Tony Tanti

The Maltese Falcon: A Canucks sniper who rewrote OHL records.

Anthony Tanti (born September 7, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was a left winger and played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks. Originally selected 12th overall by the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1981 NHL entry draft, he was traded to the Canucks in January 1983. Tanti achieved the 40-goal mark on three occasions during his seven-year tenure with Vancouver. After being traded away in January 1990, he spent one-and-a-half year stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres, respectively. After 12 years in the NHL, Tanti went overseas to play for BSC Preussen of the German Bundesliga. He retired following the 1997–98 season. Tanti was known as a skilled, goal-scoring forward and has been described as the first 'true sniper' in Canucks history. Tanti was born in Toronto, Ontario.

Quick Facts

Affiliation: Vancouver Canucks (NHL)
Key achievement: NHL All-Star (1984, 1986)

Lore & Background

Tanti began his junior career with the B-level St. Michael's Buzzers, then moved to the Oshawa Generals of the OHL, where he broke Wayne Gretzky's rookie goal-scoring record with 81 goals. He was selected 12th overall by the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1981 NHL entry draft. He made his NHL debut with the Black Hawks in 1981–82, appearing in two games (no points), but spent most of the season back in junior. He was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on January 6, 1983, in exchange for a 1983 first-round draft pick (later used to select Bruce Cassidy) and a 1984 second-round pick. Tanti scored 45 goals in 1983–84, leading the team in goal-scoring for five consecutive years. He earned NHL All-Star Game selections in 1984 and 1986. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on January 8, 1990, as part of a six-player deal. He later played for the Buffalo Sabres and then for BSC Preussen in Germany. Tanti is of Maltese heritage and was nicknamed the Maltese Falcon.

Reader's Guide

It states he played for the Chicago Black Hawks, Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and BSC Preussen. Any claim about him being a Calgary Flame is unsupported by the source.