Pete Stemkowski

Lore & Background

Stemkowski was a product of the Toronto Maple Leafs junior system, playing for the Toronto Marlboros after moving from Winnipeg at age 17. He split his first three professional seasons between the Leafs and their American Hockey League farm team in Rochester before making the Leafs squad in 1966–67, contributing 12 points in 12 games during the Stanley Cup-winning season. He was part of a six-player blockbuster trade on March 4, 1968, moving from the Maple Leafs to the Detroit Red Wings along with Frank Mahovlich and Garry Unger for Norm Ullman, Paul Henderson, and Floyd Smith. In Detroit he had two 20+ goal seasons. Traded to the New York Rangers on October 31, 1970, after an incident where he imitated a college cheer in practice, disrespecting new head coach Ned Harkness, Stemkowski joined a rising Rangers powerhouse. In the 1971 Stanley Cup semifinals against the Chicago Black Hawks, he scored game-winning overtime goals in game one (1:37 into overtime) and game six (at 1:29 of the third overtime, after 41:29 of extra time), forcing a seventh game. He played six strong seasons in New York with three 20+ goal seasons. In 1977–78, Stemkowski finished his career playing one season with the Los Angeles Kings.

Reader's Guide

Pete Stemkowski's significance lies in his role as a reliable two-way centre and clutch performer. He is considered a textbook two-way centre, able to kill penalties and play defence as well as score goals, and is remembered as one of the top faceoff takers of the NHL. His overtime heroics in the 1971 playoffs remain a defining moment of his career, despite the Rangers losing the series. Stemkowski's career spanned 15 seasons across four teams, and he won the Stanley Cup with the Maple Leafs in 1967. After playing, he worked as a morning disc jockey and freelance announcer, later serving as a television and radio colour commentator for the San Jose Sharks and part-time for the New York Rangers. He was ranked No. 54 all-time among New York Rangers in the 2009 book 100 Ranger Greats, and is an honoured member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and the National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame.

Did You Know?

• He won the Stanley Cup with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1967.
• He was traded from the Maple Leafs to the Red Wings in a six-player blockbuster deal on March 4, 1968.
• In 1982, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of criminal solicitation for offering money to harm a business associate.