A solid playmaking centre who could play defence and kill penalties, Orest Kindrachuk played over 500 games for three different NHL teams. He topped the 30-assist mark five times in his career and was dangerous on the powerplay and while shorthanded.
Kindrachuk spent four years with WHL's Saskatoon Blades. Midway through his junior tenure he stepped away from hockey to attend the University of Saskatchewan. When he decided to resume his hockey career, Kindrachuk was able to return to the WHL as an overage player. He led league with 100 assists in 1970-71 then signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Flyers. He spent almost all of his first two pro seasons in the minors, first with San Diego Gulls of WHL then the Richmond Robins of AHL.
As a rookie in 1973-74 he scored 41 points as the third centre behind Bobby Clarke and Rick MacLeish. The youngster was solid in the playoffs and helped the Flyers become the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup. In 1974-75 he missed 20 games due to an injury but was a solid checker in playoffs as Philly repeated as Stanley Cup champions.
By 1975-76, Kindrachuk assumed a more prominent role. In addition to checking and killing penalties, he provided offence and was used as a playmaker on the power play. He set career highs of 26 goals and 75 points then returned to more of a checking role in next two years. During this period he occupied one of the safest places in hockey as the pivot for tough wingers Don Saleski and Dave Schultz.
At the Amateur Draft in June 1978, Kindrachuk was traded to Pittsburgh with Ross Lonsberry and Tom Bladon for the first-round draft pick used to claim highly touted defenceman Behn Wilson. Kindrachuk scored 60 and 46 points the first two years with weaker Pens playing on a line with Lonsberry and Rick Kehoe. He played only 13 games in 1980-81 then signed as a free agent with the Washington Capitals the following September. He was forced to retire four games into the 1981-82 schedule.
