Willi Plett
Encyclopedia
Willi Plett is a retired professional ice hockey
right winger
.
Plett was born in Asunción
, Paraguay
to Russia
n-German
émigré parents; the family moved to Niagara-on-the-Lake
, Canada when Willi was a boy. He didn't start playing organized hockey until age 12 although once he caught on, he fell in love with the game. By the time he made the junior level with the St. Catharines Black Hawks
of the OHA
, he lacked finesse and aggressiveness. As a result, his coach, Hap Emms
, demoted him to a tier-two level club.
From that point forward, Plett began to barge around the ice, playing roughhouse hockey. It didn't do too much to raise his stock in the draft, but the Atlanta Flames
picked him up in the 4th round in 1975.
Plett played four games with the Flames before heading to Tulsa for tutelage from a coach who could understand his needs, former NHL enforcer Orland Kurtenbach
.
The following season, Plett started the year in Tulsa, but was called back to join the Flames. He made a surprise splash, netting 33 goals and 23 assists in 64 games. He was awarded the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie. In 1980–81, with the Calgary Flames
, Plett scored a career-high 38 goals.
Plett was traded to the Minnesota North Stars
following the 1981–82 season, and with Minnesota his role eventually changed from goal scorer to exclusively pugilist.
In 1987, the Boston Bruins
picked him up in the waiver draft. That season, the Bruins made a solid run in the playoffs, making it to the finals, only to be shut out by the Edmonton Oilers
. It was Plett's final game in the NHL. He currently owns a landscaping company in Roswell, Georgia
.
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...
right 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...
.
Plett was born in Asunción
Asunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
, Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n-German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
émigré parents; the family moved to Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake is a Canadian town located in Southern Ontario where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region of the southern part of the province of Ontario. It is located across the Niagara river from Youngstown, New York, USA...
, Canada when Willi was a boy. He didn't start playing organized hockey until age 12 although once he caught on, he fell in love with the game. By the time he made the junior level with the St. Catharines Black Hawks
St. Catharines Black Hawks
The St. Catharines Black Hawks were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1962 to 1976. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
of the OHA
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
, he lacked finesse and aggressiveness. As a result, his coach, Hap Emms
Hap Emms
Leighton A. "Hap" Emms was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, owner, general manager and pioneer of the game. Emms was as controversial as he was successful during close to 60 years in hockey...
, demoted him to a tier-two level club.
From that point forward, Plett began to barge around the ice, playing roughhouse hockey. It didn't do too much to raise his stock in the draft, but the Atlanta Flames
Atlanta Flames
The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from 1972 to 1980. The team, a member of the National Hockey League , was relocated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the start of the 1980–81 NHL season and were re-named the Calgary Flames. The NHL returned to the...
picked him up in the 4th round in 1975.
Plett played four games with the Flames before heading to Tulsa for tutelage from a coach who could understand his needs, former NHL enforcer Orland Kurtenbach
Orland Kurtenbach
Orland John Kurtenbach is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. A centre notable for his defensive skill and as one of the toughest fighters in the game, he played for several National Hockey League teams during his twenty professional seasons, principally the Vancouver...
.
The following season, Plett started the year in Tulsa, but was called back to join the Flames. He made a surprise splash, netting 33 goals and 23 assists in 64 games. He was awarded the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie. In 1980–81, with the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
, Plett scored a career-high 38 goals.
Plett was traded to the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
following the 1981–82 season, and with Minnesota his role eventually changed from goal scorer to exclusively pugilist.
In 1987, the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
picked him up in the waiver draft. That season, the Bruins made a solid run in the playoffs, making it to the finals, only to be shut out 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 ....
. It was Plett's final game in the NHL. He currently owns a landscaping company in Roswell, Georgia
Roswell, Georgia
Roswell is a city located in northern Fulton County; it is a suburb of northern Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The 2010 Census population was 88,346. It is the eighth largest city in Georgia...
.