Stan Mikita

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Born	May 20, 1940 (1940-05-20) (age 69), Sokolče, Czechoslovakia
Height Weight	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 169 lb (77 kg; 12 st 1 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Right
Pro clubs	Chicago Black Hawks
Ntl. team	Canada
Pro career	1958 – 1980
Hall of Fame, 1983

Stan Mikita (born May 20, 1940) is a Slovak-Canadian retired professional ice hockey player, generally regarded as the best centre of the 1960s. In 1961 he won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Black Hawks, with whom he played his entire career.

Biography

Early life

Mikita was born in Sokolče, Czechoslovakia as Stanislav Guoth (Gvoth), but moved to St. Catharines Ontario, Canada, as a young boy to avoid the political troubles in the area due to Communist control. He was adopted by his aunt and uncle who gave him their surname, Mikita.

Playing career

After three starring junior seasons with the St. Catharines Teepees of the Ontario Hockey Association, Mikita was promoted to the parent Chicago Black Hawks in 1959. In his second full year, in 1961, the Hawks won their third and most recent Stanley Cup. The young centre led the entire league in goals during the playoffs, scoring a total of six.

The following season was his breakout year. Stan Mikita became a star as centre of the famed "Scooter Line", (with right wing Ken Wharram and left wingers Ab McDonald and Doug Mohns). He became the most-feared centre of the Sixties. With superstar teammate Bobby Hull, the Black Hawks had the most powerful offense of the decade, generally leading the league in goals scored. Combining skilled defense and a reputation as one of the game's best faceoff men using his innovative curved stick, Mikita led the league in scoring four times in the decade, tying Bobby Hull's single-season scoring mark in 1966–67 with 97 points (a mark broken two years later by former teammate Phil Esposito and currently held by Wayne Gretzky).

In his early years, Mikita was among the most penalized players in the league, but he then decided to play a cleaner game and went on to win the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanlike conduct twice. Mikita's drastic change in behavior came after he returned home from a road trip. His wife told him that while their daughter was watching the Black Hawks' last road game on television, she turned and said, "Mommy, why does Daddy spend so much time sitting down?" The camera had just shown Mikita in the penalty box again (from Mikita's autobiography "I Play to Win.")

Retirement

His latter years marred by chronic back injuries, Mikita finally retired during the 1979-80 season. Upon his retirement, he had the second-highest career scoring point total of any NHL player, after Gordie Howe. Mikita had played in the seventh most games of any player at the time. Mikita was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983, and into the Slovak Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002. He currently serves as an ambassador of good will for the Blackhawks' organization.

Career statistics

Notes

See also

• Captain (ice hockey)
• List of NHL statistical leaders
• List of NHL players with 1000 points
• List of NHL players with 500 goals
• List of NHL players with 1000 games played

References

External links

• Stan Mikita's biography at Legends of Hockey