Johnny Bucyk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Johnny Bucyk
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1981
Bucyk in 2010
Born	(1935-05-12) May 12, 1935 (age 90) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb)
Position	Left Wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Detroit Red Wings Boston Bruins
Playing career	1955–1978

John Paul "Chief" Bucyk, born on May 12, 1935, is a famous Canadian ice hockey player. He played as a left winger. He is also a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Bucyk spent most of his career with the Boston Bruins. He has worked with the Bruins' team since the late 1950s. In 2017, he was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players'.

Bucyk was a very skilled left winger. He was one of the biggest players of his time. Even though he played at the same time as superstars like Bobby Hull and Frank Mahovlich, he had a long and amazing career. When he retired, he was the fourth highest scorer ever. He had also played the third most games in history. He scored 20 goals or more in sixteen different seasons! Bucyk was known for his strong "hip checks." But he was also a very fair player. He won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for good sportsmanship in 1971 and 1974. Bucyk was a senior alternate captain when the Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 1970 and 1972.

Growing Up in Edmonton

Johnny Bucyk was born in Edmonton, Canada. His parents, Sam and Pearl Bucyk, were immigrants from Ukraine. His family was very poor. His mother worked two jobs, and his father was without work for over four years. Johnny's father passed away when he was only 11 years old. Because his family was poor, Bucyk could not afford ice skates until he was 13.

During the hockey off-season, Bucyk would go back to Edmonton. He worked at the car dealership that helped sponsor his junior hockey team.

Playing Junior Hockey

Bucyk played junior hockey for four seasons. He played for his hometown team, the Edmonton Oil Kings. In 1955, he signed with the Detroit Red Wings. At first, Bucyk was not a very good skater. So, his coach, Ken McAuley, arranged for him to train with a figure skater. This helped Bucyk improve his skating a lot.

He became one of the top scorers for the Oil Kings. His team included future Hall of Famer Norm Ullman. Bucyk and the Oil Kings reached the 1954 Memorial Cup final. Bucyk scored an amazing 28 goals in 21 playoff games that year. He also scored 14 goals in 14 Memorial Cup games.

Joining the Edmonton Flyers

After the Memorial Cup, Bucyk signed a professional contract. He joined the Edmonton Flyers of the Western Hockey League. This was a minor league team for the Detroit Red Wings. There, he played again with his junior teammate Ullman. He also played on a line with future Bruins teammates Bronco Horvath and Vic Stasiuk. Horvath gave Bucyk his nickname "Chief." He said Bucyk used his stick like a tomahawk to fight for the puck along the boards. In 1955, Bucyk's only full season with the Flyers, he scored 30 goals, 58 assists, and 88 points. The Flyers won the league championship that year.

Starting His NHL Career

With the Detroit Red Wings

After the 1955 WHL playoffs, Detroit called Bucyk up to the 1955 Stanley Cup playoffs. He practiced with the team but did not play in any games. Detroit won the Stanley Cup that year. His very first NHL game was unusual. It was the 1955 All-Star Game in October. He played only a little in his first season in 1956. He had modest scores playing on the third and fourth lines the next year.

Becoming a Boston Bruin

The "Uke Line"

Before the 1958 season, the Boston Bruins got Horvath and Stasiuk. The Bruins' general manager, Lynn Patrick, thought bringing Bucyk back with them would help the team. So, Detroit traded Bucyk to the Bruins. This was a big surprise because they traded him for Terry Sawchuk, a very famous goalie.

Bucyk became the top left wing in Boston. He played with his "Uke Line" partners, Stasiuk and Horvath. They had played together before in Edmonton. This trio made a big impact right away. They helped the Bruins reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Horvath finished fifth in league scoring. Bucyk and Stasiuk each scored 21 goals. They were called the "Uke Line" because people thought they were all from Ukraine. (Actually, Stasiuk was from Hungary.) Bucyk scored his first "hat trick" (three goals in one game) in a game against the New York Rangers. It was one of the first hockey games shown on national TV.

Tough Times and Leadership

Bucyk and his "Uke Line" teammates kept playing well together. Horvath almost won the league scoring title in 1960. But by the 1961 season, their coach, Milt Schmidt, decided to split them up. He felt they were not strong enough at defense. Bucyk played with other teammates. Then, Stasiuk and Horvath were traded away by 1961. The team missed the playoffs for two years in a row.

The 1960s were hard for Boston. The Bruins finished in last place for five seasons in a row. During this time, Bucyk was often paired with Murray Oliver and Tommy Williams. They were called the "BOW" line. Bucyk led the team in scoring many times. He was one of the team's only stars. He was chosen to play in the All-Star Games in 1964 and 1965. In the 1967 season, he scored his 200th goal. He was also named team captain that year. The Bruins missed the playoffs for eight years in a row, which was a record back then.

Return to Glory and Stanley Cups

The Bruins started to get much better. They added amazing players like Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito. In 1968, Boston made it to the playoffs. Bucyk finished second in team scoring, behind Esposito. He was named to his fifth All-Star Game. He was also chosen as a Second Team All-Star for the league. Bucyk was especially good on the Bruins' powerful "power-play" unit. This unit included Phil Esposito, John McKenzie, Bobby Orr, and Fred Stanfield. He was also a very accurate shooter. He finished in the top ten for shooting percentage in eleven seasons. He even led the league in 1971, 1973, and 1974.

Two seasons later, the Bruins won their fourth Stanley Cup! Bucyk was fourth in team scoring and second in goal scoring during the playoffs. He was also chosen for the 1970 NHL All-Star Game. Even though he was not the captain after 1967, he was the senior assistant captain. This meant he had the honor of being the first player to skate the Stanley Cup around the Boston Garden ice.

The 1970–71 season was incredible for the Bruins. They broke 37 team and individual league records. They had the best record in league history. Bucyk had his best season ever. He was the fifth player in league history to score 50 goals (on March 16, 1971). He was also the fifth to score 100 points (on March 13, 1971). He played in his seventh All-Star Game. He was also named a First Team All-Star. He won his first Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the most gentlemanly player. At 35, he was the oldest player to score 50 goals. This record stood until 2022. He also broke the record for assists and points by a left winger. He is still the oldest player to score 50 goals for the first time. He finished third in league scoring, behind Orr and Esposito.

Bucyk won his second and final Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 1972. He remained a star for most of the 1970s. He was named team captain again in 1973. He won the Lady Byng Trophy again in 1974. In 1977, he received the Lester Patrick Trophy. This award is for people who have helped hockey in the United States.

Retirement and Lasting Impact

Bucyk played well until his second-to-last season. He ended his playing career after the 1978 season. In 1980, the Bruins retired his number #9 jersey. This means no other player on the Bruins will ever wear that number again.

When he retired, Bucyk was fourth all-time in points and goals. He was third in games played. He was also the top-scoring left winger ever. This record has since been passed by Luc Robitaille.

He scored 545 goals as a Bruin. This is still the most goals in the team's history! Only Ray Bourque has passed his team records for points, games played, and assists.

Bucyk received many honors after he stopped playing. He was put into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981. In 1998, The Hockey News ranked him number 45 on their list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players. In 2017, he was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' by the National Hockey League. The Bruins also have an award named after him, the John P. Bucyk Award. It is given each year to the player who does great charity work off the ice.

Bucyk is still connected to the Bruins team today. He has worked as a radio announcer and in the team's front office. He is now an "ambassador" for the team. He is known as the "unofficial mayor of TD Garden" (the Bruins' home arena). In 2011, Bucyk's name was engraved on the Stanley Cup for a third time. This was because he was part of the Bruins' coaching and administrative staff when they won. This was his 53rd year in a row with the team! As of the 2025 season, Bucyk has been in professional hockey for 71 years. This is the longest time on record!

Family Connections

Johnny Bucyk's nephew, Randy Bucyk, also played hockey. He played for Northeastern University and for the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames. Randy won a Stanley Cup ring with Montreal in 1986. He also played for the Canadian national team in 1989. Johnny also played with his older brother, William Bucyk. William was a defenseman for the Oil Kings and played in the minor league Western Hockey League.

Career Highlights and Awards

• Played in the NHL All-Star Game in 1955, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1971.
• Named to the NHL Second All-Star Team in 1968.
• Stanley Cup champion in 1970 and 1972.
• Won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1971 and 1974.
• Named to the NHL First All-Star Team in 1971.
• Won Lester Patrick Trophy for helping hockey in the United States in 1977.
• Known as the "Chief" because a Boston cartoonist mistakenly thought he looked like a Native American.
• He is a Ukrainian Canadian and was part of the "Uke" line with Bronco Horvath and Vic Stasiuk.
• When the Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 1970, Bucyk was the first player to lift it. This was because he was the most senior Alternate Captain.
• His nephew Randy Bucyk also won a Stanley Cup ring with the Montreal Canadiens in 1986.
• He had sixteen seasons where he scored twenty goals or more.
• He is the Bruins' all-time leader in goals and consecutive games played.
• He is second to Ray Bourque in career games, assists, and points for the Bruins.
• When he retired, he was third all-time in NHL games played.
• He was the oldest player to score 50 goals in one season (51 goals in 1970–71) at age 35. This record was broken by Alexander Ovechkin in 2021–22.
• He was also the oldest player to score 50 goals for the first time in his career (in 1970–71).
• He played the most NHL games (1,370) before scoring 500 goals.
• His number 9 jersey was retired by the Boston Bruins on March 13, 1980.
• He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981.
• In 1998, he was ranked number 45 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
• In January 2017, he was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' by the National Hockey League.

See also

• 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