George Konik

George Samuel Konik (May 4, 1937 – October 21, 2016) was a Canadian-born American professional ice hockey player. He grew up in his hometown of Flin Flon where he graduated from high school. He played hockey from the peewee to junior level winning a Canadian junior championship with the Flin Flon Bombers in 1957. He also was a catcher in baseball and won the batting title in the senior Polar League in 1958. He played 52 games in the National Hockey League with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 1967–68 season and 54 games in the World Hockey Association with the Minnesota Fighting Saints during the 1972–73 season. Internationally he played for the American national team at the 1970 and 1971 World Championships. He was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and his 1957 Bombers team has been inducted into both the provincial hockey and sports halls of fame.

Career Konik was a star on the University of Denver hockey team which won the NCAA hockey championship in 1960 and 1961. He signed a professional contract with the New York Rangers after that but did not make his NHL debut until 1967–68 after the expansion Pittsburgh Penguins traded for his rights. Konik made 52 appearances as a versatile role player for the Penguins that season, but drifted back to the minor professional leagues after that.

Konik (who settled in Minnesota in 1964 ) eventually became a naturalized American citizen and joined the United States national team for the 1970 and 1971 Ice Hockey World Championship tournaments; he was named best defenceman in 1970. Konik came out of retirement in 1972/73 to play a final season of major league pro hockey for the WHA Minnesota Fighting Saints before leaving hockey for good. Konik died in the morning of October 21, 2016; his death was announced later that day by the Penguins' official Twitter account.

Business career After hockey Konik founded George Konik Associates, a technical staffing firm in 1974 and Maple Leaf Travel in 1982.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1952–53 Flin Flon Bombers SJHL 5 0 0 0 4 — — — — — 1953–54 Flin Flon Bombers SJHL 4 0 2 2 4 2 0 0 0 0 1953–54 Flin Flon Bombers M-Cup — — — — — 2 0 0 0 2 1954–55 Flin Flon Bombers SJHL 12 9 5 14 18 — — — — — 1955–56 Flin Flon Bombers SJHL 37 13 21 34 83 12 4 6 10 12 1955–56 Flin Flon Bombers M-Cup — — — — — 7 3 2 5 2 1956–57 Flin Flon Bombers SJHL 53 35 41 76 73 10 5 7 12 7 1956–57 Flin Flon Bombers M-Cup — — — — — 16 6 3 9 44 1957–58 Flin Flon Bombers M-Cup — — — — — 16 6 4 10 42 1958–59 University of Denver NCAA 28 21 23 44 75 — — — — — 1959–60 University of Denver NCAA 34 13 28 41 50 — — — — — 1960–61 University of Denver NCAA 27 12 19 31 40 — — — — — 1961–62 Los Angeles Blades WHL 43 3 8 11 38 — — — — — 1962–63 Seattle Totems WHL 42 7 12 19 50 17 4 1 5 38 1963–64 Baltimore Clippers AHL 72 19 22 41 80 — — — — — 1964–65 St. Paul Saints USHL — — — — — — — — — — 1965–66 Minnesota Rangers CPHL 38 10 20 30 35 7 2 5 7 6 1966–67 Omaha Knights CPHL 66 27 47 74 109 12 4 8 12 24 1967–68 Baltimore Clippers AHL 5 0 2 2 7 — — — — — 1967–68 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 52 7 8 15 26 — — — — — 1968–69 Rochester Mustangs USHL — — — — — — — — — — 1969–70 American National Team Intl 6 3 5 8 4 — — — — — 1970–71 American National Team Intl — — — — — — — — — — 1972–73 Minnesota Fighting Saints WHA 54 4 12 16 34 — — — — — WHA totals 54 4 12 16 34 — — — — — NHL totals 52 7 8 15 26 — — — — —

International Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM 1970 United States WC-B 7 4 7 11 4 1971 United States WC 9 1 1 2 8 Senior totals 16 5 8 13 12

Awards and honors Award Year All-WCHA Second Team 1959–60 AHCA West All-American 1959–60 NCAA All-Tournament First Team 1960 All-WCHA First Team 1960–61 NCAA All-Tournament Second Team 1961 Central Professional Hockey League First All-Star Team (1967) 1970 World Ice Hockey Championships Pool B (WEC-B) All-Star Team (1970) Named Best Defenseman at WEC-B (1970) Named to WCHA Top 50 Players in 50 Years Inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame (2011) January 31, 1968 - George Konik scores on the first penalty shot in franchise history at St. Louis beating Glenn Hall in a 9-4 Penguins loss.