Chris Oddleifson

Christopher Roy Oddleifson (born September 7, 1950 in Brandon, Manitoba) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. He in the National Hockey League from 1972 to 1981. He is best known for his time with the Vancouver Canucks, where he was one of the team's top players for much of the 1970s and served as team captain in the 1976–77 NHL season.

Playing career
Oddleifson was selected 10th overall in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft by the California Golden Seals after a final junior season with the Winnipeg Jets of the WCHL during which he finished with 95 points (including a league-leading 64 assists) and 243 penalty minutes. However, he was assigned to the minor leagues and would never play an National Hockey League game for the Seals. He was dealt to the Boston Bruins mid-way through the 1971–72 season.

In 1972–73, Oddleifson finally made his NHL debut and appeared in six games for Boston without recording a point. He managed to crack the Bruins full-time in 1974–75, highlighted by a four-goal game against the Golden Seals, the team that had given up on him two years earlier. Late in the season, he was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks in a deal for sniper Bobby Schmautz, and he finished out his rookie season with decent totals of 13 goals and 29 points in 70 games between Boston and Vancouver.

Oddleifson would have his breakout year in 1974–75, as he emerged as a leader on a young Canuck team which surprised by winning their division and making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. He proved himself to be an exceptional all-around player who possessed size, toughness, and playmaking ability, as well as the ability to play both at center and on the wing. He led the Canucks in scoring through the early part of the season until a fractured jaw forced him to miss 20 games. Nevertheless, he finished with career highs of 16 goals and 35 assists for 51 points in just 60 games.

In 1975–76, Oddleifson would have his finest NHL season, as he notched 16 goals and a club-leading 46 assists for a career high 62 points. Although his production waned somewhat in the next few seasons, he remained one of the team's top all-around forwards and most popular players. He was named team captain for 1976–77, although he was replaced by Don Lever the following year. In 1977–78, he recorded a career-high 17 goals for the club.

By the 1979–80 season, the emergence of young stars like Thomas Gradin, Stan Smyl and Curt Fraser, as well as the acquisition of several skilled veterans, had pushed Oddleifson into a mainly defensive role, and he finished the season with career lows of just 8 goals and 28 points. Early in the 1980–81 campaign, he was assigned to the Dallas Black Hawks, effectively ending his NHL career.

Oddleifson spent two more seasons playing in Switzerland before retiring in 1983. He finished his NHL career with totals 95 goals and 191 assists for 286 points in 524 games, along with 464 penalty minutes.

Following his career, Oddleifson returned to Vancouver and became a successful real estate agent. He remains active with the Canuck Oldtimers squad.

 Awards and achievements 
MJHL Second All-Star Team (1968)
WCJHL First All-Star Team (1970)
“Honoured Member” of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame

Career statistics
     Regular season   Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1969–70 Winnipeg Jets WCHL 59 31 64 95 243 — — — — — 1970–71 Providence Reds AHL 66 15 42 57 95 10 1 4 5 25 1971–72 Oklahoma City Blazers CHL 68 18 44 62 134 6 0 2 2 12 1972–73 Boston Bruins NHL 6 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1972–73 Boston Braves AHL 63 12 42 54 127 10 3 6 9 41 1973–74 Boston Bruins NHL 49 10 11 21 45 — — — — — 1973–74 Vancouver Canucks NHL 21 3 5 8 19 — — — — — 1974–75 Vancouver Canucks NHL 60 16 35 51 54 5 0 3 3 2 1975–76 Vancouver Canucks NHL 80 16 46 62 88 2 1 2 3 0 1976–77 Vancouver Canucks NHL 80 14 26 40 81 — — — — — 1977–78 Vancouver Canucks NHL 78 17 22 39 64 — — — — — 1978–79 Vancouver Canucks NHL 67 11 26 37 51 3 0 1 1 2 1979–80 Vancouver Canucks NHL 75 8 20 28 76 4 0 0 0 4 1980–81 Vancouver Canucks NHL 8 0 0 0 6 — — — — — 1980–81 Dallas Black Hawks AHL 46 12 36 48 30 5 0 3 3 0 NHL totals 524 95 191 286 464 14 1 6 7 8

References

Other websites

Chris Oddleifson's biography  at Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame 

Category:1950 births
Category:Living people
Category:Boston Braves (AHL) players
Category:Boston Bruins players
Category:Canadian ice hockey centres
Category:Ice hockey people from Brandon, Manitoba
Category:Providence Reds players
Category:Vancouver Canucks players
Category:Winnipeg Jets (WHL) players
Category:Central Professional Hockey League players