Walt Poddubny
Encyclopedia
Walter Michael Poddubny (February 14, 1960 – March 21, 2009) was a Canadian
professional
ice hockey
left winger
and coach who played eleven seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL)
from 1981–1982 until 1991–1992.
Poddubny was drafted 90th overall by the Edmonton Oilers
in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft
. He played 468 career NHL games, scoring 184 goals and 238 assists for 422 points.
He was acquired by the New York Rangers
for Mike Allison
on August 18, 1986 in a trade considered to be Phil Esposito
's best during his three years as the team's general manager
. Poddubny was the leading scorer in each of his only two Rangers campaigns, with 87 points (40 goals, 47 assists) in 1986–1987 and 88 (38 goals, 50 assists) the following season. He was the recipient of the New York Rangers Fan Club's Frank Boucher Trophy for the most popular player on and off the ice in both years and the team's Most Valuable Player Award from the Professional Hockey Writers Association in 1987.
After his career in the NHL, Poddubny coached several hockey teams including six seasons as head coach of the Anchorage Aces.
He died at the age of 49, after collapsing at his sister's house in Thunder Bay
. The cause of death was heart attack
.
‡ - Midseason Replacement
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
left winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
and coach who played eleven seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL)
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
from 1981–1982 until 1991–1992.
Poddubny was drafted 90th overall by the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft
1980 NHL Entry Draft
The 1980 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum. This was the first time that an NHL arena hosted the draft. The National Hockey League teams selected 210 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1979–80 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the...
. He played 468 career NHL games, scoring 184 goals and 238 assists for 422 points.
He was acquired by the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
for Mike Allison
Mike Allison
Michael Earnest Allison is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward, and the brother of former player and coach Dave Allison.-Playing career:...
on August 18, 1986 in a trade considered to be Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
's best during his three years as the team's general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
. Poddubny was the leading scorer in each of his only two Rangers campaigns, with 87 points (40 goals, 47 assists) in 1986–1987 and 88 (38 goals, 50 assists) the following season. He was the recipient of the New York Rangers Fan Club's Frank Boucher Trophy for the most popular player on and off the ice in both years and the team's Most Valuable Player Award from the Professional Hockey Writers Association in 1987.
After his career in the NHL, Poddubny coached several hockey teams including six seasons as head coach of the Anchorage Aces.
He died at the age of 49, after collapsing at his sister's house in Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
. The cause of death was heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
Ice hockey
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1978–79 | Brandon Wheat Kings Brandon Wheat Kings The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They compete in the Western Hockey League, and joined the league in the 1967–68 season. Prior to that they played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and were known as the Brandon Elks for a short time in the... |
WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
20 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Kitchener Rangers Kitchener Rangers The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that have called Kitchener, Ontario, Canada their home since 1963. The Rangers are a publicly owned hockey team, governed by a 40-person Board of Directors made up of season ticket subscribers. The Rangers hosted... |
OMJHL | 19 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Kingston Canadians Kingston Canadians The Kingston Canadians were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League from 1973 to 1988. The team played home games at the Kingston Memorial Centre in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.-History:... |
OMJHL | 43 | 30 | 17 | 47 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Milwaukee Admirals Milwaukee Admirals The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:... |
IHL | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Wichita Wind | CHL | 70 | 21 | 29 | 50 | 207 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 26 | ||
| 1981–82 | Wichita Wind | CHL | 60 | 35 | 46 | 81 | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 11 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 72 | 28 | 31 | 59 | 71 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 1983–84 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 38 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 1984–85 AHL season The 1984–85 AHL season was the 49th season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Binghamton Whalers finished first overall in the regular season... |
St. Catharines Saints St. Catharines Saints The St. Catharines Saints was a minor league ice hockey team in St. Catharines, Ontario. It played in the American Hockey League from 1982–1986 as the farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs.... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
8 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 32 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 1985–86 AHL season The 1985–86 AHL season was the 50th season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears finished first overall in the regular season... |
St. Catharines Saints | AHL | 37 | 28 | 27 | 55 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 33 | 12 | 22 | 34 | 25 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 1986–87 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL | 75 | 40 | 47 | 87 | 49 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 1987–88 | New York Rangers | NHL | 77 | 38 | 50 | 88 | 76 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | Quebec Nordiques Quebec Nordiques The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 72 | 38 | 37 | 75 | 107 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 1989–90 AHL season The 1989–90 AHL season was the 54th season of the American Hockey League.Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Sherbrooke Canadiens repeated finishing first overall in the regular season... |
Utica Devils Utica Devils The Utica Devils were an ice hockey team of the American Hockey League. The team played in Utica, New York at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.-History:... |
AHL | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | New Jersey Devils New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 33 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 14 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Bad Nauheim EC | 2.GBun 2nd Bundesliga (ice hockey) The 2nd Eishockey-Bundesliga is the second tier of Ice hockey in Germany. It is organised by the DEB, the German Ice Hockey Federation. In the 2007-08 season, it features 14 teams.- History of the 2nd Ice Hockey Bundesliga :... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 1994–95 AHL season The 1994–95 AHL season was the 59th season of the American Hockey League. The All-Star Game is revived, with All-Stars grouped into "Team Canada" and "Team USA." Sixteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule... |
Worcester IceCats Worcester IceCats The Worcester IceCats were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA at the Worcester Centrum... |
AHL | 34 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 468 | 184 | 238 | 422 | 454 | 19 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 12 | ||||
Roller hockey
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1994 | Las Vegas Flash Las Vegas Flash The Las Vegas Flash were an inline hockey team which existed for one season in 1994. The Flash were a part of Roller Hockey International. The team's home games were played at the Thomas & Mack Center.The franchise was previously known as:... |
RHI Roller Hockey International Roller Hockey International was a professional inline hockey league that operated in North America from 1993 to 1999. It was the first major professional league for inline hockey.... |
19 | 21 | 26 | 47 | 32 | |||||||
| 1995 | Orlando Rollergators | RHI | 10 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 12 | |||||||
| RHI totals | 29 | 28 | 36 | 64 | 44 | |||||||||
Coaching
| Season | Team | League | Type | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pct | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994–95 | Orlando Rollergators | RHI | Head Coach | 23 | 7 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0.304 | ||
| 1995–96 | Daytona-Beach Breakers | SHL | Head Coach | 60 | 33 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 0.608 | Lost in round 1 | |
| 1996–97 | Anchorage Aces | WCHL West Coast Hockey League The West Coast Hockey League was a professional minor ice hockey league active in the western United States from 1995 to 2003. The number of teams ranged from six to nine. The teams were located in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Washington... |
Head Coach | 64 | 41 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 0.68 | Lost in Finals | |
| 1997–98 | Anchorage Aces | WCHL | Head Coach | 64 | 36 | 20 | 0 | 8 | 0.625 | Lost in round 2 | |
| 1998–99 | Anchorage Aces | WCHL | Head Coach | 71 | 46 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0.669 | Lost in round 2 | |
| 1999–00 | Anchorage Aces | WCHL | Head Coach‡ | 56 | 30 | 21 | 0 | 5 | 0.58 | ||
| 2000–01 | Anchorage Aces | WCHL | Head Coach | 72 | 27 | 41 | 0 | 4 | 0.403 | ||
| 2001–02 | Anchorage Aces | WCHL | Head Coach‡ | 40 | 9 | 26 | 0 | 5 | 0.287 | Lost in round 1 | |
‡ - Midseason Replacement