Hank Nowak

Henry Stanley "Hank" Nowak (born November 24, 1950) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played 180 games in the National Hockey League with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, and Boston Bruins between 1973 and 1977. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1970 to 1980, was spent in the minor leagues.

Playing career Hank Nowak played left-wing for three different teams throughout the 1970s. He was a disciplined checker, a useful grinder with a muscular build who could contribute occasionally to the scoring.

Nowak was born in Oshawa, the son of a Polish father and a Russian mother who came to Canada after the Second World War. "He inherited his father’s hands; they were oversized, strong, and made for hard work. Even now, when Nowak shakes hands, it’s the grip people notice." (excerpt from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/article-hank-nowak-missing-wallet-nhl-hockey/)

Nowak spent two years with the Oshawa Generals of the OHA. Chosen 87th overall by the Flyers in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft, he was assigned to the Quebec Aces. He also played with the Richmond Robins and Hershey Bears, and was then traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

After 13 games with the Pens in 1973-74, he spent most of the season in Hershey, scoring 32 goals in 56 games. In May 1974, Nowak was traded to Detroit for Nelson Debenedet. On Dec 5, 1974 - he was involved in an altercation on the ice with Carol Vadnais. A few weeks later he was traded to the bruins which led to the infamous 'racoon' meeting. You can find that on youtube.

Nowak scored 22 points in 56 games for the Wings, but then he was traded to Boston with Earl Anderson for Walt McKechnie.

In the 1975 NHL playoffs, Nowak scored one goal. In 1975-76, he played 10 games for Boston when they reached the Stanley Cup semifinals.

On February 7, 1976, Nowak played in Darryl Sittler's NHL record-setting game when Boston played the Toronto Maple Leafs. This was the night that Sittler set an NHL record for most points scored in one game when he recorded ten points (six goals, four assists). Nowak claims that despite the 11–4 loss that night he was still +3!

Nowak retired from competitive hockey in 1980. He went on to work for the Toronto Transit Commission, and is now fully retired.

Hank Nowak was playing occasionally in the ASHL for the 'Toronto Blue Hogs.' He played occasionally in tournaments, and the infamous Christmas levee with some Blue Hog alumni and his son Clinton. He still plays pickup every week with his son Clinton in an east end rink in downtown Toronto.

In 2023, a wallet belonging to Nowak that he lost in 1973 was returned by mail to the Globe and Mail newspaper in Toronto from a man in New Haven, CT. The newspaper has no way of contacting the man who found the wallet, but Nowak and the newspaper are hoping the man can contact the editor at the Globe and Mail the wallet was addressed to. You can find the globe article here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/article-hank-nowak-missing-wallet-nhl-hockey/

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1968–69 Oshawa Generals OHA 26 2 3 5 37 — — — — — 1969–70 Oshawa Generals OHA 53 17 22 39 37 6 1 2 3 6 1970–71 Quebec Aces AHL 49 2 7 9 26 1 0 0 0 0 1971–72 Richmond Robins AHL 62 2 3 5 8 — — — — — 1972–73 Hershey Bears AHL 66 25 22 47 77 7 1 2 3 8 1973–74 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 13 0 0 0 11 — — — — — 1973–74 Hershey Bears AHL 56 32 37 69 90 14 3 12 15 14 1974–75 Detroit Red Wings NHL 56 8 14 22 69 — — — — — 1974–75 Boston Bruins NHL 21 4 7 11 26 3 1 0 1 0 1975–76 Boston Bruins NHL 66 7 3 10 41 10 0 0 0 8 1976–77 Boston Bruins NHL 24 7 5 12 14 — — — — — 1976–77 Rochester Americans AHL 35 12 17 29 26 — — — — — 1977–78 Binghamton Dusters AHL 77 20 24 44 50 — — — — — 1978–79 Philadelphia Firebirds AHL 32 7 12 19 16 — — — — — 1978–79 Cape Cod Freedoms NEHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1978–79 Utica Mohawks NEHL 43 27 43 70 49 — — — — — 1979–80 Saginaw Gears IHL 12 6 3 9 44 — — — — — 1979–80 Toledo Goaldiggers IHL 65 14 22 36 59 4 0 0 0 2 AHL totals 377 100 122 222 293 21 4 14 18 22 NHL totals 180 26 29 55 161 13 1 0 1 8