Garth Alexander Rizzuto (born September 11, 1947) is a Canadian former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

centre Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

https://www.nhl.com/player/garth-rizzuto-8448348 who played in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

(NHL) and the

World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association () was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972–73 WHA season, 1972 to 1978–79 WHA season, 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (N ...

(WHA) during the 1970s. He played 37 games for the

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...

of the NHL in 1970–71 and 110 games for the

Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The Jets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The te ...

of the WHA between 1972 and 1974, as well as several years in the minor CHL and

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...

. He retired in 1974.

Playing career

A hard-working center, Rizzuto came up through the system of the

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...

, turning pro in 1967. He spent three solid years in the minors with the Dallas Black Hawks but never saw an NHL game in Chicago. In the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft he was claimed by the

. Rizzuto spent most of the 1970–71 season on the Canucks' roster as a utility player, recording 3 goals and 4 assists for 7 points in 37 games. He is the first player born and trained in

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

to suit up with the Canucks and score for the team. For the 1971–72 season, he was sent to the minors. For the 1972–73 season, Rizzuto signed on with the

of the rival upstart

. He was his best professional season, recording 10 goals and 20 points, helping a team led by

Bobby Hull Robert Marvin Hull (January 3, 1939 – January 30, 2023) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His blond hair, skating speed, end-to-end rushes, and ability to shoot t ...

to the

Avco Cup The Avco World Trophy, also known as the Avco Cup, is the playoff championship trophy of the defunct World Hockey Association, which operated from 1972 until 1979. The trophy's naming rights were sold to the former Avco Corporation (a name origin ...

finals. In 1973–74, however, his role would be reduced and he finished with 3 goals and 7 points in 41 games. He retired after a brief stint as a player-coach of the Nelson Maple Leafs of the

Western International Hockey League The Western International Hockey League (WIHL) was a senior level ice hockey league that featured teams from the Western United States and Western Canada. It operated from 1946–62 and 1963–88. It grew out of the West Kootenay League, whi ...

at the start of the 1974-75 season.

Post-playing career

He now resides in Langley, British Columbia as the owner of Rizzuto Construction and is a boxing trainer.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rizzuto, Garth 1947 births Living people Canadian ice hockey centres Canadian sportspeople of Italian descent Dallas Black Hawks players Ice hockey people from Trail, British Columbia Rochester Americans players Seattle Totems (WHL) players Vancouver Canucks players Western International Hockey League players Winnipeg Jets (WHA) players 20th-century Canadian sportsmen