John Ogrodnick

Lore & Background

Ogrodnick was drafted 66th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1979 NHL entry draft. He played 928 career NHL games, scoring 402 goals and 425 assists for 827 points. He turned pro with the Red Wings American Hockey League farm club in Adirondack in 1979–80, and also played 41 games in the NHL with the Red Wings. In the 1980–81 season he became a full-time NHLer and led the Wings with 35 goals. It would be the first of six straight seasons he would be the Red Wings top goal scorer. He topped 40 goals in the 1982–83 season then managed 42 goals the following year despite being limited to just 64 games. His best statistical season was the 1984–85 season when he set career highs with 55 goals (a Detroit record at the time), 50 assists, and 105 points. The following season he dipped to 38 goals and had potted 12 in 38 games during the 1986–87 campaign when he was shipped to the Quebec Nordiques as part of a six-player deal. The Nordiques were thrilled to acquire him, with coach Michel Bergeron saying 'I think John Ogrodnick is one of the best players in the league.' Despite a solid performance for the Nordiques, Ogrodnick was never happy playing in Quebec and asked general manager Maurice Filion to trade him in the off-season. After scoring 11 goals and 27 points in 32 games to complete that season and putting up a point-a-game in 13 playoff contests Ogrodnick was dealt to the New York Rangers on the eve of the 1987-88 season. Perhaps not coincidentally Michel Bergeron had moved from Quebec to behind the Rangers bench, though Rangers general manager Phil Esposito acknowledged that part of the impetus for the trade was ensuring Ogrodnick did not end up with division rival the Pittsburgh Penguins. 'Ogrodnick beside Lemieux in Pittsburgh would have 55 or 60 goals so forget it. I'd rather have him shooting for me than at me.' His first two seasons on Broadway were underwhelming but his third season with the Rangers saw him recapture his scoring touch. Roger Neilson had taken over as the Rangers head coach and he paired Ogrodnick with Kelly Kisio and Brian Mullen and told him he would give him ten games to gel. The trio clicked early and would go on to finish 1-2-3 in team scoring with Ogrodnick leading the way with 43 goals and 74 points. Following the success of the 1989–90 season, Ogrodnick's contract expired which led to tense negotiations with the Rangers fo

In Their Own Story

Ogrodnick dropped his shoulder into the corner, feeling the ice bite through his skates, and watched the opposition winger circle the net. He didn't need to see the pass. He felt it coming—the subtle shift in weight, the tell in the stick-handling. He stepped up, planted his inside skate, and met the puck with a clean, two-handed trap that sent it bouncing harmlessly into the boards. The crowd exhaled. The coach on the bench nodded, just once. That was the shift. That was the job. And John Ogrodnick did it every single time, in a city that would never forget.

Reader's Guide

John Ogrodnick was a left winger, not a defenceman. He never played for the Calgary Flames and did not win the Stanley Cup. His NHL teams were the Detroit Red Wings, Quebec Nordiques, and New York Rangers. His jersey numbers are not specified in the source.

Did You Know?

• Ogrodnick was drafted 66th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1979 NHL entry draft.
• He set a Detroit record with 55 goals in the 1984–85 season.
• He was traded from Quebec to the New York Rangers on the eve of the 1987-88 season.
• After retiring, he served as vice president of the Red Wings Alumni Association.