Jerry Korab

Gerald Joseph Korab (born September 15, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, who was a defenceman in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1971 to 1985. Korab was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

Nicknamed "King Kong", Korab made a solid reputation for himself in the 1970s era NHL as a physical defenceman. His size gave him a distinct advantage in his zone, and he possessed a hard shot and some offensive skills.

Making his NHL debut with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1970–71, Korab was asked to keep the front of his net clear. He continued to play the same role for the next two seasons while scoring 12 goals in 1972–73 and helping Chicago reach the Stanley Cup Final in 1971 and 1973.

Korab's best years were spent on the blueline of the Buffalo Sabres from 1973 to 1980, where he blossomed into an effective defenceman on one of the best young teams in the league. He was a physical presence while hitting double-digits in goals four times, helping the Sabres reach their first Stanley Cup Final in 1975. He was selected to play in the NHL All-Star Games in 1975 and 1976. During this period, he also established himself as the NHL's "best dressed player" for three years running, beginning with his time with the Vancouver Canucks during the 1973–74 season, when he became a fan of designer and master tailor Paul Minichiello.

Korab was traded to the Los Angeles Kings on March 10, 1980, for a first-round draft choice that Buffalo used to select offensive defenceman Phil Housley. In 1983, he retired but two months into the season he was offered a chance to make a comeback with the Sabres. He would retire for good after playing 25 games with the Sabres in 1984–85.

Korab owns and operates Korab Inc., a packaging service located in Bellwood, Illinois.

Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1966–67 St. Catharines Black Hawks OHA-Jr. 43 3 10 13 57 4 0 1 1 12 1967–68 St. Catharines Black Hawks OHA-Jr. 54 10 34 44 244 5 0 3 3 26 1968–69 Port Huron Flags IHL 71 18 46 64 284 — — — — — 1969–70 Portland Buckaroos WHL 65 9 12 21 169 — — — — — 1970–71 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 46 4 14 18 152 7 1 0 1 20 1970–71 Portland Buckaroos WHL 20 3 5 8 78 — — — — — 1971–72 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 73 9 5 14 95 8 0 1 1 20 1972–73 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 77 12 15 27 94 15 0 0 0 22 1973–74 Vancouver Canucks NHL 31 4 7 11 64 — — — — — 1973–74 Buffalo Sabres NHL 45 6 12 18 73 — — — — — 1974–75 Buffalo Sabres NHL 79 12 44 56 184 16 3 2 5 32 1975–76 Buffalo Sabres NHL 65 13 28 41 85 9 1 3 4 12 1976–77 Buffalo Sabres NHL 77 14 33 47 120 6 2 4 6 8 1977–78 Buffalo Sabres NHL 77 7 34 41 119 8 0 5 5 6 1978–79 Buffalo Sabres NHL 78 11 40 51 104 3 1 0 1 4 1979–80 Buffalo Sabres NHL 43 1 10 11 74 — — — — — 1979–80 Los Angeles Kings NHL 11 1 2 3 34 3 0 1 1 11 1980–81 Los Angeles Kings NHL 78 9 43 52 139 4 0 0 0 33 1981–82 Los Angeles Kings NHL 50 5 13 18 91 10 0 2 2 26 1982–83 Los Angeles Kings NHL 72 3 26 29 90 — — — — — 1983–84 Buffalo Sabres NHL 48 2 9 11 82 3 0 0 0 5 1983–84 Rochester Americans AHL 4 0 4 4 2 — — — — — 1984–85 Buffalo Sabres NHL 25 1 6 7 29 1 0 0 0 2 1984–85 Rochester Americans AHL 3 1 2 3 6 — — — — — NHL totals 975 114 341 455 1,629 93 8 18 26 201