John Mayasich
{{Short description|American ice hockey player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| image = John Mayasich.jpg
| caption =
| image_size = 200px
| played_for =
| ntl_team = USA
| position = Center
| shoots =Left
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 1
| weight_lb = 216
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1933|5|22|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Eveleth, Minnesota, U.S.
| career_start = 1951
| career_end = 1971
| medaltemplates={{MedalSport | Men's Ice hockey}}
{{MedalCountry|{{USA}}}}
{{MedalSilver| 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo |Ice hockey}}
{{MedalGold| 1960 Squaw Valley |Ice hockey}}
}}
John Edward Mayasich (Croatian: Meašić; born May 22, 1933) is an American former ice hockey player of Croatian descent. He was a member of the U.S. ice hockey team that won a silver medal at the 1956 Winter Olympics and a gold medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics. He also played for Team USA at the IIHF World Championships in 1958, 1961, 1962 (when he was voted best defenseman), 1966 and 1969. He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997.
While attending the University of Minnesota, Mayasich set the NCAA tournament record for most points scored in a game with eight against Michigan in 1954. Mayasich won the Western Collegiate Hockey Association scoring title in 1954 and 1955 and was an All-American three years in a row at his university.[http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/6History/ahca_50.htm Inside College Hockey | AHCA All-Americans]
Mayasich was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976 and the Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989. Number 8 has been retired in his honor by the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey program, the only former Golden Gopher to be so honored. In 2011, Mayasich was ranked No 1 on the Minneapolis Star Tribune's list of "Minnesota's 100 Greatest Players in High School Hockey History".{{cite web |url=http://www.mnhockeyhub.com/news_article/show/114928?referrer_id=32760 |title = Simply the best| date=November 22, 2011 }}
Career
Mayasich was born in Minnesota, to Croatian parents who had immigrated from the former Yugoslavia.Dražen Brajdić, Zoran Vitas (August 26, 2016) [http://www.vecernji.hr/ostali-sportovi/ivona-dadic-ja-sam-hrvatica-ali-u-majici-s-austrijskim-grbom-1108933 Ja sam Hrvatica, ali u majici s austrijskim grbom], Večernji list. Retrieved December 26, 2016 {{in lang|hr}}
He attended Eveleth High School in Eveleth, Minnesota, and participated in a number of sports. During his high school hockey career, he set many individual records and helped his team achieve additional team records that stand even today. Among those records are the 46 total points he recorded at numerous state tournament games and helping his team win four consecutive state championships from 1948 to 1951.[http://www.mhsl.org/mshsl/publications/code/yearbook/HockeyBoys.pdf Minnesota State High School League 2009 Yearbook]{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Mayasich played on both the 1956 Olympic silver medal team in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, and the 1960 Olympic Gold Medal team in Squaw Valley, California.
He is the Minnesota Gophers' all-time leading scorer with 144 goals and 154 assists in 111 games played, an average of about 1.3 goals per game. Mayasich also held scoring records in the high school ranks. While he still holds most state tournament records, a pair of Gophers, Dave Spehar and John Pohl, have since broken his all-time career scoring mark. Coach Doug Woog pointed out, "We drew the parallel with Dave Spehar," Woog said. "He (Spehar) was the most contemporary state tournament phenom; he had three hat tricks. John had seven. His numbers are phenomenal."
Despite his stellar accomplishments in college and international hockey, Mayasich never got any offers to pursue an NHL career. "It wasn't a source of bitterness, since no college players were being given a chance," he later told Sports Illustrated in 1999,{{cite web | url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1999/12/13/the-quiet-american-john-mayasich-was-a-wizard-on-ice-but-never-got-a-shot-to-prove-it-in-the-nhl | title=The Quiet American John Mayasich was a wizard on ice but never got a shot to prove it in the NHL }}"but there's still regret, even to this day, not knowing if I could have done it." Mayasich did briefly play some minor league hockey for the St. Paul Saints and Minneapolis Millers as well as permanently for the amateur Green Bay Bobcats,Vogl, John (September 30, 2012). [http://www.buffnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120924/SPORTS/120929419/1004 Prospects Game proof America's got hockey talent] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205214758/http://www.buffnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20120924%2FSPORTS%2F120929419%2F1004 |date=February 5, 2016 }}. The Buffalo News. Retrieved September 30, 2012. earning extra money, but his professional career was in the broadcasting industry. After earlier positions, John joined Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc. (St. Paul) as General Manager of KS95 FM, guiding its growth to become one of the highest-rated major market FMs in the country. In 1983, Mayasich was promoted to President of Hubbard's radio division and served in that position until his retirement in 1997. He has remained active as a consultant to Hubbard.{{cite web |url=http://www.pavekmuseum.org/mayasich.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061023064309/http://www.pavekmuseum.org/mayasich.htm |archive-date=October 23, 2006 |title=John Mayasich}}
Awards and honors
class="wikitable"
! Award ! Year ! |
All-MCHL Second Team
| 1951–52 | |
AHCA Second Team All-American
| 1951–52 | |
All-MCHL First Team
| 1952–53 | |
AHCA First Team All-American
| 1952–53 | |
NCAA All-Tournament Second Team
| 1953 |
All-WIHL First Team
| 1953–54 | |
AHCA First Team All-American
| 1953–54 | |
NCAA All-Tournament First Team
| 1954 |
All-WIHL First Team
| 1954–55 | |
AHCA Second Team All-American
| 1954–55 | |
IIHF 1962 Ice Hockey World Championships best defenseman
| 1962 | |
IIHF Hall of Fame
| 1997 | {{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/wild/news/john-mayasich-state-of-hockey-legacy-award/c-321495172|title=Wild grants State of Hockey Legacy Award to John Mayasich|date=23 February 2021|website=National Hockey League|access-date=4 July 2023}} |
Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame.
| 2024 |
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
- [http://www.nhl.com/allstar2004/features/minnesotans011604.html 20 great Minnesotans in hockey]{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} by John McGourty, NHL.com. (January 16, 2004)
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20050501052004/http://www.mndaily.com/daily/1998/11/13/sports/mhok13/ U hockey program will retire John Mayasich's number this weekend] by Tim Nichols, The Minnesota Daily. (November 13, 1998)
External links
- {{icehockeystats}}
- [http://www.gopherhockeyhistory.com/players/playerDetail.asp?plID=648 Gopher Hockey History Player Info]
{{s-start}}
{{s-ach}}
{{succession box | before = Frank Chiarelli| title = NCAA Ice Hockey Scoring Champion | years = 1952–53, 1953–54| after = Bill Cleary}}
{{succession box | before = Jack Kelley | title = Hobey Baker Legends of College Hockey Award | years = 1995 | after = Len Ceglarski}}
{{S-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mayasich, John}}
Category:20th-century American sportsmen
Category:AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans
Category:American men's ice hockey centers
Category:American people of Croatian descent
Category:Ice hockey people from St. Louis County, Minnesota
Category:Ice hockey players at the 1956 Winter Olympics
Category:Ice hockey players at the 1960 Winter Olympics
Category:Ice hockey players from Minnesota
Category:IIHF Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Lester Patrick Trophy recipients
Category:Medalists at the 1956 Winter Olympics
Category:Medalists at the 1960 Winter Olympics
Category:Minneapolis Millers (IHL) players
Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey players
Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in ice hockey
Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in ice hockey