Johnny Bucyk

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Johnny Bucyk
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1981
JohnnyBucyk.jpg
Bucyk in 2010
Born (1935-05-12) May 12, 1935 (age 86)
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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 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. Nicknamed "Chief", Bucyk was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in 2017.[1]

Early life[]

Bucyk was born in Edmonton to Sam and Pearl Bucyk, Ukrainian immigrants from the village of Butsiv, in what is now Mostyska Raion, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine.[2] 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 10 years old.

Playing career[]

Bucyk was a skilled left winger who was (at 6′, 215 lb) the largest of his day. 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. Despite his reputation for devastating hip checks, he was a notably clean player who won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship in 1971 and 1974.

Bucyk played junior hockey for four seasons for his hometown Edmonton Oil Kings before signing with the Detroit Red Wings in 1955. Two modest years later in 1957, he was traded to the Bruins in a surprising deal for Terry Sawchuk, one of the greatest goaltenders of the day. Bucyk became the top left wing in Boston playing with his Uke Line partners of Vic Stasiuk and Bronco Horvath, who had previously played together in Edmonton. Bucyk established himself as a durable winger who was strong in the corners with consistent scoring numbers.

However, thereafter the team fell on hard times in the sixties, finishing in last place five straight seasons, during which time Bucyk — generally paired with centre Murray Oliver and winger Tommy Williams — led the team in scoring several times. When the Bruins became a powerhouse in the late Sixties, Bucyk — by then the team captain — rose with the pack, with great production including a 51-goal season in the 1970–71 season in his mid-thirties, and helping the Bruins to win two Stanley Cup titles in 1970 and 1972. Bucyk proved particularly effective playing on the left side on Boston's greatly feared power-play unit, which featured Phil Esposito, John McKenzie, Bobby Orr and Fred Stanfield.

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. At the time of his retirement, Bucyk was fourth all-time in points (behind Gordie Howe, Esposito and Stan Mikita) and in goals.

He scored 545 goals as a Bruin, the most in franchise history. Only Ray Bourque has subsequently passed his team mark for points and assists. Bucyk's 40 playoff goals for Boston places him seventh on the team's all-time list as of the end of the 2020-21 season. Bucyk scored exactly 100 playoff points for Boston, one of just seven Bruins to reach a three-figure total in this department.

Bucyk remains affiliated with the Bruins, serving on various occasions as a 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 ambassador. 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.

Bucyk was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981.

Career statistics[]

Regular season and playoffs[]

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 20 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 41 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 1540 556 813 1369 497 124 41 62 103 42

* Stanley Cup Champion.

Achievements[]

  • As of the end of the 2018–19 season, Bucyk is 27th for career goals in the National Hockey League and 25th for points.
  • Retired as the leading career point scorer among left wings, a record since surpassed by Luc Robitaille.
  • Retired third behind Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio in all-time NHL games played; currently 13th.
  • Recorded sixteen twenty-goal seasons.
  • Named a First Team All-Star in 1971 and a Second Team All-Star in 1968.
  • Won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship in 1971 and 1974
  • Won Lester Patrick Trophy for contributions to hockey in the United States in 1977.
  • Played in the All-Star Game in 1955, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1970 and 1971.
  • Stanley Cup winner in 1970 and 1972.
  • 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).
  • 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 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.
  • Oldest player to score 50 goals (51 goals in 1970–71) at age 35.
  • Also oldest player scoring 50 or more for 1st time in career. (1970–71).
  • Played the most number of NHL games before scoring 500 goals - 1,370.
  • In 1998, he was ranked number 45 on The Hockey News' 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.[3]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "100 Greatest NHL Players". NHL.com. January 1, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  2. ^ "Наш Вождь". Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
  3. ^ "100 Greatest NHL Players". NHL.com. January 1, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2017.

External links[]

Preceded by
Leo Boivin 		Boston Bruins captain
1966–67 & 1973–77 		Succeeded by
Wayne Cashman
Preceded by
Phil Goyette 		Winner of the Lady Byng Trophy
1971 		Succeeded by
Jean Ratelle
Preceded by
Gilbert Perreault 		Winner of the Lady Byng Trophy
1974 		Succeeded by
Marcel Dionne
Retrieved from ""