Steve Bozek

Last updated
Steve Bozek
Born (1960-11-26) November 26, 1960 (age 63)
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Left
Played for Los Angeles Kings
Calgary Flames
St. Louis Blues
Vancouver Canucks
San Jose Sharks
National teamFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
NHL Draft 52nd overall, 1980
Los Angeles Kings
Playing career 1981–1993

Steven Michael Bozek (born November 26, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left wing who spent 11 seasons in the NHL with five clubs. Noted for his hard shot, he was a reliable two-way forward and strong penalty killer.

Contents

Playing career

Bozek was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 3rd round, 52nd overall in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft while playing for Northern Michigan University. Bozek was named a CCHA First-Team All-Star twice in his three years at Northern Michigan, leading the CCHA in scoring during the 1980–1981 season. In 1981, he was named a First-Team All-American - the first hockey All-American ever for Northern Michigan - after dominating college hockey with 90 points in just 44 games, and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.

Bozek turned pro after his junior year, breaking straight into the Kings lineup for the 1981–82 season. As a rookie, he received an opportunity to spend a large portion of the season on the famed Triple Crown Line with Marcel Dionne and Dave Taylor due to an injury to Charlie Simmer, and he set a Kings rookie record (since broken) with 33 goals. In the playoffs, he secured a place in Kings lore by scoring the tying goal with 5 seconds left in the famed Miracle on Manchester game against the Edmonton Oilers, which was the greatest playoff comeback in NHL history as Los Angeles rallied from a 5–0 deficit to win 6–5 in overtime.

1982–83 would be a difficult year for Bozek, as he struggled with injuries and the sophomore jinx, finishing with 13 goals and 26 points in 53 games. At the conclusion of the season, he was dealt to the Calgary Flames. Always a primarily offensive player to that point in his career, in Calgary he began to develop the defensive side of his game and became a strong checker and penalty killer. However, his five seasons in Calgary would be blighted by nagging knee problems, and he was only able to play more than 70 games in a season once. His best year as a Flame was 1985–86, as he scored 21 goals and 22 assists for 43 points in 64 games, including a club-leading 4 shorthanded goals. He added 8 points in 14 games in the playoffs as Calgary reached the Stanley Cup finals.

After missing most of the 1987–88 season with a knee injury, Bozek was traded to the St. Louis Blues at the trade deadline along with Brett Hull in a deal for Rob Ramage and Rick Wamsley. [1] [2] Another knee injury limited him to 7 regular season games with the Blues, and he finished the season with just 3 goals and 10 points in 33 games between Calgary and St. Louis.

Bozek's time in St. Louis would be brief, as he was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks in a three-way deal prior to the 1988–89 campaign. [3] He would have a strong bounce-back season in Vancouver, finishing with 17 goals and 35 points, and his defensive play was a factor in Vancouver improving to 3rd in the league defensively from 17th the previous season. He spent two more seasons in Vancouver, recording solid totals of 14 and 15 goals, although as usual he was slowed down by injuries which caused him to miss 40 games over that stretch. Due to his enthusiastic and scrappy style of play, he earned the nickname Steve "Boom-Boom" Bozek, a nickname coined by CKNW commentator Tom Larschied. He was selected to play for Canada at the 1991 World Championships, winning a silver medal.

In 1991, Bozek signed as a free agent with the expansion San Jose Sharks, and was a member of their inaugural team during the 1991–92 season, finishing with 8 goals and 16 points in 58 games. He then played for a season in Italy before retiring in 1993.

Bozek finished his career with totals of 164 goals and 167 assists for 331 points in 641 games, along with 309 penalty minutes. He never played a game in the minor leagues.

After his career was over, he earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. [4]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1978–79 Northern Michigan University CCHA 3312122421—————
1979–80 Northern Michigan UniversityCCHA4142478932—————
1980–81 Northern Michigan UniversityCCHA4435559046—————
1981–82 Los Angeles Kings NHL 7133235668104156
1982–83 Los Angeles KingsNHL5313132614—————
1983–84 Calgary Flames NHL46101020161031415
1984–85 Calgary FlamesNHL54132235631014
1985–86 Calgary FlamesNHL64212243241426832
1986–87 Calgary FlamesNHL711718352241012
1987–88 Calgary FlamesNHL26371012—————
1987–88 St. Louis Blues NHL7000271126
1988–89 Vancouver Canucks NHL711718356470224
1989–90 Vancouver CanucksNHL581492332—————
1990–91 Vancouver CanucksNHL621517322230000
1991–92 San Jose Sharks NHL58881627—————
1992–93 HC Bolzano Alpen 171311246—————
1992–93 HC Bolzano ITA 94378622411
1993–94 Olimpija Ljubljana SLV 10000—————
NHL totals6411641673313095812112369

International

YearTeamEventGPGAPtsPIM
1991 Canada WC 81124
Senior totals81124

Awards and honours

AwardYear
All-CCHA First Team 1979–80 [5]
All-CCHA First Team 1980–81 [5]
AHCA West All-American 1980–81 [6]
All-NCAA All-Tournament Team 1981 [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Gilmour</span> Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1963)

Douglas Robert Gilmour is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for seven different teams. Gilmour was a seventh round selection, 134th overall, of the St. Louis Blues at the 1982 NHL Entry Draft and recorded 1,414 points in 1,474 games in the NHL between 1983 and 2003. A two-time All-Star, he was a member of Calgary's 1989 Stanley Cup championship team and won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward in 1992–93. Internationally, he represented Canada three times during his career and was a member of the nation's 1987 Canada Cup championship team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett Hull</span> Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1964)

Brett Andrew Hull is a Canadian–American former ice hockey player and general manager, and currently an executive vice president of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, and Phoenix Coyotes between 1986 and 2005. His career total of 741 goals is fifth highest in NHL history, and he is one of five players to score 50 goals in 50 games. He was a member of two Stanley Cup winning teams — 1999 with the Dallas Stars and 2002 with the Detroit Red Wings. In 2017 Hull was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history.

George Robert Ramage is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota North Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers. He also played one season in the World Hockey Association (WHA) for the Birmingham Bulls. He was a two-time Stanley Cup winner in the NHL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darryl Sutter</span> Canadian ice hockey player and coach

Darryl John Sutter is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is one of seven Sutter brothers, six of whom made the NHL ; all but Rich and Gary worked alongside Darryl in some capacity during his first tenure with the Flames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Gélinas</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1970)

Martin Gélinas is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played 1,273 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Edmonton Oilers, Quebec Nordiques, Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators. A first round selection of the Los Angeles Kings at the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, Gélinas was sent to the Oilers as part of the 1988 Wayne Gretzky trade before ever playing a game for the Kings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brendan Morrison</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1975)

Brendan Morrison is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He has played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars, Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames and Chicago Blackhawks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pavol Demitra</span> Slovak ice hockey player (1974–2011)

Pavol Demitra was a Slovak professional ice hockey player. He played nineteen seasons of professional hockey, for teams in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League (CSL), National Hockey League (NHL), Slovak Extraliga (SVK), and Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). A skilled offensive player, Demitra was a top-line forward throughout his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig Conroy</span> American ice hockey player (born 1971)

Craig Michael Conroy is an American former professional ice hockey player and the current general manager of the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). A sixth-round selection of the Montreal Canadiens at the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, Conroy played 1,009 NHL games for the Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames and Los Angeles Kings during a professional career that spanned from 1994 to 2011. Internationally, he twice played with the United States National Team – at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and the 2006 Winter Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valeri Bure</span> Russian ice hockey player (born 1974)

Valeri Vladimirovich "Val" Bure is a Russian-American former ice hockey right winger. He played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, and Dallas Stars from 1995 to 2004. A second round selection of the Canadiens, 33rd overall, at the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, Bure appeared in one NHL All-Star Game, in 2000. He led the Flames in scoring with 35 goals and 75 points in 1999–2000, a season in which he and brother Pavel combined to set an NHL record for goals by a pair of siblings with 93.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dana Murzyn</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1966)

Dana Trevor Murzyn is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Drafted out of the Western Hockey League (WHL), he was selected fifth overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. He began his NHL career in 1985–86 with the Whalers and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team. After being traded to the Calgary Flames in 1988, he won the Stanley Cup with the club in 1989. He was traded a second time in 1991 to the Vancouver Canucks, where he spent the majority of his career. Murzyn retired following the 1998–99 season after fourteen years in the NHL.

The 1977–78 NHL season was the 61st season of the National Hockey League. The Montreal Canadiens won their third Stanley Cup in a row, defeating the Boston Bruins four games to two in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Garth Butcher is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Butcher was a top prospect as a junior player and was a member of the first Canadian team to win gold at the world junior championship. Butcher played in the National Hockey League for 14 seasons, from 1981–82 to 1994–95, mostly with the Vancouver Canucks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Tambellini</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1984)

Jeff Tambellini is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger and current Director of Player Development for the Seattle Kraken of the NHL. Originally selected 27th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, he joined the National Hockey League in 2005. During his rookie season, he was traded to the New York Islanders. He split his first three professional seasons between the NHL and his clubs' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliates, the Manchester Monarchs and Bridgeport Sound Tigers. In July 2010, Tambellini signed with the Vancouver Canucks and spent a season with the organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Hunter (ice hockey)</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1962)

Mark William Hunter is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive, coach, and former player. He currently is the owner and general manager for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Hunter was born in Petrolia, Ontario, but grew up in nearby Oil Springs, Ontario, and was one of three brothers, with Dave and Dale, to play in the NHL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kris Russell</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1987)

Kris Russell is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was originally drafted in the third round, 67th overall, by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and played four seasons with the team before moving on to the St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars. He has also played for TPS and Oulun Kärpät in the Finnish Liiga.

Gino J. Cavallini is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League with the Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, and Quebec Nordiques between 1985 and 1993. He is the brother of the NHL hockey player Paul Cavallini.

The 1990–91 Calgary Flames season was the 11th National Hockey League season in Calgary. The Flames entered the season with a new coach, as they replaced Terry Crisp with Doug Risebrough. Crisp coached 277 games with the Flames over three years, and his .669 regular season winning percentage remains a Flames record.

The 1988–89 Calgary Flames season was the ninth season for the Calgary Flames and 17th for the Flames franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL). They won their second consecutive Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's top regular season club and went on to win the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history, defeating the Montreal Canadiens in the 1989 Stanley Cup Finals. Al MacInnis won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs.

Monday Night Miracle is a term used to describe the National Hockey League playoff game between the Calgary Flames and the St. Louis Blues that occurred on May 12, 1986. The Blues overcame a three-goal deficit with 12:00 remaining in the third period, and eventually won the game in overtime on a Doug Wickenheiser goal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler Toffoli</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1992)

Tyler Toffoli is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the second round, 47th overall, by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and won the Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2014. Toffoli has also previously played for the Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, and Vancouver Canucks.

References

  1. ↑ Meyer, Mike (2023-08-09). "Revisiting the Blues' Trade for Brett Hull". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  2. ↑ "Thirty-four years ago today, Calgary Flames trade Brett Hull". FlamesNation. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  3. ↑ "The St. Louis Blues made their second trade in... - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  4. ↑ "The King of the Hill | Northern Magazine".
  5. 1 2 "CCHA All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  7. ↑ "NCAA Frozen Four Records" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.