Mike Liut

Mike Liut (born January 7, 1956, in Toronto, Ontario) is a retired Canadian professional goaltender.
Mike played in the National Hockey League from 1979 to 1992. During this time, he played for the Hartford Whalers, Washington Capitals, and St. Louis Blues. Mike also played two years with the World Hockey Association's Cincinnati Stingers. Mike won the 1981 Lester B. Pearson Award for being the most valuable player according to the his fellow players, and posted the league's best goals-against average in 1989–90.
== Playing career ==
Liut played college hockey at Bowling Green State University. After being named twice to the CCHA First All-Star team, Liut was selected 56th overall by the St. Louis Blues in 1976 but instead opted to play for the Cincinnati Stingers of the WHA for two seasons. When the WHA went under and merged with the NHL in 1979, the Blues reclaimed Liut's rights.
Liut was outstanding in his debut with St. Louis. His first two seasons saw him pile up 71 victories. In 1980–81, he was voted a runner-up to Wayne Gretzky for the Hart Trophy; he was selected as a First Team All-Star and won the Lester B. Pearson Trophy as the league's MVP as determined by his peers. That fall, he was Canada's starting goaltender at the 1981 Canada Cup, which ended with a disappointing 8–1 loss to the Soviet Union in the final.
In 1985, Liut was traded to the Hartford Whalers where, in his second season, he led the NHL in shutouts with four. In that same season, Liut backstopped the Whalers into the Wales Conference semifinals, where they were defeated by the Montreal Canadiens in OT of the 7th game in a memorable playoff series. The Canadiens went on to win the Stanley Cup that year. In 1986–87, Liut led the Whalers to their first and only Adams Division Title and was named to the NHL's Second All-Star Team. He also posted the league's best goals-against average with the Whalers in 1989–90.
He was traded to the Washington Capitals in 1990, but had difficulty maintaining his workhorse status because of a failing back, an ailment that led to his retirement in 1991–92.
Following his playing career, Liut joined the University of Michigan as an assistant coach in 1995–96 until the end of the 1997–98 season. He now works as a sports agent, representing NHL players including Ryan Malone.
Liut is a second cousin of former NHL player Ron Francis.
==Career statistics==
===Regular season===
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	W 	L 	T 	MIN 	GA 	SO	GAA 	SV%
1973–74 	Bowling Green State University	NCAA 		24 	10 	12 	0 	1272 	88 	0 	4.00	.870
1974–75 	Bowling Green State University	NCAA 		20 	12 	6 	1 	1174 	78 	0 	3.99	.882
1975–76 	Bowling Green State University	NCAA 		21 	13 	5 	0 	1171 	50 	0 	2.56	.905
1976–77 	Bowling Green State University	NCAA 		24 	— 	— 	— 	1346 	61 	2 	2.72	—
1977–78 	Cincinnati Stingers 	WHA 		27 	8 	12 	0 	1215 	86 	0 	4.25	.870
1978–79 	Cincinnati Stingers 	WHA 		54 	23 	27 	4 	3184 	184 	3 	3.47	.882
1979–80 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		54 	32 	23 	9 	3661 	194 	2 	3.18	—
1980–81 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		61 	33 	14 	13	3570 	199 	1 	3.34	—
1981–82 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		64 	28 	28 	7 	3691 	250 	2 	4.06	.876
1982–83 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		68 	21 	27 	13	3794 	235 	1 	3.72	.878
1983–84 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		58 	25 	29 	4 	3425 	197 	3 	3.45	.884
1984–85 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		32 	12 	12 	6 	1869 	119 	1 	3.82	.880
1984–85 	Hartford Whalers 	NHL 		12 	4 	7 	1 	731 	36 	1 	2.95	.914
1985–86 	Hartford Whalers 	NHL 		57 	27 	23 	4 	3282 	198 	2 	3.62	.874
1986–87 	Hartford Whalers 	NHL 		59 	31 	22 	5 	3476 	187 	4 	3.23	.885
1987–88 	Hartford Whalers 	NHL 		60 	25 	28 	5 	3532 	187 	2 	3.18	.884
1988–89 	Hartford Whalers 	NHL 		35 	13 	19 	1 	2006 	142 	1 	4.25	.861
1989–90 	Hartford Whalers 	NHL 		29 	15 	12 	1 	1683 	74 	3 	2.64	.901
1989–90 	Washington Capitals 	NHL 		8 	4 	4 	0 	478 	17 	1 	2.13	.922
1990–91 	Washington Capitals 	NHL 		35 	13 	16 	3 	1834 	114 	0 	3.73	.885
1991–92 	Washington Capitals 	NHL 		21 	10 	7 	2 	1123 	70 	1 	3.74	.875
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		664	294	271	74	38215	2221	25	3.48	.881
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==External links==
* Profile at hockeydraftcentral.com
* Profile at legends of hockey.net
* Profile at hockeydb.com
Category:Born in 1956
Category:Hartford Whalers players
Category:Lester Pearson Award winners
Category:St. Louis Blues players
Category:Washington Capitals players
Category:NHL All-Stars