Terry Ruskowski
Only player to captain four major professional clubs.
Last updated
Terry W. Ruskowski (born December 31, 1954) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and coach. Over his playing career, he suited up for the Chicago Black Hawks, Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Minnesota North Stars in the National Hockey League, as well as the Houston Aeros and Winnipeg Jets in the World Hockey Association. He won the Avco World Trophy twice—first with Houston in 1975 and again with Winnipeg in 1979. Ruskowski is the only player in major professional hockey history to have served as captain of four different teams: the Aeros, Black Hawks, Kings, and Penguins.
Coaching career
After retiring as a player, Ruskowski moved into coaching. His most recent role was as head coach and general manager of the Quad City Mallards in the ECHL.
Playing career
Ruskowski grew up in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and began playing junior hockey at age 16 with the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Tier 2 Junior Hockey League in 1970. The next season, he joined the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League. In his third year with that club, he scored 40 goals in 68 games. Both the WHA and NHL drafted him in 1974: the Houston Aeros took him 30th overall in the second round of the WHA amateur draft, and the Chicago Black Hawks selected him 70th overall in the NHL amateur draft.
He opted to sign with Houston. Despite standing only 5'9" and weighing 170 pounds, Ruskowski thrived with the Aeros. He recorded 46 points in his rookie season as Houston swept the Quebec Nordiques in the Avco Cup Final, contributing two goals and an assist in that series. Over the next three seasons with the Aeros, he posted 84 points (24 goals, 60 assists) in 1976–77, his best output with the club, and followed that with 72 points the next year.
In the 1976 WHA playoffs, he ranked sixth in league scoring with 16 points (10 goals, six assists) as the Aeros returned to the Avco Cup Final but lost to the Winnipeg Jets. The following postseason, he finished ninth in league scoring with six goals and 11 assists, though his team was eliminated in the Western Division Finals. After the Aeros folded, Ruskowski joined the Winnipeg Jets for the 1978–79 season. At a July 1978 press conference alongside Scott Campbell, he declared, "We're going to show you that Canadians can play hockey, too." That year, he set a career high with 86 points (20 goals, 66 assists).
Lore & Background
Ruskowski began his junior hockey career at age sixteen with the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, helping them reach the league final. He then played for the Swift Current Broncos, where he became captain in his second and third seasons and still holds the team record for most assists in one year (93 in 1973–74).
Drafted in 1974 by both the Houston Aeros (WHA) and Chicago Black Hawks (NHL), he chose the Aeros. Despite his 5'9", 170-pound frame, he excelled, winning the Avco World Trophy with Houston in 1975 and with Winnipeg in 1979. In the 1979 Avco Cup Final, his assist on Willy Lindstrom's goal was the last scored by a Jet in the WHA as the Jets won the Cup, making Ruskowski one of few players to win the trophy with multiple teams.
After the WHA dissolved, Ruskowski's rights were reclaimed by the Black Hawks in the 1979 NHL expansion draft. He recorded 70 points in his first NHL season but declined thereafter, and was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1982. He joined the Pittsburgh Penguins as a free agent in 1985, recording 63 points in his first season and 51 in his second.
He finished his playing career with the Minnesota North Stars, playing three games in 1988–89. In 999 total professional games, he collected 763 points. He was inducted into the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.
Reader's Guide
Ruskowski's significance lies in his unique achievement as the only player in major professional hockey history to serve as captain of four different clubs: the Houston Aeros, Chicago Black Hawks, Los Angeles Kings, and Pittsburgh Penguins. This reflects his recognized leadership on the ice. His career spanned both the WHA and NHL, and he won the Avco World Trophy twice, with two different teams. After retiring, he became a coach, notably leading the Laredo Bucks of the Central Hockey League for ten seasons, compiling a 343–175–56 record and being named CHL Coach of the Year in 2005–06.
He secured his 500th coaching win in 2009. He was also the first ever coach of the Columbus Chill and later coached the Quad City Mallards in the ECHL. In 2010, he was elected as an inaugural inductee into the World Hockey Association Hall of Fame.
Career statistics and honours
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1971–72 | Swift Current Broncos | WCJHL | 67 | 13 | 38 | 51 | 177 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1972–73 | Swift Current Broncos | WCJHL | 53 | 25 | 64 | 89 | 136 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1973–74 | Swift Current Broncos | WCJHL | 68 | 40 | 93 | 133 | 243 | 13 | 5 | 23 | 28 | 23 |
| 1974–75 | Houston Aeros | WHA | 71 | 10 | 36 | 46 | 134 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 15 |
| 1975–76 | Houston Aeros | WHA | 65 | 14 | 35 | 49 | 100 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 64 |
| 1976–77 | Houston Aeros | WHA | 80 | 24 | 60 | 84 | 146 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 67 |
| 1977–78 | Houston Aeros | WHA | 78 | 15 | 57 | 72 | 170 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 1978–79 | Winnipeg Jets | WHA | 75 | 20 | 66 | 86 | 211 | 8 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 23 |
| 1979–80 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 74 | 15 | 55 | 70 | 252 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| 1980–81 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 72 | 8 | 51 | 59 | 225 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 |
| 1981–82 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 60 | 7 | 30 | 37 | 120 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 53 |
| 1982–83 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 71 | 14 | 30 | 44 | 127 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1983–84 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 77 | 7 | 25 | 32 | 89 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1984–85 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 78 | 16 | 33 | 49 | 144 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1985–86 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 73 | 26 | 37 | 63 | 162 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1986–87 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 70 | 14 | 37 | 51 | 145 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1987–88 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 47 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 76 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1988–89 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| WHA totals | 369 | 83 | 254 | 337 | 761 | 52 | 18 | 36 | 54 | 174 | ||
| NHL totals | 630 | 113 | 313 | 426 | 1,354 | 21 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 86 | ||
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Terry Ruskowski (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
More in Pittsburgh Penguins Players
Test yourself
Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.
Answers checked against the source article
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Terry Ruskowski (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced