John Miszuk

John Stanley Miszuk (born Jan Miszuk; September 29, 1940 – July 28, 2025) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, Philadelphia Flyers and Minnesota North Stars between 1963 and 1970. He also played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) for the Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades and Calgary Cowboys between 1974 and 1977.^[1]

John Miszuk
Born	(1940-09-29)September 29, 1940 Nalibaki, Byelorussian SSR, USSR
Died	July 28, 2025(2025-07-28) (aged 84) Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	Detroit Red Wings Chicago Black Hawks Philadelphia Flyers Minnesota North Stars Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades Calgary Cowboys
Playing career	1961–1979

Playing career

Miszuk was born in the Polish village of Nalibaki, which had been annexed into the Byelorussian SSR of Soviet Union during the Second World War. The family moved to Canada and he grew up in Hamilton, Ontario where he began playing hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). After a season with the Hamilton Red Wings, Miszuk turned professional and joined the Detroit Red Wings organization.^[1]

After playing in the Western Hockey League (WHL) and the American Hockey League (AHL) Miszuk moved up to the National Hockey League (NHL) with Detroit in 1963–64. At the end of that season, he moved to the Chicago Black Hawks, but in the following three years, he played only eight NHL games, spending most of his time in the minor leagues.

In the summer of 1967, Miszuk was chosen during NHL expansion draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, one of the six new franchises in the NHL.^[2][3] With the Flyers he found a place in NHL and he played two full seasons and then was traded to the Minnesota North Stars for Wayne Hillman.^[2][4]

He eventually moved to the World Hockey Association (WHA) with the Michigan Stags. At the end of his career, Miszuk returned to the minor leagues, spending two seasons in the Pacific Hockey League (PHL) before retiring from competitive hockey.^[1]

Personal life and death

Miszuk was married to Cora for 63 years and had two daughters and two sons. He died on July 28, 2025, at the age of 84.^[5]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1957–58	Hamilton Tiger Cubs	OHA		—	—	—	—	—		1	0	0	0	0
1958–59	Hamilton Tiger Cubs	OHA		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1959–60	Hamilton Tiger Cubs	OHA		6	1	3	4	0		—	—	—	—	—
1960–61	Hamilton Red Wings	OHA		48	6	19	25	89		12	1	8	9	28
1961–62	Edmonton Flyers	WHL		65	4	30	34	88		12	1	6	7	20
1962–63	Edmonton Flyers	WHL		59	8	25	33	99		3	0	0	0	8
1962–63	Pittsburgh Hornets	AHL		10	0	3	3	16		—	—	—	—	—
1963–64	Pittsburgh Hornets	AHL		25	1	7	8	34		—	—	—	—	—
1963–64	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		42	0	2	2	30		3	0	0	0	2
1964–65	Buffalo Bisons	AHL		71	9	46	55	100		9	0	3	3	12
1965–66	St. Louis Braves	CHL		69	7	29	36	116		5	0	2	2	4
1965–66	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		2	1	1	2	2		3	0	0	0	4
1966–67	St. Louis Braves	CHL		68	3	28	31	104		—	—	—	—	—
1966–67	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		3	0	0	0	0		2	0	0	0	2
1967–68	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		74	5	17	22	79		7	0	3	3	11
1968–69	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		66	1	13	14	70		4	0	0	0	0
1969–70	Iowa Stars	CHL		16	1	6	7	37		9	0	3	3	10
1969–70	Minnesota North Stars	NHL		50	0	6	6	51		—	—	—	—	—
1970–71	San Diego Gulls	WHL		72	5	30	35	98		6	0	1	1	4
1971–72	San Diego Gulls	WHL		72	5	33	38	118		4	0	1	1	6
1972–73	San Diego Gulls	WHL		72	2	39	41	85		6	0	4	4	13
1973–74	San Diego Gulls	WHL		77	8	49	57	103		4	0	0	0	2
1974–75	Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades	WHA		66	2	19	21	56		—	—	—	—	—
1975–76	Calgary Cowboys	WHA		69	2	21	23	66		10	1	0	1	28
1976–77	Calgary Cowboys	WHA		79	2	26	28	57		—	—	—	—	—
1977–78	San Francisco Shamrocks	PHL		10	0	15	15	12		—	—	—	—	—
1978–79	San Diego Hawks	PHL		25	2	11	13	24		—	—	—	—	—
WHA totals				214	6	66	72	179		10	1	0	1	28
NHL totals				237	7	39	46	232		19	0	3	3	19