NHL
Blackhawks Icon Stan Mikita Dies at 78
Blackhawks Icon Stan Mikita has died at 78. He was the all-time leading scorer in Blackhawks history. The Blackhawks confirmed Mikita’s death on Tuesday.
Stan Mikita’s Hockey Career
Blackhawks icon Stan Mikita was born as Stanislav Gvoth on May 20, 1940, in former Czechoslovakia. His life was changed when the country was taken over by a Communist Government in 1948. His parents allowed his Uncle Joe and Aunt Anne to adopt their son and take him to St. Catherines Ontario. As a result, they give him their surname of Mikita.
Mikita’s hockey career began at the age of 13 when he was signed by Rudy Pilous. He was the farm system coach of the Chicago Blackhawks. Mikita spent three seasons playing for the St.Catherines Teepees, Chicago’s Ontario Hockey Association team. He didn’t really consider a pro hockey career until his teammate Bobby Hull got called up. At age 19, Mikita was called up in the 1958-59 season.
He played three games that season and next season he was a regular. The following season (1960-61) he had 53 points (19 goals and 53 assists) helping the Blackhawks to win the Stanley Cup. In 1961-62 he finished with 77 points. (25 goals and 52 assists) It was the first of ten straight seasons where he scored 70 points or more. Mikita won the Art Ross Trophy four times in five seasons from 1963-64 to 1967-68 and had a career-high 97 points (35 goals, 62 assists) in 1966-67.
After Hockey
When Mikita retired after twenty-two seasons, he spent his entire career with the Blackhawks. He is their all-time leader in games played, (1394) assists (926) and points (1467) His number 21 was the first number retired in franchise his troy when it was raised to the rafters of the Chicago Stadium in 1980. Mikita is the only player in NHL history to win the Art Ross, Hart and Lady Byng trophies in the same season, and he did it twice in 1966-67 and 1967-68.
After he retired Blackhawks Icon Stan Mikita worked in sales and as a golf pro. In the movie “Wayne’s World” there was a doughnut shop called Stan Mikita’s
“I put in 22 years as a pro athlete, and they remembered me from a doughnut shop in a movie,” Mikita self-deprecatingly told Sports Illustrated.
Mikita attended public events and team functions in the last decade despite battling oral cancer. Statues of Mikita and Bobby Hull were unveiled outside of the United Centre right next to the statue of Michael Jordan in 2011.
In 2015, Mikita was diagnosed with Lewy body Dementia. A disorder that can take a victim’s memory and causes sleep disorders and hallucinations. In 2017, he was named as one of the 100 NHL Greatest Players.
A Statement from Commissioner Gary Bettman
Stan Mikita lived a remarkable life and was a wonderful man, respected and revered by so many,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “One of the greatest players in NHL history and a Chicago icon, he was a pioneer of the game in so many ways. Stan Mikita designed the distinctive helmet he donned later in his career when that still was a rarity. He curved his stick blade to an extent previously unthinkable, causing his shot to do tricks. He utterly transformed his playing style in his prime, going from one of the League’s most penalized players to one of its most gentlemanly.
Once he arrived in Chicago he never left, becoming a pillar of the city. He played in more games for the Blackhawks than anyone and came to be as much a symbol of the franchise as The Roar of Chicago Stadium and the United Center and the classic sweater. We are grateful for all Stan gave to us — his fans, his game, his admirers, his league and his city — and we mourn his passing.”
A Statement from Blackhawks President and CEO John McDonough
Stan Mikita will be always remembered as a champion, an innovator and a master of the game. He embodied the Chicago Blackhawks. His excellence is illustrated by the team records he still holds today. His passion for the game was proved by the longevity of his playing career. The impact he had on the franchise is proved by fact that Blackhawks fans still wear his jersey to the United Center.”
A Statement from Blackhawks Chairman Rocky Wertz
“There are no words to describe our sadness over Stan’s passing,” Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz said. “He meant so much to the Chicago Blackhawks, to the game of hockey, and to all of Chicago. He left an imprint that will forever be etched in the hearts of fans — past, present, and future. Stan made everyone he touched a better person.”
