Gary Veneruzzo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gary Veneruzzo |
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| Born | June 28, 1943 Fort William, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | ||
| Weight | 165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb) | ||
| Position | Left Wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | St. Louis Blues Los Angeles Sharks Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades Cincinnati Stingers Phoenix Roadrunners San Diego Mariners |
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| Playing career | 1962–1977 | ||
Gary Raymond Veneruzzo, born on June 28, 1943, is a Canadian who used to play professional ice hockey. He was a forward, known for his left shot. Gary played a few games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the St. Louis Blues. He also played many games in another big league called the World Hockey Association (WHA). In the WHA, he played for teams like the Los Angeles Sharks and the Phoenix Roadrunners. Gary was born in Fort William, Ontario, Canada.
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Gary Veneruzzo's Hockey Journey
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Gary Veneruzzo began his hockey career in the minor leagues. He played for the Tulsa Oilers, which was part of the Toronto Maple Leafs' system. In 1967, the NHL added new teams. Gary was chosen by the St. Louis Blues in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft.
Playing for the St. Louis Blues
Even though he was drafted, Gary didn't start in the NHL right away. He played for the Kansas City Blues, a team linked to the St. Louis Blues. He was a top scorer for Kansas City. This helped him get a chance to play a few games with the St. Louis Blues in the NHL. He scored a goal and an assist in his first five NHL games. He also played in nine Stanley Cup playoff games, where he got two assists.
For the next two years, Gary mostly played in the minor leagues. He still had good stats there. In 1972, he played two more games for the St. Louis Blues but didn't score any points.
Moving to the WHA
In 1972, Gary Veneruzzo joined the new World Hockey Association (WHA). He signed with the Los Angeles Sharks for their first season. He quickly became a star player for the Sharks.
Leading the Sharks in Scoring
In his first WHA season (1972-73), Gary led the Los Angeles Sharks in scoring. He scored 43 goals and made 30 assists. The next year, he was the second-highest scorer on the team, with 39 goals and 29 assists.
Changing Teams in the WHA
The Los Angeles Sharks team moved to Michigan in 1974. Then, during that same season, they moved again to Baltimore. Gary continued to be a top player, leading the team in scoring with 33 goals and 27 assists. He later played for the Cincinnati Stingers before being traded to the Phoenix Roadrunners. Gary played one more year in the WHA, finishing his career with the San Diego Mariners in the 1976-77 season.
Career Achievements
Gary Veneruzzo played 348 games in the WHA. He scored a total of 151 goals and made 123 assists, adding up to 274 points. He also spent 212 minutes in the penalty box. In 18 playoff games, he scored 5 goals. He was ranked 56th in all-time scoring in the WHA. In 2000, Gary was honored for his achievements. He was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.
Career Statistics
Here are Gary Veneruzzo's statistics from his time playing professional hockey.
Regular Season and Playoff Games
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1959–60 | Fort William Canadiens | TBJHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1959–60 | Fort William Canadiens | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1960–61 | Fort William Canadiens | TBJHL | 24 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 11 | ||
| 1960–61 | Fort William Canadiens | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 1961–62 | Fort William Canadiens | TBJHL | 30 | 30 | 31 | 61 | 76 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1961–62 | Port Arthur North Stars | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 1962–63 | Fort William Beavers | TBSHL | 26 | 27 | 20 | 47 | 27 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 25 | ||
| 1962–63 | Fort William Canadiens | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 19 | ||
| 1963–64 | Fort William Beavers | TBSHL | 30 | 26 | 35 | 61 | 35 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 4 | ||
| 1964–65 | Tulsa Oilers | CHL | 60 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 29 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | ||
| 1965–66 | Tulsa Oilers | CHL | 69 | 19 | 19 | 38 | 25 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 5 | ||
| 1966–67 | Tulsa Oilers | CHL | 59 | 21 | 25 | 46 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1966–67 | Victoria Maple Leafs | WHL | 11 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1967–68 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 1967–68 | Kansas City Blues | CHL | 63 | 24 | 51 | 75 | 36 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 10 | ||
| 1968–69 | Kansas City Blues | CHL | 71 | 38 | 40 | 78 | 38 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 13 | ||
| 1969–70 | Kansas City Blues | CHL | 52 | 20 | 30 | 50 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969–70 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 21 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 2 | 14 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 9 | ||
| 1970–71 | Kansas City Blues | CHL | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1970–71 | Seattle Totems | WHL | 66 | 27 | 22 | 49 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971–72 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971–72 | Denver Spurs | WHL | 72 | 41 | 45 | 86 | 41 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 10 | ||
| 1972–73 | Los Angeles Sharks | WHA | 78 | 43 | 30 | 73 | 34 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 1973–74 | Los Angeles Sharks | WHA | 78 | 39 | 29 | 68 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades | WHA | 77 | 33 | 27 | 60 | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Cincinnati Stingers | WHA | 14 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Phoenix Roadrunners | WHA | 61 | 19 | 24 | 43 | 27 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 1976–77 | San Diego Mariners | WHA | 40 | 14 | 11 | 25 | 18 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1977–78 | Thunder Bay Twins | OHA Sr | 14 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Thunder Bay Twins | OHA Sr | 40 | 22 | 25 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| WHA totals | 348 | 151 | 123 | 274 | 212 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 11 | ||||
| NHL totals | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||
See also
In Spanish: Gary Veneruzzo para niños
