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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1957–58Hamilton Tiger CubsOHA10000
1958–59Hamilton Tiger CubsOHA20000
1959–60Hamilton Tiger CubsOHA61340
1960–61Hamilton Red WingsOHA4861925891218928
1961–62Edmonton FlyersWHL6543034881216720
1962–63Edmonton FlyersWHL59825339930008
1962–63Pittsburgh HornetsAHL1003316
1963–64Pittsburgh HornetsAHL2517834
1963–64Detroit Red WingsNHL420223030002
1964–65Buffalo BisonsAHL7194655100903312
1965–66St. Louis BravesCHL697293611650224
1965–66Chicago Black HawksNHL2112230004
1966–67St. Louis BravesCHL6832831104
1966–67Chicago Black HawksNHL3000020002
1967–68Philadelphia FlyersNHL745172279703311
1968–69Philadelphia FlyersNHL66113147040000
1969–70Iowa StarsCHL1616737903310
1969–70Minnesota North StarsNHL5006651
1970–71San Diego GullsWHL72530359860114
1971–72San Diego GullsWHL725333811840116
1972–73San Diego GullsWHL722394185604413
1973–74San Diego GullsWHL778495710340002
1974–75Michigan Stags/Baltimore BladesWHA662192156
1975–76Calgary CowboysWHA6922123661010128
1976–77Calgary CowboysWHA792262857
1977–78San Francisco ShamrocksPHL100151512
1978–79San Diego HawksPHL252111324
WHA totals214666721791010128
NHL totals237739462321903319

External links

  • Biographical information and career statistics from , or , or , or