howe and Alex Delvecchio (currently 17th), and was the leading career point scorer among left wings, a record since surpassed by Luc Robitaille.[3]
He scored 545 goals as a Bruin, which remains the most in franchise history. Only Ray Bourque has subsequently passed his team marks for points, games played, and assists.[25]
Bucyk received numerous honors after his retirement. He was inducted into the
Bucyk remains affiliated with the Bruins, serving on various occasions as a radio broadcaster and in the front office. He previously served as the team's director of road services and is now listed by the team as an ambassador, being known as the "unofficial mayor of TD Garden".[28] As part of Boston's coaching and administrative staff, Bucyk had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup for a third time with the Bruins in 2011, his 53rd consecutive season with the organization. As of the 2023 season, Bucyk's 69 years in professional hockey is the longest such tenure on record.[7]
Family
His nephew Randy Bucyk played for the Northeastern University Huskies and the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames organizations, earning a Stanley Cup ring with Montreal in 1986. Randy Bucyk also played for the Canadian national team in 1989. Bucyk also played with his older brother William Bucyk, a defenseman for the Oil Kings who played several seasons in the minor league Western Hockey League in the late 1950s.[29]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
- Bold indicates led league
Regular season
|
Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
1951–52 | Edmonton Maple Leafs | AJHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1951–52 | Edmonton Oil Kings | WCJHL | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1952–53 | Edmonton Oil Kings | WCJHL | 39 | 19 | 12 | 31 | 24 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 14 | ||
1953–54 | Edmonton Oil Kings | WCJHL | 33 | 29 | 38 | 67 | 38 | 21 | 28 | 17 | 45 | 30 | ||
1953–54 | Edmonton Flyers | WHL
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1953–54 | Edmonton Oil Kings | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 14 | 10 | 24 | 10 | ||
1954–55 | Edmonton Flyers | WHL | 70 | 30 | 58 | 88 | 57 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 7 | ||
1954–55 | Edmonton Flyers | Ed-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 22 | ||
1955–56 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 38 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 18 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | ||
1955–56 | Edmonton Flyers | WHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1956–57 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 66 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 39 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
1957–58 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 68 | 21 | 31 | 52 | 57 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 16 | ||
1958–59 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 69 | 24 | 36 | 60 | 36 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | ||
1959–60 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 56 | 16 | 36 | 52 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1960–61 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 70 | 19 | 20 | 39 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1961–62 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 67 | 20 | 40 | 60 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1962–63 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 69 | 27 | 39 | 66 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1963–64 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 62 | 18 | 36 | 54 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1964–65 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 68 | 26 | 29 | 55 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1965–66 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 63 | 27 | 30 | 57 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1966–67 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 59 | 18 | 30 | 48 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1967–68 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 72 | 30 | 39 | 69 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
1968–69 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 70 | 24 | 42 | 66 | 18 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 0 | ||
1969–70 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 76 | 31 | 38 | 69 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 2 | ||
1970–71 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 78 | 51 | 65 | 116 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 | ||
1971–72 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 78 | 32 | 51 | 83 | 4 | 15 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 6 | ||
1972–73 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 78 | 40 | 53 | 93 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | ||
1973–74 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 76 | 31 | 44 | 75 | 8 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 4 | ||
1974–75 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 78 | 29 | 52 | 81 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
1975–76 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 77 | 36 | 47 | 83 | 20 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 0 | ||
1976–77 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 49 | 20 | 23 | 43 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1977–78 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 53 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
NHL totals | 1,540 | 556 | 813 | 1,369 | 493 | 124 | 41 | 62 | 103 | 42 |
Statistics via Hockey Reference[3]
Achievements and facts
- Played in the 1971.[3]
- Named to the NHL second All-Star team in 1968.[3]
- Stanley Cup champion in 1970 and 1972.
- Won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1971 and 1974.
- Named to the NHL first All-Star team in 1971.
- Won Lester Patrick Trophy for contributions to hockey in the United States in 1977.
- Known as the "Chief" due to presumed Native American looks by a mistaken Boston cartoonist.
- A Ukrainian Canadian and member of the "Uke" line with Bronco Horvath and Vic Stasiuk.
- When the Bruins ended their twenty-nine-year championship drought in 1970, Bucyk was given the honour of being the first player of the team to hoist the Stanley Cup around the Boston Garden, since he was the most senior Alternate Captain (the Bruins did not have a regular Captain wearing the "C" during these years).
- His nephew Northeastern University Huskies and the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames organizations, earning a Stanley Cup ring with Montreal in 1986. Randy Bucyk also played for the Canadian national team in 1989.
- Recorded sixteen twenty-goal seasons.[3]
- Career leader in goals and consecutive games played for the Bruins; second to Ray Bourque in career games, assists, and points (retired as the overall leader in all of those categories).
- Retired third behind Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio in all-time NHL games played; currently 18th.[3]
- Retired as the leading career point scorer among left wings, a record since surpassed by Luc Robitaille.
- Oldest player to score 50 goals in one season (51 goals in 1970–71) at age 35, a record that stood until Alexander Ovechkin broke it by doing the same at age 36 in 2021–22.[30]
- Also oldest player scoring 50 or more for 1st time in career. (1970–71).
- Played the greatest number of NHL games before scoring 500 goals - 1,370.
- His #9 Jersey was retired by the Boston Bruinson March 13, 1980.
- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981.
- In 1998, he was ranked number 45 on list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
- In January 2017, Bucyk was part of the first group of players to be named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history by the National Hockey League.[31]
See also
- List of NHL statistical leaders
- List of NHL players with 1000 points
- List of NHL players with 500 goals
- List of NHL players with 1000 games played
References
- ^ "100 Greatest NHL Players". NHL.com. January 1, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
- ^ a b Coleman, Charles (1976). Trail of the Stanley Cup, Vol III. Sherbrooke, PQ: Progressive Publications. p. 680.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "John Bucyk Stats". Hockey Reference. Sports Reference LLC.
- ^ a b c d e f Hackel, Stu. "Johnny Bucyk: 100 Greatest NHL Players". NHL.com. National Hockey League.
- ^ "Наш Вождь" (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on April 25, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
- ^ Pelletier, Joe. "Johnny Bucyk". Greatest Hockey Legends.
- ^ a b https://www.nhl.com/news/johnny-bucyk-enjoying-life-long-relationship-with-bruins-344908488
- ^ "M-Cup - 1953-1954". eliteprospects.com. Elite Prospects.
- ^ a b Coleman, Charles (1976). Trail of the Stanley Cup, Vol III. Sherbrooke, PQ: Progressive Publications. p. 327.
- ^ Slate, Ralph. "Edmonton Flyers 1954-55 roster and statistics". hockeydb.com. The Internet Hockey Database.
- ^ Slate, Ralph. "1954-55Western Hockey League Standings". hockeydb.com. The Internet Hockey Database.
- ISBN 0-00-200058-X.
- ^ Coleman, Charles (1976). Trail of the Stanley Cup, Vol III. Sherbrooke, PQ: Progressive Publications. p. 339.
- ISBN 1-55022-334-8.
- ^ Coleman, Charles (1976). Trail of the Stanley Cup, Vol III. Sherbrooke, PQ: Progressive Publications. p. 416.
- ISBN 1-55022-334-8.
- ISBN 1-55022-334-8.
- ISBN 0-00-200058-X.
- ISBN 0-00-200058-X.
- ISBN 1-55022-334-8.
- ISBN 0-920445-79-9.
- ISBN 0-920445-79-9.
- NHL.com. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
- ISBN 1-55022-334-8.
- ISBN 1-55022-334-8.
- ^ "100 Greatest NHL Players". NHL.com. January 1, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
- ^ "Boston Bruins Announce 2022-23 Season Awards". The Official Site of the Boston Bruins. Boston Professional Hockey Association. 25 October 2023.
- ^ "Club Directory". Boston Bruins. Boston Professional Hockey Association.
- ^ "William Bucyk". eliteprospects.com. Elite Prospects.
- NHL.com. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
- ^ "100 Greatest NHL Players". NHL.com. January 1, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or Legends of Hockey, or The Internet Hockey Database