While NHL hockey players from the country formerly known as Czechoslovakia"as well as other Eastern European nations"are commonplace today, Chicago Blackhawks great Stan Mikita was something of a pioneer. Other players with a flashier game such as Bobby Hull became better known, but you can make a compelling case that Mikita was the best center iceman in professional hockey during the'60s. Mikita was born in Sokolce, in what is now known as Slovakia. He was sent by his family to the Toronto, Ontario area as a young boy to avoid the political strife in the area prior to World War II. An aunt and uncle adopted him, and he changed his name from his birth name of Stanislav Guoth adopting their last name of Mikita. Like most young Canadian boys, he started playing hockey and quickly proved to have an impressive aptitude for the national sport.
He was a star in the juniors as a teenager, playing with the St. Catherine Teepees of the Ontario Hockey Association. By'60, he was a full time player for the NHL Chicago Blackhawks and would lead the team in playoff scoring during their Stanley Cup winning year of'61.
During the early and mid'60's, Mikita centered the Scooter Line with Ken Wharram on the right wing and Ab McDonald or Doug Mohns on the left wing, and earned a reputation as one of the most complete offensive players in the game. Bobby Hull may have been a bigger superstar among mainstream fans, but most hockey experts realized that Mikita was the team's true offensive catalyst.
Mikita wasn't a one way player by any means--he was a tenacious defender and one of the best faceoff men in the sport. He's also responsible for introducing the curved stick blade to the NHL. It was a radical innovation at the time, but now players who *don't* play with a curved blade are a rarity.
When he first came to the NHL, Mikita was a tough, hard hitting player who spent a considerable amount of time in the penalty box. That changed in the mid'60's when he became a very sportsmanlike player almost overnight. This cleaner style of play would earn him the Lady Byng Trophy for most gentlemanly player twice. The story goes that he had a change of heart when his young daughter asked why he spent so much time sitting in the box on televised games.
In addition to his Stanley Cup victory, Mikitas career accomplishments are among the most impressive in NHL history. He won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHLs leading scorer four times (1964,'65,'67,'68), the Hart Memorial Trophy for Most Valuable Player twice (1967 and'68) and the Lady Byng Trophy in'67 and'68.
Mikita suffered from back injuries in his last years as an active player, finally retiring in'80. He played his entire career for the Chicago Blackhawks, and was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in'83. He became something of a trivia answer for a younger generation when a donut shop called 'Stan Mikita's Donuts' was featured in the popular movie 'Wayne'w World'.
He was a star in the juniors as a teenager, playing with the St. Catherine Teepees of the Ontario Hockey Association. By'60, he was a full time player for the NHL Chicago Blackhawks and would lead the team in playoff scoring during their Stanley Cup winning year of'61.
During the early and mid'60's, Mikita centered the Scooter Line with Ken Wharram on the right wing and Ab McDonald or Doug Mohns on the left wing, and earned a reputation as one of the most complete offensive players in the game. Bobby Hull may have been a bigger superstar among mainstream fans, but most hockey experts realized that Mikita was the team's true offensive catalyst.
Mikita wasn't a one way player by any means--he was a tenacious defender and one of the best faceoff men in the sport. He's also responsible for introducing the curved stick blade to the NHL. It was a radical innovation at the time, but now players who *don't* play with a curved blade are a rarity.
When he first came to the NHL, Mikita was a tough, hard hitting player who spent a considerable amount of time in the penalty box. That changed in the mid'60's when he became a very sportsmanlike player almost overnight. This cleaner style of play would earn him the Lady Byng Trophy for most gentlemanly player twice. The story goes that he had a change of heart when his young daughter asked why he spent so much time sitting in the box on televised games.
In addition to his Stanley Cup victory, Mikitas career accomplishments are among the most impressive in NHL history. He won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHLs leading scorer four times (1964,'65,'67,'68), the Hart Memorial Trophy for Most Valuable Player twice (1967 and'68) and the Lady Byng Trophy in'67 and'68.
Mikita suffered from back injuries in his last years as an active player, finally retiring in'80. He played his entire career for the Chicago Blackhawks, and was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in'83. He became something of a trivia answer for a younger generation when a donut shop called 'Stan Mikita's Donuts' was featured in the popular movie 'Wayne'w World'.
About the Author:
Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and respected authority on football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Northern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.
