Walt Tkaczuk
{{Short description|Canadian ice hockey player}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=April 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| name = Walt Tkaczuk
| image = Walt Tkaczuk 80-81.JPG
| caption = Tkaczuk with the New York Rangers in 1980
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|9|29}}
| birth_place = Emsdetten, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lb = 185
| position = Centre
| shoots = Left
| played_for = New York Rangers
| career_start = 1967
| career_end = 1981
}}
Walter Robert Bogdan Tkaczuk (born September 29, 1947) is a Canadian former ice hockey centre who played fourteen seasons for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1967 and 1981. Tkaczuk's family, originally from Ukraine, moved to Timmins, Ontario from West Germany when he was two years old.[page 49] Illustrated Digest of Pro Hockey 1972-73 edition, Don Smith and Art Poretz, Stadia Sports Publishing Inc. He was the first player born in Germany to appear in an NHL game.
NHL career
Tkaczuk centred the "Bulldog Line" with Bill Fairbairn and Dave Balon, who was later replaced by Steve Vickers.{{cite web|url=http://nyrangerslegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/walt-tkaczuk.html|title=New York Rangers Legends: Walt Tkaczuk|publisher=}} He could score his fair share of goals, however he was much better at producing assists. Tkaczuk's finest contribution to the game was that of the defensive forward, being among the NHL's elite shadows and faceoff men. This complemented the Rangers' high-scoring GAG line of Jean Ratelle, Rod Gilbert, Vic Hadfield. During his first two seasons with the Rangers, the club and media pronounced his name, "Taychuk" because the Rangers' director of player personnel felt it was easier to say than the correct pronunciation, "Ka-Chook." Prior to the 1969-70 season, the club announced he would henceforth be called by the correct pronunciation.{(cite web|url=http://rangers.ice.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=67675| title=Tkaczuk: He's Always Been a Winner.)|
In the 1972 playoffs, with Ratelle sidelined with a broken ankle and Gilbert hampered by injuries, Tkaczuk played a key role as the Rangers defeated the defending champions Montreal Canadiens, and the previous season's finalists Chicago Black Hawks, to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. While the Rangers lost to the Boston Bruins in six games, Tkaczuk earned much respect for holding the Bruins' Phil Esposito without a goal in the series.
Tkaczuk was asked to play for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series but declined the invitation due to his obligation to his summer hockey school. He was replaced by Philadelphia Flyers' centre Bobby Clarke.1981 Canada Cup / Coupe Canada, p.126)
In the 1979 playoffs, Tkaczuk was a key contributor as the Rangers upset the first place New York Islanders to reach the Stanley Cup Finals, where they fell to Montreal in five games.
Towards the end of a game on February 2, 1981, Tkaczuk suffered an eye injury when hit by a puck. {{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/04/sports/tkaczuk-out-for-2-weeks.html|title = Tkaczuk Out for 2 Weeks|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 4 February 1981}} He never played again.
Over his career, Tkaczuk played in 945 NHL games, scoring 227 goals and 451 assists for 678 points. Despite his physical presence, he only accumulated 556 minutes in penalties.
In the 2009 book 100 Ranger Greats, the authors ranked Tkaczuk at No. 14 all-time of the 901 New York Rangers who had played during the team's first 82 seasons.{{cite book|url= https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6860998-100-ranger-greats#bookDetails |title=100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes and Colorful Characters |first1=Russ |last1=Cohen |first2=John |last2=Halligan |first3=Adam |last3=Raider |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn= 978-0470736197 |date=2009 |access-date=February 3, 2020|page=184}}
Post-hockey career
Tkaczuk is co-owner of River Valley Golf Course and Tube Slide in St. Marys, Ontario.
Career statistics
=Regular season and playoffs=
| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" | ||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Regular season ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Playoffs | ||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Season ! Team ! League ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM | ||||||||
| 1963–64
| CJHL | 30 | 25 | 37 | 62 | —
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1963–64 | OHA | 21 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 4
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 1964–65
| Kitchener Dutchmen | CJHL | — | — | — | — | —
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1964–65 | Kitchener Rangers | OHA | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 1965–66
| Kitchener Rangers | OHA | 47 | 12 | 31 | 43 | 39
| 19 | 7 | 23 | 30 | 13 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1966–67 | Kitchener Rangers | OHA | 48 | 23 | 47 | 70 | 85
| 13 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 23 |
| 1966–67
| CPHL | — | — | — | — | —
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1967–68 | Kitchener Rangers | OHA | 52 | 37 | 56 | 93 | 81
| 19 | 17 | 20 | 37 | 58 |
| 1967–68
| NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1968–69 | AHL | 5 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 9
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 1968–69
| New York Rangers | NHL | 71 | 12 | 24 | 36 | 28
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1969–70 | New York Rangers | NHL | 76 | 27 | 50 | 77 | 38
| 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 17 |
| 1970–71
| New York Rangers | NHL | 77 | 26 | 49 | 75 | 48
| 13 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 14 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1971–72 | New York Rangers | NHL | 76 | 24 | 42 | 66 | 65
| 16 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 35 |
| 1972–73
| New York Rangers | NHL | 76 | 27 | 39 | 66 | 59
| 10 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 8 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1973–74 | New York Rangers | NHL | 71 | 21 | 42 | 63 | 58
| 13 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 22 |
| 1974–75
| New York Rangers | NHL | 62 | 11 | 25 | 36 | 34
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1975–76 | New York Rangers | NHL | 78 | 8 | 28 | 36 | 56
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 1976–77
| New York Rangers | NHL | 80 | 12 | 38 | 50 | 38
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1977–78 | New York Rangers | NHL | 80 | 26 | 40 | 66 | 30
| 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1978–79
| New York Rangers | NHL | 77 | 15 | 27 | 42 | 38
| 18 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 10 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1979–80 | New York Rangers | NHL | 76 | 12 | 25 | 37 | 36
| 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1980–81
| New York Rangers | NHL | 43 | 6 | 22 | 28 | 28
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 945 !! 227 !! 451 !! 678 !! 556 ! 93 !! 19 !! 32 !! 51 !! 119 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{icehockeystats}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box | before = Dave Maloney | title = New York Rangers captain | years = 1980–81 | after = Barry Beck}}
{{S-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tkaczuk, Walt}}
Category:Buffalo Bisons (AHL) players
Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
Category:Canadian ice hockey centres
Category:Canadian people of Ukrainian descent
Category:Ice hockey people from Timmins
Category:Kitchener Rangers players
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Omaha Knights (CHL) players
Category:People from Emsdetten
Category:Sportspeople from Münster (region)