Vic Stasiuk

Victor John Stasiuk (May 23, 1929 – May 7, 2023) was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger and coach. He played in the National Hockey League from 1959 to 1963, and then served as a coach from 1969 to 1973.
==Biography==
Stasiuk played junior hockey in his native Lethbridge, Alberta before signing with the Chicago Black Hawks. He played sparingly in Chicago, and was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in 1951. He spent time in the minors with the Indianapolis Capitals and the Edmonton Flyers. He was part of three Stanley Cup teams in 1952, 1954, and 1955. In 1954, however, although Stasiuk played 42 regular season games for Detroit, because he spent the playoffs in the minors, his name was left off the Stanley Cup after the Wings captured the league crown.Vic Stasiuk at hockeyDB.com
In 1955, Stasiuk was traded to the Boston Bruins and found chemistry with Johnny Bucyk and Bronco Horvath, a grouping dubbed "The Uke line" because of the Ukrainian ancestry of the three players. In 1957-58, this line became the first in NHL history to have all three participants reach the 20 goal mark. In 1960, Stasiuk scored a career high 68 points, and he was selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game. In 1961, he was traded back to Detroit, playing with this club until 1963, before finishing his career in the minors. He played for the Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, and Boston Bruins, He recorded 183 goals and 254 assists in 745 NHL games.Vic Stasiuk at Legends of Hockey
After retiring, Stasiuk moved to coaching. He took over the Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League for two seasons and later led the same league's Quebec Aces to back-to-back losses in the Calder Cup finals. Immediately after coaching the EHL Jersey Devils from 1966-68,The EHL Stasiuk earned a job with the Philadelphia Flyers. His team finished out of the playoffs by a single point in 1969-70, and then were eliminated in the first round of the postseason the next year. Stasiuk was fired after the 1970-71 season; the Flyers offered him a scouting position, but he took a head coaching job three games into the NHL season with the California Golden Seals."Philadelphia Fires Stasiuk", The Leader Post, May 28, 1971 Stasiuk was fired after the season due to a stylistic conflict with management, and he then spent one year behind the bench of the Vancouver Canucks before settling into a career in junior hockey coaching, both in Taber and Medicine Hat 
 
Stasiuk died at a Lethbridge nursing home on May 7, 2023, at the age of 93.Victor Stasiuk obituary, Salmon and Sons Funeral Home
==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1946–47 	Lethbridge Native Sons	AJHL 		9 	0 	6 	6 	11 		1 	1 	1 	2 	0
1947–48 	Wetaskiwin Canadians 	EJrHL 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1948–49 	Kansas City Pla-Mors 	USHL 		66 	7 	13 	20 	52 		2 	0 	0 	0 	0
1949–50 	Chicago Black Hawks 	NHL 		17 	1 	1 	2 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1949–50 	Kansas City Pla-Mors 	USHL 		39 	10 	13 	23 	27 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1950–51 	Chicago Black Hawks 	NHL 		20 	5 	3 	8 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1950–51 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 		50 	3 	10 	13 	12 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1951–52 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 		58 	5 	9 	14 	19 		7 	0 	2 	2 	0
1951–52 	Indianapolis Capitals 	AHL 		8 	7 	1 	8 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1952–53 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 		3 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1952–53 	Edmonton Flyers 	WHL 		48 	37 	43 	80 	71 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1953–54 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 		42 	5 	2 	7 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1953–54 	Edmonton Flyers 	WHL 		21 	6 	12 	18 	37 		13 	2 	6 	8 	23
1954–55 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 		59 	8 	11 	19 	67 		11 	5 	3 	8 	6
1954–55 	Edmonton Flyers 	WHL 		11 	7 	6 	13 	32 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1955–56 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 		59 	19 	18 	37 	118 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1956–57 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 		64 	24 	16 	40 	69 		10 	2 	1 	3 	2
1957–58 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 		70 	21 	35 	56 	55 		12 	0 	5 	5 	13
1958–59 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 		70 	27 	33 	60 	63 		7 	4 	2 	6 	11
1959–60 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 		60 	29 	39 	68 	121 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1960–61 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 		46 	5 	25 	30 	35 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1960–61 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 		23 	10 	13 	23 	16 		11 	2 	5 	7 	4
1961–62 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 		59 	15 	28 	43 	45 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1962–63 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 		36 	6 	11 	17 	37 		11 	3 	0 	3 	4
1962–63 	Pittsburgh Hornets 	AHL 		22 	9 	20 	29 	24 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1963–64 	Pittsburgh Hornets 	AHL 		42 	10 	10 	20 	32 		5 	0 	0 	0 	4
1964–65 	Pittsburgh Hornets 	AHL 		63 	14 	21 	35 	58 		3 	0 	0 	0 	0
1965–66 	Memphis Wings 	CHL 		25 	9 	3 	12 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		745 	183 	254 	437 	669 		69 	16 	18 	34 	40
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Coaching record==
Team 	Year 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Post season	Post season	Post season	Post season
Team 	Year 	G 	W 	L 	T 	Pts 	Finish 	W 	L 	Win % 	Result
Philadelphia Flyers 	1969–70 	76 	17 	35 	24 	58 	5th in West 	— 	— 	— 	Missed playoffs
Philadelphia Flyers 	1970–71 	78 	28 	33 	17 	73 	3rd in West 	0 	4 	.000 	Lost in Quarterfinals
California Golden Seals	1971–72 	75 	21 	38 	16 	58 	6th in West 	— 	— 	— 	Missed playoffs
Vancouver Canucks 	1972–73 	78 	22 	47 	9 	53 	7th in East 	— 	— 	— 	Missed playoffs
NHL Totals 	NHL Totals	307 	88 	153 	66 	242 	— 	0 	4 	. 000 	1 playoff appearance
==Gallery==
1950-51-McNeil-Abel-Stasiuk.jpg|Gerry McNeil, Sid Abel, Vic Stasiuk in 1950-51 season action. Note the City of Detroit 250th anniversary patch.
1957-Nov30-Uke Line.gif|The Uke Line in action, November 30, 1957.
1958-Stasiuk_Horvath_Bucyk.jpg|The "Uke Line" of Vic Stasiuk, Bronco Horvath and John Bucyk would power the Bruins offense from 1957-60.
24Jan1959-Stasiuk_Horvath_Chadwick.jpg|Vic Stasiuk, Bronco Horvath (wearing his jaw protector) and goalie Ed Chadwick, January 24, 1959.
7Mar1959-Keenan_Boivin_Stasiuk_Morrison_Stewart.jpg|Don Keenan in his only NHL game, March 7, 1959.
Stasiuk_from_Buyck-23Jan1960.gif|Vic Stasiuk from John Bucyk and Bronco Horvath, January 23, 1960.
==Video==
A little over a minute worth of highlights of Semi-finals game 4 which the Red Wings won 3-0 to sweep the Maple Leafs. Goals by Vic Stasiuk and an empty netter by Tony Leswick are shown.
TOR DET Rivalry 1955 Semis Wings Sweep Leafs
==External Links==
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Category:Born in 1929
Category:Dead in 2023
Category:Boston Bruins players
Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Chicago Blackhawks players
Category:Detroit Red Wings players
Category:Edmonton Flyers players
Category:Pittsburgh Hornets players
Category:Indianapolis Capitals players
Category:Philadelphia Flyers coaches
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Vancouver Canucks coaches
Category:California Golden Seals coaches
Category:Lethbridge Native Sons alumni
Category:Kansas City Pla-Mors (USHL) players
Category:Kansas City Mohawks players
Category:Memphis Wings players
Category:Pittsburgh Hornets coaches
Category:Jersey Devils coaches
Category:Quebec Aces coaches
Category:Denver Spurs (WHL) coaches
Category:Taber Golden Suns coaches
Category:Medicine Hat Tigers coaches
Category:Retired in 1966
Category:Wetaskiwin Canadians alumni