Hank Nowak played left-wing for three different teams throughout the 1970s. He was a disciplined checker, a useful grinder with a muscular build who could contribute occasionally to the scoring.
Nowak was born in Oshawa, the son of a Polish father and a Russian mother who came to Canada after the Second World War. "He inherited his father’s hands; they were oversized, strong, and made for hard work. Even now, when Nowak shakes hands, it’s the grip people notice." (excerpt from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/article-hank-nowak-missing-wallet-nhl-hockey/)
After 13 games with the Pens in 1973-74, he spent most of the season in Hershey, scoring 32 goals in 56 games. In May 1974, Nowak was traded to Detroit for Nelson Debenedet. On Dec 5, 1974 - he was involved in an altercation on the ice with Carol Vadnais. A few weeks later he was traded to the bruins which led to the infamous 'racoon' meeting. You can find that on youtube.
Nowak scored 22 points in 56 games for the Wings, but then he was traded to Boston with Earl Anderson for Walt McKechnie.
In the 1975 NHL playoffs, Nowak scored one goal. In 1975-76, he played 10 games for Boston when they reached the Stanley Cup semifinals.
On February 7, 1976, Nowak played in Darryl Sittler's NHL record-setting game when Boston played the Toronto Maple Leafs. This was the night that Sittler set an NHL record for most points scored in one game when he recorded ten points (six goals, four assists). Nowak claims that despite the 11–4 loss that night he was still +3![citation needed]
Nowak retired from competitive hockey in 1980. He went on to work for the Toronto Transit Commission, and is now fully retired.
Hank Nowak was playing occasionally in the ASHL for the 'Toronto Blue Hogs.' He played occasionally in tournaments, and the infamous Christmas levee with some Blue Hog alumni and his son Clinton. He sitll plays pickup every week with his son Clinton in an east end rink in downtown Toronto.
In 2023, a wallet belonging to Nowak that he lost in 1973 was returned by mail to the Globe and Mail newspaper in Toronto from a man in New Haven, CT. The newspaper has no way of contacting the man who found the wallet, but Nowak and the newspaper are hoping the man can contact the editor at the Globe and Mail the wallet was addressed to. You can find the globe article here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/article-hank-nowak-missing-wallet-nhl-hockey/
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