Bucyk, John P.
Hockey
b. May 12, 1935, Edmonton, ALB
In 1956, the Boston Bruins traded one of hockey's all-time great goaltenders, Terry Sawchuk, to the Detroit Red Wings for the young Bucyk, who had spent two seasons with Detroit. It turned out to be a very good deal. Bucyk became one of the best scorers in Boston history, a durable and consistent player who was presented with a $1,000 bill when he played his 1,000th NHL game on December 11, 1970. He played seven more seasons and 540 more games.
The 6-foot, 215-pound Bucyk was a tough battler, but he was rarely penalized. In 1971, he won the Lady Byng Trophy for combining a high standard of play and gentlemanly conduct. Bucyk scored 556 goals and 813 assists in 1,540 regular season games, and he had 41 goals and 64 assists in 124 playoff games. He retired after the 1977-78 season.