Legends of Hockey -- NHL Player Search -- Player -- Bill Lesuk

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Bill Anton Lesuk

Left-winger Bill Lesuk was a competent role player who played nearly 400 NHL games on five different teams. A top scorer in junior, he also enjoyed a solid career in the WHA.

Born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Lesuk played four years of junior with the Weyburn Red Wings. When he turned pro, the Bruins were deep at forward and assigned him to the CHL's Oklahoma City Blazers and the Hershey Bears of the AHL. Lesuk was given a better chance at playing in the NHL when he was picked up by the Philadelphia Flyers in the Intra-League Draft in June 1970.

Playing with Jim Johnson and Serge Bernier, Lesuk scored 17 goals in 1970-71. In January 1972, he was part of the package sent to the L.A. Kings for Ross Lonsberry and Bill "Cowboy" Flett. He was a decent role player on the West Coast for two and a half years before he was traded to the Washington Capitals as they prepared for their first season. Lesuk killed penalties and shadowed the best forwards on the opposition as he attempted to stop the bleeding during the Caps' horrid debut in 1974-75.

After his experience in 1975-76, Lesuk fled the NHL for the WHA's Winnipeg Jets. He remained with the club through its first NHL season after the two leagues merged in 1979-80 before retiring.

			REGULAR SEASON						PLAYOFFS
Season	Club	League	GP	G	A	TP	PIM	+/-	GP	G	A	TP	PIM
1963-64	Weyburn Red Wings	SJHL	62	12	18	30	78		8	4	2	6	18
1964-65	Weyburn Red Wings	SJHL	55	25	33	58	73		15	3	11	14	28
1965-66	Weyburn Red Wings	SJHL	60	36	40	76	111		18	6	10	16	40
1965-66	Estevan Bruins	M-Cup							4	1	0	1	4
1966-67	Weyburn Red Wings	SJHL	56	36	46	82	62		5	0	5	5	4
1967-68	Oklahoma City Blazers	CPHL	67	14	10	24	53		7	3	3	6	0
1968-69	Boston Bruins	NHL	5	0	1	1	0	+2	1	0	0	0	0
1968-69	Oklahoma City Blazers	CHL	64	17	30	47	46		12	0	4	4	8
1969-70	Boston Bruins	NHL	3	0	0	0	0	+1	2	0	0	0	0
1969-70	Hershey Bears	AHL	70	20	20	40	82		7	5	4	9	10
1970-71	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	78	17	19	36	81	-5	4	1	0	1	8
1971-72	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	45	7	6	13	31	-14
1971-72	Los Angeles Kings	NHL	27	4	10	14	14	+2
1972-73	Los Angeles Kings	NHL	67	6	14	20	90	-2
1973-74	Los Angeles Kings	NHL	35	2	1	3	32	-4	2	0	0	0	4
1974-75	Washington Capitals	NHL	79	8	11	19	77	-34
1975-76	Winnipeg Jets	WHA	81	15	21	36	92		13	2	2	4	8
1976-77	Winnipeg Jets	WHA	78	14	27	41	85		18	2	1	3	22
1977-78	Winnipeg Jets	WHA	80	9	18	27	48		9	2	5	7	12
1978-79	Winnipeg Jets	WHA	79	17	15	32	44		10	1	3	4	6
1979-80	Winnipeg Jets	NHL	49	0	1	1	43	-15
1979-80	Tulsa Oilers	CHL	9	1	2	3	0
NHL Totals			388	44	63	107	368		9	1	0	1	12

SJHL Second All-Star Team (1966) SJHL First All-Star Team (1967)

Traded to Boston by Detroit with Gary Doak, Ron Murphy and future considerations (Steve Atkinson, June 6, 1966) for Leo Boivin and Dean Prentice, February 16, 1966. Claimed by Philadelphia from Boston in Intra-League Draft, June 9, 1970. Traded to Los Angeles by Philadelphia with Jim Johnson and Serge Bernier for Bill Flett, Eddie Joyal, Jean Potvin, and Ross Lonsberry, January 28, 1972. Selected by Alberta (WHA) in 1972 WHA General Player Draft, February 12, 1972. Traded to Washington by Los Angeles for cash, July 28, 1974. WHA rights traded to Winnipeg (WHA) by Edmonton (WHA) for future considerations, June, 1975.

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