Peter Mahovlich

Peter Joseph " Pete " Mahovlich ( born October 10, 1946 in Timmins, Ontario ) is a retired Canadian ice hockey player ( center ) and coach, from 1965 to 1981 for the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League played.

Career

Mahovlich played in 1963, at the age of 16 years, with the juniors for the Hamilton Red Wings in the Ontario Hockey Association, where he attended as the second best scorer of the team in his rookie year for attention. Hamilton was the former training team of the Detroit Red Wings, the Mahovlich NHL Amateur Draft in 1963 had committed second. It was also the first draft in NHL history. The name Mahovlich was known by this time by his brother Frank, who had won with the Toronto Maple Leafs the Stanley Cup twice, in the NHL.

In the 1965/66 season Mahovlich came to his first three missions in the NHL. He was at this time the physically largest players in the league and after his impressive performances in the junior, had the management of the Red Wings great expectations for the young players. This pressure intensified by his brother, who was one of the stars in the NHL. After Frank had the nickname " Big M " be greater grown brother Pete was given the name "Little M". In Mahovlichs second season in Detroit, his brother also joined the team the Red Wings, but Pete only played 34 games and was often in the farm team for the Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League action. Once in his third and fourth season, he could not prevail, he toyed with the idea to end his career.

The manager of the Montreal Canadiens, Sam Pollock was, however, impressed by the physically strong Mahovlich and picked him for the 1969/70 season in his team. In return, went among other things Garry Monahan, who was drafted in 1963 as the only players in front of Pete to the Red Wings. In Montreal he commuted between the beginning and NHL farm team, but the 17 points that he succeeded in his first year with the Canadiens, were just two less than in the four years in Detroit. In order to prevent its weight injuries, he now related kneepads. In his second year with the Habs he achieved the final breakthrough. With 61 points in the 1970/71 season was one of the best scorers of his team, which barely reached the playoffs. He played in a row with Henri Richard. In the first round they met on the top favorites, the Boston Bruins. Through an outstanding Ken Dryden in goal, but also by eight goals of Mahovlich they switched from the favorites and won the Stanley Cup for Montreal after two more derived series.

At the 1972 Summit Series Mahovlich was in the Canadian selection. In the decisive game called him seconds before the end, Paul Henderson, he should come to the bench. Henderson scored the winning goal and Mahovlich made this possible through one of the most talked about substitutions.

Together with its partners Storm Guy Lafleur and Steve Shutt get him in the following years, twice more than 100 points scorer. At the NHL All-Star Game 1976, he scored one goal and prepared three more before. For this he was elected most valuable player of the game. Three more times he won the Stanley Cup before he was discharged together with Peter- John Lee in November 1977 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In his two seasons with the Penguins, he was one of the most successful attacker of the team.

For the 1979/80 season Mahovlich returned to the Detroit Red Wings. The now 33 -year-old Mahovlich received from coaches and general manager Ted Lindsay signed a contract for five years, for which he won a million dollars. During his second season, however, he was seriously injured. When he returned to the squad, Lindsay had been replaced as coach and manager. He played one more year in the farm team for the Adirondack Red Wings, with whom he could win the Calder Cup, before he finished his NHL career.

In 1985, he coached in the International Hockey League, the Toledo Goal Diggers and returned it for 23 games on the ice back. In the following years he has coached numerous teams in the lower leagues.

After his playing career, he worked for the Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Atlanta Thrashers a scout and commented for a TV station in Montreal. In 2000, doctors diagnosed prostate cancer in him.

NHL stats

Sporting successes

Stanley Cup: 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977
Calder Cup: 1981

Personal Awards

All-Star Game MVP: 1976
Participate in the NHL All-Star Game: 1971, 1976

Team Records

82 templates in one season for the Montreal Canadiens (1974 /75)

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