Sasha Lakovic

Sasha "The Basha, Pitbull" Lakovic (September 7, 1971 – April 25, 2017) in Vancouver, British Columbia) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for 17 different professional teams during his career. Lakovic also played for four roller hockey teams in the mid 1990s.
==Playing career==
Lakovic, nicknamed the "Pit Bull" for his aggressiveness, turned pro in 1992–93, playing for three separate Colonial Hockey League teams, as well as the American Hockey League's Binghamton Rangers. After bouncing around the ECHL, Central Hockey League, International Hockey League and AHL for a few more seasons, Lakovic cracked the lineup of the National Hockey League's Calgary Flames in 1996–97. Dealt to the New Jersey Devils a year later, Lakovic would play only 37 NHL games before finishing his career with stops in the West Coast Hockey League, and finally the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey before retiring following the 2004–05 season.
Lakovic became known as an enforcer, registering 397 penalty minutes in his first pro season. He peaked at 416 penalty minutes in just 49 games in 1996–97 as a member of the IHL's Las Vegas Thunder. 
===Battle of Alberta===
Lakovic gained widespread attention on November 23, 1996 when playing in his first, and only, Battle of Alberta game between the Flames and the Edmonton Oilers. Late in the game, played at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, a drunken fan reached over the glass, dumping his drink on the head of Flames assistant coach Guy Lapointe. Lakovic immediately jumped over the glass attempting to get at the fan. Held back from climbing over by his teammates, Lakovic was suspended two games for the incident.
==Death==
On October 12, 2016, Lakovic publicly announced that he was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer and was given only 3 months to live.
Lakovic died on April 25, 2017 at the age of 45. He is survived by his wife, four children, and his brother Greg.
==Career statistics==
  	  	  	 	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
1992–93 	Chatham Wheels 	CoHL 	 	28 	7 	5 	12 	235 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1992–93 	Columbus Chill 	ECHL 	 	27 	7 	9 	16 	162 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1992–93 	Binghamton Rangers 	AHL 	 	3 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1992–93 	Brantford Smoke 	CoHL 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	 	5 	2 	1 	3 	62
1993–94 	Chatham Wheels 	CoHL 	 	13 	11 	7 	18 	61 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1993–94 	Toledo Storm 	ECHL 	 	24 	5 	10 	15 	198 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1994–95 	Tulsa Oilers 	CHL 	 	40 	20 	24 	44 	214 	 	4 	1 	3 	4 	88
1995–96 	Las Vegas Thunder 	IHL 	 	49 	1 	2 	3 	416 	 	13 	1 	1 	2 	57
1996–97 	Las Vegas Thunder 	IHL 	 	10 	0 	0 	0 	81 	 	2 	0 	0 	0 	14
1996–97 	Saint John Flames 	AHL 	 	18 	1 	8 	9 	182 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1996–97 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 	 	19 	0 	1 	1 	54 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1997–98 	Albany River Rats 	AHL 	 	30 	7 	6 	13 	158 	 	13 	3 	4 	7 	84
1997–98 	New Jersey Devils 	NHL 	 	2 	0 	0 	0 	5 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	New Jersey Devils 	NHL 	 	16 	0 	3 	3 	59 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Albany River Rats 	AHL 	 	10 	1 	1 	2 	93 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1999–00 	Albany River Rats 	AHL 	 	51 	10 	16 	26 	144 	 	5 	0 	0 	0 	14
2000–01 	Rochester Americans 	AHL 	 	51 	3 	9 	12 	161 	 	4 	1 	1 	2 	32
2000–01 	Long Beach Ice Dogs 	WCHL 	 	8 	3 	6 	9 	29 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Bakersfield Condors 	WCHL 	 	30 	5 	13 	18 	147 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Anchorage Aces 	WCHL 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	 	2 	0 	1 	1 	6
2002–03 	St. Jean Mission 	QPSHL 	 	15 	0 	4 	4 	51 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2004–05 	Sherbrooke Saint-Francois	LNAH 	 	2 	0 	0 	0 	16 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals 	NHL totals 	NHL totals 	 	37 	0 	4 	4 	118 	 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0
Minor league totals	Minor league totals 	Minor league totals	 	409 	81 	120 	201 	2448 	 	49 	8 	11 	19 	357
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==References==
*Lakovic's stats at hockeydb.com
*Francis, Eric The uncivil war: Calgary @ Edmonton, Calgary Sun, September 3, 2003
==External links==
*sashalakovic.com
*hockeyfights.com interview
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Born in 1971
Category:Albany River Rats players
Category:Anchorage Aces players
Category:Bakersfield Condors players
Category:Binghamton Rangers players
Category:Brantford Smoke players
Category:Calgary Flames players
Category:Chatham Wheels players
Category:Columbus Chill players
Category:Las Vegas Thunder players
Category:Long Beach Ice Dogs players
Category:New Jersey Devils players
Category:Rochester Americans players
Category:Saint John Flames players
Category:Toledo Storm players
Category:Tulsa Oilers (CHL) players
Category:Retired in 2005
Category:Dead in 2017