John Paul "Chief" Bucyk (born May 12, 1935) 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 ...
left winger and member of the
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le ...
. Having played most of his career with the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
, he has been associated in one capacity or another with the Bruins' organization since the late 1950s. Bucyk was named one of the '
100 Greatest NHL Players' in 2017.
Bucyk was a skilled left winger who was the largest of his day.
While he never was regarded as the best at his position (being a contemporary of superstars
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 ...
and
Frank Mahovlich), he had a long and stellar career, and retired as the fourth leading point scorer of all time and having played the third-most games in history, and recorded sixteen seasons of scoring twenty goals or more.
Despite his reputation for devastating hip checks,
he was a notably clean player who won the
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, formerly known as the Lady Byng Trophy, is presented each year to the National Hockey League "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard ...
for sportsmanship in
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
and
1974. Bucyk was the senior alternate captain of the Bruins when they won Stanley Cups in
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
and
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
.
Early life
Bucyk was born in Edmonton to Sam and Pearl Bucyk,
Ukrainian immigrants from the village of
Butsiv, in what is now
Yavoriv Raion,
Lviv Oblast
Lviv Oblast (, ), also referred to as Lvivshchyna (, ), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast in western Ukraine. The capital city, capital of the oblast is the city of Lviv. The current population is
History Name
The region is named ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
. The family was poor, with Pearl working two jobs and his father, Sam, was unemployed for over four years. His father died when Bucyk was 11 years old.
Poverty prevented Bucyk from owning a pair of ice skates until he was 13 years old.
During the offseason, Bucyk returned to Edmonton and worked at the car dealership that sponsored his junior team.
Junior and minor-league career
Bucyk played junior hockey for four seasons for his hometown
Edmonton Oil Kings before signing with the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
in
1955.
Bucyk was originally an awkward skater, and Oil Kings coach Ken McAuley arranged for Bucyk to train offseason with a figure skater until his technique improved.
He went on to be one of the leading scorers on a strong Oil Kings squad that included future Hall of Famer
Norm Ullman
Norman Victor Alexander Ullman (born December 26, 1935) is a Canadian former ice hockey forward (ice hockey), forward. He previously played for the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1955 to 1975, an ...
. Bucyk and the Oil Kings went to the
1954 Memorial Cup final against the
St. Catharines Teepees, with Bucyk scoring a blistering 28 goals in 21 playoff games to lead the WCHL, as well as 14 goals in 14 Memorial Cup games to lead all scorers that season.
Following the Memorial Cup final, Bucyk signed a professional contract with the
Edmonton Flyers of the
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hocke ...
, the minor league affiliate of the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
. There, he was reunited with junior teammate Ullman, and paired on a line with future Bruins teammates
Bronco Horvath
Bronco Joseph Horvath (March 12, 1930 – December 17, 2019) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 434 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1955 and 1968.
Early life
Horvath was born to an ethnic Hungarian family t ...
and
Vic Stasiuk.
It was during this time that Horvath was responsible for nicknaming Bucyk "Chief," purportedly out of Horvath's admiration for how Bucyk used his stick like a tomahawk to fight for pucks along the boards.
In 1955, his lone full season with the Flyers, he finished second on the team to Horvath with 30 goals, 58 assists and 88 points as the Flyers won the league championship.
NHL career
Detroit Red Wings
Following the 1955 WHL playoffs, Detroit called Bucyk up for the
1955 Stanley Cup playoffs. Practicing with the team as a so-called "Black Ace,"
he saw no game action, as Detroit defeated the Montreal Canadiens four games to three for the Cup. Unusually, his first NHL game was in the
1955 All-Star Game, played in October between the defending Cup champion Red Wings and an all-star team from the rest of the league. He saw only spot duty in his rookie season of
1956
Events
January
* January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years.
* January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...
, and had modest production on the third and fourth lines
the year following.
Boston Bruins
1950s
Going into the
1958 season, the Boston Bruins had acquired Horvath and Stasiuk, and general manager
Lynn Patrick
Joseph Lynn Patrick (February 3, 1912 – January 26, 1980) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and executive. As a player, Patrick played ten seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers. He was twice named to the NHL ...
believed that reuniting them with Bucyk would recapture the success they had in Edmonton.
Detroit dealt him to the Bruins in a surprising deal for
Terry Sawchuk, one of the greatest goaltenders of the day.
Bucyk became the top left wing in Boston playing with his "Uke Line" partners of Stasiuk and Horvath, who had previously played together in Edmonton.
The trio had an immediate impact, leading the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Finals, with Horvath finishing fifth in league scoring, and Bucyk and Stasiuk each scoring 21 goals. The moniker "Uke Line" came from the trio's purported Ukrainian background (in fact, Stasiuk was of Hungarian origins). Bucyk's first hat trick was scored in one of the first nationally televised games, a 7-4 win over the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
.
1960s
Bucyk and his Uke Line linemates continued to star together (Horvath losing the league scoring championship to
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 ...
by a single point in
1960
It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism.
Events January
* Janu ...
), but by the
1961 season, the trio's defensive deficiencies caused coach
Milt Schmidt to break the lineup. Bucyk was paired with Stasiuk and
Jerry Toppazzini, before the Ukes were reunited, but the line was permanently broken up with Stasiuk and Horvath both being traded by the 1961 offseason, with the team missing the playoffs for a second straight year.
Boston fell on hard times in the 1960s, finishing in last place five straight seasons, during which time Bucyk — generally paired with centre
Murray Oliver and winger
Tommy Williams as the "BOW" line — led the team in scoring several times. As one of the team's only stars, he was named to play in All-Star Games in
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...
,
1964
Events January
* January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved.
* January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...
and
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...
. He went on to score his 200th goal in the
1967 season (during which he was named team captain), the eighth straight year—a then-league record—in which the Bruins would miss the playoffs.
Return to glory
Assembling a team behind the acquisitions of
Bobby Orr
Robert Gordon Orr (born March 20, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time. Orr used his skating speed, scoring, and play-making abilities to revolutionize the ...
and
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito ( , ; born February 20, 1942) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach and executive, and current broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Lightning. A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, he played 18 seasons in ...
, Boston rocketed to the playoffs in
1968
Events January–February
* January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously.
* January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
, with Bucyk finishing second behind Esposito in team scoring (and ninth in league scoring), being named to his fifth All-Star Game, and being selected as the league's Second Team All-Star.
Bucyk proved particularly effective playing on the left side on Boston's greatly feared power-play unit, which featured
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito ( , ; born February 20, 1942) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach and executive, and current broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Lightning. A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, he played 18 seasons in ...
,
John McKenzie,
Bobby Orr
Robert Gordon Orr (born March 20, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time. Orr used his skating speed, scoring, and play-making abilities to revolutionize the ...
and
Fred Stanfield. He also was a highly accurate shooter, finishing in the top ten in the league in shooting percentage in eleven seasons, and leading the league in 1971, 1973, and 1974.
Two seasons later, the Bruins won their fourth Stanley Cup, with Bucyk finishing fourth in team scoring and second in goal scoring in the playoffs, and being named to play in the
1970 NHL All-Star Game. While he had not been the team's captain after 1967, as the senior assistant captain, he had the honor of being the first to ceremonially skate the Stanley Cup around the
Boston Garden ice.
The 1970–71 season saw the Bruins break 37 individual and team league records en route to the best record in league history. Bucyk had his best season, being the 5th player in league history to score 50 goals (on March 16, 1971) and the 5th to score 100 points (on March 13, 1971). He was named to play in his
seventh All-Star Game,
and further honored by being named as the league's First Team All-Star and being awarded his first
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, formerly known as the Lady Byng Trophy, is presented each year to the National Hockey League "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard ...
as the league's most gentlemanly player. At age 35, he was the oldest player in league history to score 50 goals (a record that stood until 2022 when broken by
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin (, ; born 17September 1985) is a Russian professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), left winger and Captain (ice hockey), captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "the ...
), broke the league record for assists and points by a left winger, and remains the oldest player ever to score 50 goals for the first time. He ultimately finished third in league scoring (behind Orr and Esposito), and second in goals and power-play goals. Among Boston's numerous records was having four hundred point scorers (Esposito, Orr, Bucyk, and
Ken Hodge
Kenneth Raymond Hodge, Sr. (born 25 June 1944) is an English-born Canadian former hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He was born in Birmingham, Engla ...
), the first time that had happened, only repeated by Edmonton in
1983, as well as finishing 1-2-3-4 in league scoring, also the first time that had happened, only repeated by the Bruins in
1974.
Bucyk played for his second and final Stanley Cup-winning team in
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
, finishing eighth in league scoring. He would remain a star for most of the 1970s, being named team captain again in 1973, winning the Lady Byng again in
1974, and finishing in the top ten of the league scoring twice more. In 1977, he was awarded the
Lester Patrick Trophy
The Lester Patrick Trophy has been presented by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey since 1966 to honor a recipient's contribution to ice hockey in the United States. It is considered a non-NHL trophy because it may be awarded to players, ...
for contributions to hockey in the United States.
Retirement and legacy
Bucyk starred into his penultimate season (during which he surrendered his team captaincy, while suffering an injury, to
Wayne Cashman), and ended his playing career after the
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...
season, after which the Bruins retired his number #9 jersey in 1980.
At the time of his retirement, Bucyk was fourth all-time in points (behind
Gordie Howe, Esposito and
Stan Mikita
Stanley Mikita (born Stanislav Guoth; May 20, 1940 – August 7, 2018) was a Slovaks, Slovak-born Canadian ice hockey player for the Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League, generally regarded as the best Centre (ic ...
) (currently 28th) and in goals (currently 27th), third in games played behind Howe and
Alex Delvecchio
Alexander Peter "Fats" Delvecchio (born December 4, 1931) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager who spent his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Detroit Red Wings. In a playing career tha ...
(currently 17th), and was the leading career point scorer among left wings, a record since surpassed by
Luc Robitaille.
He scored 545 goals as a Bruin, which remains the most in franchise history. Only
Ray Bourque
Raymond Jean Bourque (born December 28, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He holds records for most career goals, assists, and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League (NHL). He won the James Norris Memorial ...
has subsequently passed his team marks for points, games played, and assists.
Bucyk received numerous honors after his retirement. He was inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le ...
in 1981. In 1998, he was ranked number 45 on ''
The Hockey News
''The Hockey News'' (''THN'') is a Canadian-based ice hockey magazine. ''The Hockey News'' was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Will Cote and has since become the most recognized hockey publication in North America. The magazine has a reader ...
list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players. In 2017, Bucyk was part of the first group of players to be named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history by the National Hockey League. Among the Bruins' team awards is the John P. Bucyk Award, presented each year to the Bruins player who provides exceptional off-ice charitable contributions.
Bucyk remains affiliated with the Bruins, serving on various occasions as a radio broadcaster and in the front office. He previously served as the team's director of road services and is now listed by the team as an ambassador, being known as the "unofficial mayor of
TD Garden
TD Garden (named the FleetCenter from opening until 2005 and TD Banknorth Garden until 2009) is a multi-purpose arena in Boston. It is located directly above the MBTA's North Station, and it replaced the original Boston Garden upon opening i ...
". As part of Boston's coaching and administrative staff, Bucyk had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup for a third time with the Bruins in 2011, his 53rd consecutive season with the organization. As of the
2025
So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...
season, Bucyk's 71 years in professional hockey is the longest such tenure on record.
Family
His nephew
Randy Bucyk played for the
Northeastern University
Northeastern University (NU or NEU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by the Boston Young Men's Christian Association in 1898 as an all-male instit ...
Huskies and the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
and
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...
organizations, earning a Stanley Cup ring with Montreal in
1986. Randy Bucyk also played for the Canadian national team in 1989. Bucyk also played with his older brother William Bucyk, a defenseman for the Oil Kings who played several seasons in the minor league Western Hockey League in the late 1950s.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
*
Bold indicates led league
Statistics via Hockey Reference
Achievements and facts
* Played in the
NHL All-Star Game
The National Hockey League All-Star Game () is an exhibition ice hockey tournament that is traditionally held during the regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL), with many of the League's star players playing against each other. The ga ...
in
1955,
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...
,
1964
Events January
* January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved.
* January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...
,
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...
,
1968
Events January–February
* January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously.
* January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
,
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
,
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
.
* Named to the
NHL second All-Star team in
1968
Events January–February
* January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously.
* January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
.
*
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
champion in
1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
and
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
.
* Won the
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, formerly known as the Lady Byng Trophy, is presented each year to the National Hockey League "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard ...
in
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
and
1974.
* Named to the
NHL first All-Star team in
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
.
* Won
Lester Patrick Trophy
The Lester Patrick Trophy has been presented by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey since 1966 to honor a recipient's contribution to ice hockey in the United States. It is considered a non-NHL trophy because it may be awarded to players, ...
for contributions to hockey in the United States in 1977.
* Known as the "Chief" due to presumed Native American looks by a mistaken Boston cartoonist.
* A
Ukrainian Canadian
Ukrainian Canadians are Canadian citizens of Ukrainian descent or Ukrainian-born people who immigrated to Canada.
In the late 19th century, the first Ukrainian immigrants arrived in the east coast of Canada. They were primarily farmers and l ...
and member of the "Uke" line with
Bronco Horvath
Bronco Joseph Horvath (March 12, 1930 – December 17, 2019) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 434 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1955 and 1968.
Early life
Horvath was born to an ethnic Hungarian family t ...
and
Vic Stasiuk.
* When the Bruins ended their twenty-nine-year championship drought in 1970, Bucyk was given the honour of being the first player of the team to hoist the
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
around the
Boston Garden, since he was the most senior Alternate Captain (the Bruins did not have a regular Captain wearing the "C" during these years).
* His nephew
Randy Bucyk played for the
Northeastern University
Northeastern University (NU or NEU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by the Boston Young Men's Christian Association in 1898 as an all-male instit ...
Huskies and the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
and
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...
organizations, earning a Stanley Cup ring with Montreal in
1986. Randy Bucyk also played for the Canadian national team in 1989.
* Recorded sixteen twenty-goal seasons.
* Career leader in goals and consecutive games played for the Bruins; second to
Ray Bourque
Raymond Jean Bourque (born December 28, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He holds records for most career goals, assists, and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League (NHL). He won the James Norris Memorial ...
in career games, assists, and points (retired as the overall leader in all of those categories).
* Retired third behind
Gordie Howe and
Alex Delvecchio
Alexander Peter "Fats" Delvecchio (born December 4, 1931) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager who spent his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Detroit Red Wings. In a playing career tha ...
in all-time NHL games played; currently 18th.
* Retired as the leading career point scorer among left wings, a record since surpassed by
Luc Robitaille.
* Oldest player to score 50 goals in one season (51 goals in 1970–71) at age 35, a record that stood until
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin (, ; born 17September 1985) is a Russian professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), left winger and Captain (ice hockey), captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "the ...
broke it by doing the same at age 36 in 2021–22.
* Also oldest player scoring 50 or more for 1st time in career. (1970–71).
* Played the greatest number of NHL games before scoring 500 goals - 1,370.
* His no. 9
jersey
Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...
was retired by the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
on March 13, 1980.
* Inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le ...
in 1981.
* In 1998, he was ranked number 45 on ''
The Hockey News
''The Hockey News'' (''THN'') is a Canadian-based ice hockey magazine. ''The Hockey News'' was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Will Cote and has since become the most recognized hockey publication in North America. The magazine has a reader ...
list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
* In January 2017, Bucyk was part of the first group of players to be named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history by the National Hockey League.
*
Named One of the Top 100 Best Bruins Players of all Time.
*
Named to the Boston Bruins All-Centennial Team.
See also
*
List of NHL statistical leaders
*
List of NHL players with 1000 points
As of completion of the the List of NHL seasons#Current era, 107th regular season of play of the National Hockey League (NHL)100 different ice hockey players have scored at least 1,000 regular season Point (ice hockey), points in their NHL career ...
*
List of NHL players with 500 goals
*
List of NHL players with 1000 games played
The National Hockey League (NHL) is the major professional ice hockey league which operates in Canada and the United States. Since its inception in , 408 players have played at least 1,000 regular season games, varying in amounts between Patri ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bucyk, Johnny
1935 births
Living people
Boston Bruins announcers
Boston Bruins captains
Boston Bruins players
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
Canadian ice hockey left wingers
Canadian people of Ukrainian descent
Detroit Red Wings players
Edmonton Flyers (WHL) players
Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL) players
Hockey Hall of Fame inductees
Ice hockey people from Edmonton
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winners
Lester Patrick Trophy recipients
National Hockey League players with retired numbers
Stanley Cup champions
20th-century Canadian sportsmen