Eric Nesterenko

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Eric Nesterenko
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Nesterenko with the Chicago Black Hawks
Born (1933-10-31)October 31, 1933
Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada
Died Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day
Grand Junction, Colorado, U.S.
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 186 lb (84 kg; 13 st 4 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Right
Played for Toronto Maple Leafs
Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Cougars
Playing career 1951–1974

Eric Paul Nesterenko (October 31, 1933 – June 4, 2022)[1] was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1951 until 1956 and for the Chicago Black Hawks from 1956 until 1972.

Early life

Nesterenko was born in Flin Flon, Manitoba to immigrants from Ukraine. He moved at 16 and attended high school at North Toronto Collegiate Institute.[2] Nesterenko would play as a member of the Toronto Marlboros.[3]

Playing career

Following his long NHL career - in 1973–74 he played for the Chicago Cougars of the World Hockey Association, after a year of coaching in Switzerland.[4] He had 250 goals and 324 assists during his NHL career, and won a Stanley Cup championship with Chicago in 1961. The rangy right winger was a superb penalty killer, who also was known for using his elbows in the corners.[citation needed]

Nesterenko was better known for speed on the ice than for goal-scoring. Chicago sportswriter Bob Markus commented, "I've always thought that Nesterenko would have been the greatest player of all time if they played the game without a puck."[5]

During one game in 1961, Nesterenko infamously attacked Willie O'Ree, the first black player in the NHL, with racial slurs and butt-ended O'Ree with his hockey stick, breaking O'Ree's nose and knocking out his front teeth. O'Ree retaliated with his stick and Nesterenko required 15 stitches in his head.[6]

Personal life

In 1986, he played the father of character Dean Youngblood (Rob Lowe) in the movie Youngblood, and was also the film's hockey consultant.[7] He has worked as a disk jockey, a stockbroker, a travel broker, a freelance writer, a university professor, and a ski instructor.[8][7]

Near the end of his NHL career, he was interviewed for Studs Terkel's bestselling book, Working: What People do all Day and How They Feel About What They Do.[citation needed]

Eric Nesterenko spent his later life in Colorado[9] and died on June 4, 2022 at the age of 88.[10][11]

Awards and achievements

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1949–50 Toronto Marlboros OHA 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
1950–51 Toronto Marlboros OHA 46 28 22 50 90 13 7 9 16 27
1951–52 Toronto Marlboros OHA 52 53 42 95 133 6 2 6 8 12
1951–52 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
1952–53 Toronto Marlboros OHA 34 27 21 48 46 — — — — —
1952–53 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 35 10 6 16 27 — — — — —
1953–54 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 68 14 9 23 70 5 0 1 1 9
1954–55 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 62 15 15 30 99 4 0 1 1 6
1955–56 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 40 4 6 10 65 — — — — —
1955–56 Winnipeg Warriors WHL 20 8 6 14 27 14 3 7 10 22
1956–57 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 24 8 15 23 32 — — — — —
1957–58 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 70 20 18 38 104 — — — — —
1958–59 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 70 16 18 34 81 6 2 2 4 8
1959–60 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 61 13 23 36 71 4 0 0 0 2
1960–61 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 68 19 19 38 125 11 2 3 5 6
1961–62 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 68 15 14 29 97 12 0 5 5 22
1962–63 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 67 12 15 27 103 6 2 3 5 8
1963–64 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 70 7 19 26 93 7 2 1 3 8
1964–65 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 56 14 16 30 63 14 2 2 4 16
1965–66 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 67 15 25 40 58 6 1 0 1 4
1966–67 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 68 14 23 37 38 6 1 2 3 2
1967–68 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 71 11 25 36 37 10 0 1 1 2
1968–69 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 72 15 17 32 29 — — — — —
1969–70 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 67 16 18 34 26 7 1 2 3 4
1970–71 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 76 8 15 23 28 18 0 1 1 19
1971–72 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 38 4 8 12 27 8 0 0 0 11
1973–74 Chicago Cougars WHA 29 2 5 7 8 — — — — —
1975–76 Trail Smoke Eaters WIHL 40 10 25 35 38 — — — — —
WHA totals 29 2 5 7 8 — — — — —
NHL totals 1,219 250 324 574 1,273 124 13 24 37 127

See also

References

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External links

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